If Mort Divine ruled the world

Just go there if you want to see their strong economy and compare it to living in places in Western Europe. It doesn't compare. I loved Budapest and think it's a gorgeous city, but if you want to talk about the economy and services, visit somewhere else. FWIW Hungary is considered a semi-developing country, and France has always been a bit odd economically while still holding up with the UK and Germany with services.

What kind of work did you do there?
 
What kind of work did you do there?

I taught English as a TA (and sometimes German to new arrivals) and studied at WWU in Germany. I merely spent a few days in Budapest and spent a good portion of that time intoxicated there, to be honest. I have had a few Hungarian acquaintances during my time in Germany though. Hungary is not a bad place to live, don't get me wrong, and you can get a job there. But their currency doesn't go that far if your income is based on it (and forget about cheap travelling by the euro zone standard), and the infrastructure is more worn down that other places in Central and Western Europe.

Historical context, of course, the places occupied the Western powers did receive a lot of reconstruction funds (and countless more in private loans) from the US directly after the war, while the others were far more limited in their capability to do so.
 
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Well they've only been an ex-communist nation for 30 years so naturally they're going to be behind ex-empires that plundered half the world of its wealth. I'm just going by various international statistics (HDI, World Bank numbers, etc) and Hungary seems roughly as well off as other Central European ex-commie nations, and moving in the right direction economically compared to most/all Southern European ones and some Western European ones.
 
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My faggot rapist ex's family came over on the Mariel boatlift. A rather prominent line of homosexuality, in fact. Castro should have lived up to his name a little better and cut some faggot rapist balls off. Ultimately Carter's fault for letting them in though. Catholics, faggot rapists, same thing.
 
...and slavery, empires, feudalism, colonization, genocides, wars, yada yada yada... ;)

But seriously, this isn't a knock against strong borders, just against the argument that because something has been a part of civilization and history means it should continue to be part of it.

The should indicates you think there's an option. It's clear that many things that were parts of various previous civilizations have been left in the proverbial dustbin of history, but we have borders and walls of all sorts, shapes, and sizes everywhere we turn. Moral outrage at a national border or wall indicates one either hasn't thought much on the subject, or has poor critical thinking skills.
 
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The should indicates you think there's an option. It's clear that many things that were parts of various previous civilizations have been left in the proverbial dustbin of history, but we have borders and walls of all sorts, shapes, and sizes everywhere we turn. Moral outrage at a national border or wall indicates one either hasn't thought much on the subject, or has poor critical thinking skills.

I'm not objecting morally to the existence of borders; I'm saying that arguing for something because it's been done for millennia is a poor argument.

I am morally (and ethically) outraged at the treatment of immigrants currently here, though.
 
I'm not objecting morally to the existence of borders; I'm saying that arguing for something because it's been done for millennia is a poor argument.

I am morally (and ethically) outraged at the treatment of immigrants currently here, though.

I'm not saying you're outraged morally at borders (although there is some aspect of it in your speaking of selective legal immigration and the ire towards illegals). But the vocal progressive left is certainly speaking of it in moral terms (Ocasio, etc).

I haven't read the book, but the point is that clear organization is key to civilization, and walls have been a very physical manifestation of that since time immemorial. You home network/computer has a "firewall" for the same reasons, as does BU's network (for instance).
 
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Asia Argento: "We need to eliminate rape culture and implicit approval of sexual harassment by men from society! #metoo"
Also Asia Argento:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-asia-argento-accuser-20180819-story.html

Asia Argento, an actress and director at the center of the #MeToo movement, recently paid off a former child actor who said she sexually assaulted him in a Marina del Rey hotel room when he was 17, the New York Times reported Sunday.

Argento, 42, settled a notice of intent to sue from Jimmy Bennett, who in 2004 played her son in a film, for $380,000 in the months after she publicly accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her, the newspaper reported. In California, the age of consent is 18. Bennett is now 22.

According to the Times, the alleged sexual assault on May 9, 2013, and the payment agreement that followed are laid out in documents between lawyers for Argento and Bennett that the newspaper received through encrypted email from an unknown source. The New York Times report did not state that Argento admitted any wrongdoing. The newspaper cited three unnamed sources as confirming the authenticity of the documents.

On the day of the alleged assault, Argento and Bennett met for a reunion at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey. The pair have referred to each other as mother and son on social media. Argento posted a photo on that day showing her hugging Bennett, referring to him as “My son my love,” and included the month and year.

According to the New York Times, Bennett arrived at the hotel with a family member. Argento asked the family member to leave. When they were alone, she allegedly kissed the 17-year-old, removed his pants and performed oral sex, and then had sex with him, the newspaper reported.

Argento became a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement after telling the New Yorker that Weinstein raped her in 1997 when she was 21. Weinstein faces multiple charges of sexual assault and rape, but none of the charges involve Argento’s claim.

A source with knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Los Angeles Times that there was a negotiated settlement with Bennett after he leveled the claims against her last year.

Argento was in a relationship with celebrity chef, author and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who helped her navigate the matter, the New York Times reported. Bourdain killed himself in June.
 
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