Which of course is a rhetorical question and among friends means that it is not ready. And is frankly unworthy.

What motivated him to write this and why he did not address it to a Budapest editor's desk or even to one in Florence, Rome, London or Paris but instead to the Washington Post only God knows. Why directly to the States - which are united but not at all in the same way as Europe. Bringing up a relevant question requires the relevant media, and in Europe's internal affairs the readership of the Washington Post seem an unlikely target group.

If somebody looks for a gate hinge screw in a dairy shop, wants to get hold of offal in a DIY or hopes to pick up a theatre ticket in a furniture shop, they will undoubtedly encounter a confused response from people. At least as confused as when an EU citizen complains to the American public about a country honoured with the position of the revolving presidency of the European Union. In peace time.

What exactly was it that planted the artist in front of a computer instead of a piano? How can he berate others about something he hardly has a clue about, while in the meantime lending credibility to such a serious accusation with his origin and successful career?  

Why indeed? I may ask with false naivety, unless Schiff's letter was not self-revealing, partly because of the ill-chosen addressee, but in this case mainly because of its content. Since it is with just this kind of talk that our liberals - who propagate the omnipotence of global markets - have been feeding us for exactly twenty years. The same accusations over and over again. If the liberals are not in power and thus cannot satisfy their business interests, then by their logic the atmosphere of pogroms must therefore be raging in Hungary. "And many people fear" as Schiff wrote to America from Florence.   

Twenty years ago we were terrified of ourselves if we were held before a mirror by any western democracy. We have now learned from experience that the same circle puts the same stigma upon us using the same channels in order to steal away our own authority - and rule over us.