Yes, there are some people who are upset that Hungary has banned pride parades. Originally, they were a kind of public gathering to demonstrate gay rights, but according to the detractors, they have slowly degraded into a kind of burlesque and pornographic spectacle, not suitable for children or other sensitive eyes.
Many campaigners for justice are beating their chests and saying that Hungary’s decision is not democratic, despite the fact that it was passed in the Hungarian Parliament by a large number of votes, by elected representatives, who went through fair and controlled elections.
Where is the undemocratic part, one might ask?
Democracy is not something neat and tidy, it is actually messy; it is what happens when you let the people decide.It’s called mob rule by some, by those who dislike the idea. And Hungarians in this case obviously don’t like burlesque parades.
So, did the people and their representatives vote wrong? Should they have liked the gay spectacle? Where does the problem really lie?
We can’t demand that people vote a certain way, that’s not democracy.
Well, some people want to abolish democracy itself, but that is not democratic either, there must be some kind of maintaining forces. Obviously, not everything can be allowed. So democracy is a particular kind of set of laws and regulation?
But if we have a kind of political agenda that cannot be voted out, then it is not democracy, is it? It doesn’t matter how we twist and turn the debate.
And the pride parade debate in Hungary is actually quite a bad example, as it could be classified as ‘disruptive behaviour’. What happens in the public space is not the same as what happens behind closed doors. And it doesn’t really infringe on anyone’s personal rights. It is not unconstitutional. All political systems, whether right or left, are sensitive to what goes on in public.
Well, anyone who aspires to something finer and higher, and doesn’t want to lower themselves to listening to the voice of the plebs, is not a democrat. And that is where we are heading – the beautiful, expedient and necessary dictatorship.
