Very helpful to see your thoughtful comments here, Ferenc, and the constructive extension of George. I rarely read “Szombat” but wanted to look up the details of the resignation of Mr. Gusztov and was glad to see the rounded views presented here, more somber than in other media. I am writing a study on the topic of societal-wide trauma for ISPSO, and one case study draws on the resignation. If you or George (or others) want to respond, would appreciate your thoughts greatly, even in Hungarian.
Central to the ISPSO study, and relevant to your points, is the view, derived from Levi-Strauss, that nations have “personalities” which evolve from history, culture, and geographic locale over longer time. Levi-Strauss called this national identity “ethos.” As such, a self-image emerges, be this as “group fantasy,” derived from essentially needed “truth telling of history” which is congruent with national identity. At a time, when psychoanalysis is on the wane, and means to explore personal historical identity is increasingly yielding to time-limted Cognitive Behaviorism, the importance of history education, reflecting the “need for truth telling of history” becomes all the more central. It can aid development of youth toward participatory democracy, and involvement on behalf of their own lives.
Aside from the specific losses and injury to individuals and families, when the national ethos is also injured or ruptured, trauma occurs society wide, with the concurrent desire for correction of contradictions and dissonance. What is viewed by many as the geographic dismemberment to Trianon is but one example. What happened to the Jewry of Europe during the Holocaust is another. But it is not the general abstractions of what constitutes “ethos” which fuels discord –rather the wide, and ongoing replication of the trauma in daily life does so. For example, rightly or wrongly questioned research on stress related illness from the ongoing discrimination of Hungarians abroad (in Erdely) is suggestive. It overshadows even the findings of Kopp Maria for the decimation since 1989 of social cohesion, of supportive networks, within Hungary.
For the Jewish peoples, the ethos derived from “truth telling of history” has several layers
of congruence. One is that of Israeli National identity, and the need not to deny the Holocaust, nor the existential right of the Israeli state. Another level derives from the larger Jewish Community abroad, and reflects desires close to that of Israel. At this level, the main international institute monitoring “truth telling of history” is the IHRA, the 30 nations international body of the International Holocaust Remembrance Association. At the local, national level, the IHRA has considerable say on “correctness” in truth telling, and it is significant that Hungary has retained the Presidency of IHRA for 2015.
The argument for IHRA derives from life phase development. Teens tend to refuse lies, especially from significant others, such as teachers. If they can, they will spit is back. If they are forced to swallow it, they will variously sicken. Dressed in the rag-clothes of shame which have been forced upon them, their adjustment will tilt toward personality disorder or acting out, with various anti-social adjustments such as possible alcohol or drug use.
Recognizing this, that although Shoa memorial is mandatory, yet textbooks very sparse in both depth of content and treatment of the Holocaust, EMMI has bought the books back and seeks to correct them. While up until now, the tragedy of Aradi Martyrs of 1849 was taught as the Hungarian Golgota, the centrality of our era can gain new, correct treatment. This can and should be our focus, and the focus of community effort.
It is at this point that the Gusztav resignation becomes significant. The manner of his resignation, and the desire to hide the corruption behind his „old warriors”fatigue at the present, troublesome “social divides,” can and has been misunderstood as blaming a revisionist government, while denying wrong-doing. Maybe shameful, but he should have said something about his own failings in leadership. If all IHRA chooses to hear, and not also the decades long “stink in-house,” it will again play out as trauma replicating trauma, ie. Mazsi again shooting itself, and the Jewry it represents, in the leg..
The “stink” in Mazsi runs back so far and so deep, that it is temptation to see it as reflecting the same Jewish leadership participation in self-deceit, and deceit of their charge at Rumbach, and later of the country-side Jewry. What Jew did to Jew, and does to Jew today, remains a legacy of trauma replicating trauma, central to Holocaust Education.
The IHRA presidency is endangered. If the IHRA presidency is revoked, and the option of Jewry to participate in the correct upgrading of textbooks to serve “truth telling of history” is aborted, a 30 nation body will have to say, “That country Hungary lies to its children.”
But as the work of RtL Consultancy has pointed out, the ramifications will continue toward economic damage. “If they lie to their children, why should they be any more honest with your business dealings?”
The old man can then sit back and laugh, “See how smart I am. I told you so.” Will he not be laughing also at the harm done to Hungarian Jewry, and the prospects for Jewish youth in the Community who choose to stay here, or who can not leave?