Life in Orban's Hungary: Corruption and Decline

Vice President JD Vance, a creation of the Peter Thiel dark-money machine, traveled to Hungary to openly threaten voters on behalf of the Kremlin's favorite strongman, Viktor Orban. This is emotional blackmail on a global scale. Vance effectively told a post-Soviet nation that if they don't re-elect Orban this Sunday, they lose the protection of the U.S. military. It's a "nice country you've got there, shame if something happened to it" mafia tactic.

Why is MAGA obsessed with Hungary? Because the EU is a regulatory miracle that Big Money hates. To the Peter Thiels of the world, Orban is the wedge designed to divide the EU, weaken Russian sanctions, and pave the way for a fascist Bannon nightmare across the continent. Under Orban, Hungary has become the most corrupt state in the EU, suffering from massive brain drain and crumbling infrastructure.

Despite the threats, there is hope. On Sunday, April 12, Hungarians may unite behind a charismatic new leader, Péter Magyar. Will they choose freedom and fight against tyranny, like in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, or will MAGA's blackmail work? We shall see. For a look at the MAGA virus in the UK, we continue our conversation with Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell's 1984.

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Show Notes:

Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina https://www.npr.org/2025/11/13/nx-s1-5607023/where-the-us-got-20b-to-bail-out-argentina

Hungary eyes US financial shield as EU funds remain frozen https://www.reuters.com/world/us-financial-shield-bolsters-hungary-amid-eu-funding-freeze-minister-says-2025-11-10/

Andrea's thread on Hungary's decline under Orban https://x.com/AndreaChalupa/status/1766082022781354193

MAGA's favorite strongman might be on the brink of defeat. We're about to find out whether an authoritarian can lose at the ballot box. https://www.vox.com/politics/485058/hungary-election-2026-orban-trump-vance-maga

Viktor Orbán told Putin 'I am at your service' in October phone call https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/viktor-orban-told-putin-i-am-at-your-service-in-october-phonecall

Italy: Steve Bannon's populist academy in the Trisulti monastery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjSL1ofqGb8

Epstein files shed more light on Steve Bannon's efforts to influence European politics https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/jeffrey-epstein-files-steve-bannon-european-politics

How Jeffrey Epstein sought to help Steve Bannon build a global populist movement https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/09/politics/steve-bannon-jeffrey-epstein-global-populism

Péter Magyar, the former Orban ally vying for power in Hungary https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78l7vyylgqo