There’s a pretty strong consensus that socialism with a human face could not have lasted long anywhere within the constraint of a one-party state. Had the Hungarian Revolution or the Prague Spring not been suppressed by the Soviets, the idealists would probably have soon been pushed aside by ruthless pragmatists in the Tito mould. Alternatively an unravellinging of political control might have opened the way for a military strongman like Franco or Pinochet. A distant third possibility would have been a voluntary transition to multi-party democracy, with the reform communists restyling themselves as social democrats.

It was my introduction to how readily and how completely the loud-mouthed. gutless, so-called “Anti-Communist” politicians, churchmen, academics, journalists, businessmen and other assorted bludgers in The West would abandon those who risked their lives fighting bare-handed against the tanks of one of the mightiest military organization the world had ever seen.

And, as recent events have shown, not much has changed in the past fifty years.

A salute to those brave Hungarians!!!!

I’m glad to hear that some solemn commemoration of this tragedy was possible, given that the official celebrations were disrupted by the equally selfish antics of the cynical government and the ghastly opposition party. I guess you weren’t there on the 23rd, or you would have commented on the violence. In any case, if you’re interested there’s a good account of the day’s events in this photo essay.

Did you make it to the opera and/or to a concert at the Palace of the Arts?