New York vs. Budapest: The way the media covered two similar terrorist attacks

This past weekend, Budapest suffered a terrorist attack. A video has emerged of a man planting a suspect package at the scene of the crime which later spectacularly blew up, seriously injuring two police officers. Yet the western media has been stunningly silent about the whole affair whilst RT, to their credit, were amongst the first to report the incident and show photos as they emerged.

Last week, a terrorist bombing of a similar magnitude occurred in New York. Live shots of Manhattan were show across all major, old fashioned news outlets.

Of course whilst there was an extreme probability that the New York blast was a terrorist attack, we were treated to the perfunctory ‘gas leak’ theory for a few hours before the obvious became clear: (1) It was terrorism; and (2) It was ISIS inspired/ISIS style terrorism.

Mainstream media readers and viewers could be forgiven were they to think that the meddling in once stable countries like Syria has caused gas lines throughout the world to conspire together and decide to burst open near the closest flame with an alarming frequency.

The events in Hungary are following a similar pattern to those in New York, yet Budapest  has been effectively whitewashed from the western media, even though Hungary is as much at the heart of Europe as one can get.

The answer to this mystery can be explained in two words: Viktor Orban.

Yes, Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, is not known for towing the US/EU line. He is sceptical of Merkel’s refugee policy which Germans themselves have expressed opposition to and have done so by voting for opposition parties.

He has questioned western antagonism towards Russia.

He has questioned the globalist position on trade.

Jean Claude Junker was caught on camera calling him a ‘dictator’, in spite of the fact that Hungary is a functioning democracy.

This article is neither an endorsement nor a condemnation of Orban. When bombs explode and terrorist guns are shot in France, I do not think of Mr. Holland but of the tragic loss of life.

When a bomb goes off in New York, I do not think of Mr. Obama but of the innocent civilians who have been injured.

Yet the Western media have politicised this tragedy, and even if it isn’t an ISIS style attacker, the tragedy remains a matter of fact.

It just goes to show that for many, it is not the tragedy you reap but the company you keep. 

Playing politics with tragedy is a dirty game. This is what is being done in Syria, and it is costing lives, it is prolonging war.

The sad fact is that terrorism can never be fully eliminated, but it can be massively curtailed.  However this requires solidarity against a common enemy rather than politicising common tragedy.