Fwd: HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
Bela Liptak
From: lipta...@aol.com
To: let...@nytimes.com
Sent: 2/14/2025 4:30:04 PM Eastern Standard Time
Subject: HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
2-14-25To The Editors,
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
In 1956 Russian tanks rolled into Hungary and we welcomed them with Molotov cocktails. They did not like that, so they withdrew from Budapest and offered peace talks at their military headquarters. The naїve Hungarians accepted, were arrested by the KGB and the Russian style "special operation" started in my homeland. Many, including my good friend Jancsi Danner died in the fighting, 3% of the population escaped, the legitimate prime minister and the secretary of defense were hanged, a puppet government was established and the foundation for another 33 years of occupation was laid.
So, what is the lesson learned in Hungary?
Russia learned that aggression works, that Chamberlain's mentality still dominates the Western democracies and Ukraine could be the place to check if it is so, the Hungarians learned that supporting Russia's peace talks keeps their natural gas flowing, the Ukrainians learned that their blood is less valuable than their rear earths - while freedom and democracy are just words -, and finally the dictators and autocrats of the world are welcoming the age when "deals" among outsiders can determine the borders of independent nations and when America's withdrawal from international treaties and organizations makes it easier for them to violate international law.
Béla Lipták
Stamford, CT
Bela Liptak
From: yourl...@washingtontimes.com
To: lipta...@aol.com
Sent: 2/20/2025 11:26:59 AM Eastern Standard Time
Subject: Re: HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
Thank you. No, it's not too late; we can run tomorrow.
On Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 7:43 AM Bela Liptak <lipta...@aol.com> wrote:If it is not too late and it is not inconvenient for other reasons, please consider adding the sentence (in red below) to my exclusive letter.
In a message dated 2/17/2025 7:43:49 AM Eastern Standard Time, yourl...@washingtontimes.com writes:Thank you for the letter. Is it exclusive to us? We'd like to run it but must first confirm that it has not been sent elsewhere.
On Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 8:50 AM Bela Liptak <lipta...@aol.com> wrote:
2-14-25
To The Editors,
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
In 1956 Russian tanks rolled into Hungary and we welcomed them with Molotov cocktails. They did not like that, so they withdrew from Budapest and offered peace talks at their military headquarters. The naїve Hungarians accepted, were arrested by the KGB and the Russian style "special operation" started in my homeland. Many, including my good friend Jancsi Danner died in the fighting, 3% of the population escaped, the legitimate prime minister and the secretary of defense were hanged, a puppet government was established and the foundation for another 33 years of occupation was laid.
So, what is the lesson learned in Hungary?
Russia learned that aggression works, that Chamberlain's mentality still dominates the Western democracies and Ukraine could be the place to check if it is so, the Hungarians learned that supporting Russia's peace talks keeps their natural gas flowing, the Ukrainians learned that their blood is less valuable than their rear earths - while freedom and democracy are just words -, and finally the dictators and autocrats of the world are welcoming the age when "deals" among outsiders can determine the borders of independent nations and when America's withdrawal from international treaties and organizations makes it easier for them to violate international law.
In 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower did not contemplate building hotels in Moscow - or Gaza -, did not call our martyr prime minister a dictator, nor did he say that the Hungarians started the fight with Russia.
Béla Lipták
Stamford, CT
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