A Hungarian Musician Writes About His Country

[MrGongGong]

Spot on = "Thank F~*k for that, I needed a 'justification' for doing dick-all, other than mouth on a radio station chat forum". Some people are easily pleased.

You been taking your tablets today ?
or is the loss of Peester too much for you to bear ?

[Beef Oven!]

Funny thing is OXO boy that many of us DO
not by writing to daft politicians who don't give a toss about culture NOR by aligning ourselves with dangerous extremists in the name of fantasy politics
BUT
by engaging with those who make work in Hungary

Merzbow at Trafo was one of the great gigs i've been to
as were the Arditti's playing Xenakis at the same venue
and many others

Can you find a way of adding a mixed kebab and a bottle of whisky to that, and we've got the greatest political activity known to man? Meanwhile back in the real world, keep on kidding yourself.

[Beef Oven!]

You been taking your tablets today ?
or is the loss of Peester too much for you to bear ?

Peester is a martyr to democracy. DON'T DIS HIM. His stoic resilience to the lefty-bullies and his Stalinist murder, fix him permanently in our collective consciousness.

[ahinton]

Peester is a martyr to democracy. DON'T DIS HIM. His stoic resilience to the lefty-bullies and his Stalinist murder, fix him permanently in our collective consciousness.

I have no especial desire to speak for him, especially in his current absence, but not only do I imagine that he would not particularly consider himself to be a "martyr" to anything, I also fear that the implied assumption that he acted stoically in the face of "lefty-bullies" is gravely flawed on at least three counts; for one thing, many of his expressions were at best a failed representation of any kind of stoicism worthy of the name, for another, those members who disagreed with him (and there was no shortage thereof) did not all "bully" him or even try to do so merely by expressing that disagreement and, for another, not all such members are of the left (I'm not, for starters).

[Richard Barrett]

Peester is a martyr to democracy. DON'T DIS HIM. His stoic resilience to the lefty-bullies and his Stalinist murder, fix him permanently in our collective consciousness.

What language is this post in please?

What "we" can do in response to the situation of course depends on who "we" are. If "we" are doing the kind of stuff that MrGG and I are, then yes, the things he suggests are among the things that we can do and are doing (as it happens, a few weeks ago I began what I think will turn out to be a highly (artistically) successful collaboration with a Hungarian colleague). Does it make any difference? Well, political change is always a collective process, it's easy for the solipsistic libertarians among us to scoff at this or that seemingly insignificant initiative, but it all adds up, or at least it does if enough people take it seriously. Calling other people armchair socialists is not a solution to anything.

[MrGongGong]

Meanwhile back in the real world, keep on kidding yourself.

That's what the yooof would call
an EPIC FAIL i'm afraid
the world is REAL
you might like to play fantasy politics but my Hungarian colleagues who are making wonderful music under increasingly difficult conditions are very real indeed.

[Beef Oven!]

That's what the yooof would call
an EPIC FAIL i'm afraid
the world is REAL
you might like to play fantasy politics but my Hungarian colleagues who are making wonderful music under increasingly difficult conditions are very real indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pKkOOQR7_o

[amateur51]

Don't ask me, it's you, MrGG, et al that are beating your chests. I'm looking to you guys, looking to be led on this one. I don't actually care enough about the situation to do anything, but listening to you guys, I wondered whether, at the end of the day, despite all your noise, you guys are going to do anything more than me.

I'll make an allowance this time and offer a suggestion. If you think lobbying with petitions is a good idea, why don't you initiate a petition? Don't wait for someone else to do it, you do it. Lest it's all noise.

In your post #15 the pronoun was 'we'.

By this post it's 'you'.

I think this is just a predictable wind-up

Több dolog változik, annál inkább ugyanaz marad

And Oxo? Please stop looking in the mirror when you compose your posts

[Beef Oven!]

What language is this post in please?

What "we" can do in response to the situation of course depends on who "we" are. If "we" are doing the kind of stuff that MrGG and I are, then yes, the things he suggests are among the things that we can do and are doing (as it happens, a few weeks ago I began what I think will turn out to be a highly (artistically) successful collaboration with a Hungarian colleague). Does it make any difference? Well, political change is always a collective process, it's easy for the solipsistic libertarians among us to scoff at this or that seemingly insignificant initiative, but it all adds up, or at least it does if enough people take it seriously. Calling other people armchair socialists is not a solution to anything.

I respect the work that MrGG does very highly indeed, he knows that, and the same goes for your work (not just the music in either case). And I wholeheartedly agree that political change is a collective process. And we should do what we can do. Which is indeed my point. If the will is genuinely there, more can and should be done. I don't see that happening. I've never respected 'part-time punks' and I never will. I do of course respect people who get on with things and don't beat their chest all the time.

[MrGongGong]

people who get on with things and don't beat their chest all the time.

Which is exactly what many people have been doing ... so I don't really see what your problem is ?
Without folks drawing attention to these things we wouldn't know the situation that many of our colleagues and friends are having to work under.
I don't think writing to our comedy government will have any effect at all,nor will voting for someone else (though some options would make things much much worse) what DOES have effects are things like Richard describes.

After the fall of Ceausescu I went and worked in Romania a couple of times, running music projects with children who had been disabled by the treatment they had received, a heartbreaking situation. What is in danger of happening in places like Hungary (with it's international reputation for work with people with Cerebral Palsy etc http://www.peto.hu/en/) is that the most vulnerable in society will become marginalised and neglected. So aside from an interest in new music there are other serious concerns. But maybe that doesn't matter to most people ?

[amateur51]

What is in danger of happening in places like Hungary (with it's international reputation for work with people with Cerebral Palsy etc http://www.peto.hu/en/) is that the most vulnerable in society will become marginalised and neglected. So aside from an interest in new music there are other serious concerns. But maybe that doesn't matter to most people ?

After working with The Peto Institute Dr David McGlown set up a UK organisation called BIRD in Broughton, which I have visited. At the time I knew it, BIRD deviated from the Peto approach by focussing on training parents/carers to become therapists for the individuals rather than focussing on individuals & carers being dependent on a centre of excellence. I see that Dr McGlown has now retired and that BIRD has acquired National Lottery Funding for work in Oldham.

http://www.b-i-r-d.org.uk/about/lottery-funding.htm

http://www.b-i-r-d.org.uk/about/lottery-funding.htm

[Flosshilde]

I don't actually care enough about the situation to do anything,

Really sums BO up, doesn't it?

[Beef Oven!]

Really sums BO up, doesn't it?

That he's honest and not full of shit?

I give up 4-6 hours every week, voluntarily, for no pay to help elderly people who find it difficult doing things most of us take for granted. If my mind changes, and I stop doing it, it will either be because I can no longer keep up with the commitment, or I don't care enough anymore.

I'll keep you posted so you can continue to sum me up.

[amateur51]

Really sums BO up, doesn't it?

Well that and his reply ...

That he's honest and not full of shit?

I give up 4-6 hours every week, voluntarily, for no pay to help elderly people who find it difficult doing things most of us take for granted. If my mind changes, and I stop doing it, it will either be because I can no longer keep up with the commitment, or I don't care enough anymore.

The words a blowhard, blowing this way one moment when it suits, another way when it suits him differently.

Is this volunteering in Hungary or in E5? Either way it's good to see and this country has millions of volunteers doing similar altruistic work.

It's just that it would be nice if this part could be on-topic, instead of about Oxo.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

in May