PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. You have information about it. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu and his wife. Rebranding Christianity for $3.99, or why the truth shall make you free [1], His security guard appeared, disappeared and, finally, hustled Ceauescu off the balcony. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency I will not say anything here. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! Tip Jar or Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Belmont Club, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran, Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway, Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obamas Impeachment, Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban, Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality, The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency, Rebranding Christianity (The World of Information), The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli, How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument, The FBI Targeted Patriotic Conservatives Exercising Their First Amendment Rights: Theyre All Bleeping Terrorists, Watch: Russell Brand OBLITERATES MSNBC in Hack's Face on 'Real Time With Bill Maher', New York Times Discovers a New Source of Racism, and This One Could Be the Most Ridiculous Yet, Young Man Does His Own Taxes for First Time, Rage and Mirth Ensue, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Storm Over the South China Sea $0.99, how China is restarting history in the Pacific Lech Walesa has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. I just couldnt convince myself to do it., He is not alone. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? You told us about it here. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. You were not used to talking to the people. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. They carried out acts that are incompatible with human dignity and social thinking; they acted in a despotic and criminal way; they destroyed the people whose leaders they claimed to be. The new committee declared its immediate aim was an end to the cult of personality which had developed around the Ceauescu family. Central planning in economics leads to a mismatch in prices and a collapse in the economy while a Central Narrative in politics leads to an increased incidence of involuntary rebellion. I would not call for the death sentence, but it would be incomprehensible for the Romanian people to have to go on suffering this great misery and not to have it ended by sentencing the two Ceausescus to death. Judecator Gica POPA. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. PROSECUTOR: Note the following: the defendant refuses to sign this statement. CEAUSESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. Teams of doctors with emergency medical supplies were being flown in from Geneva last night. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. Because of the crimes they committed against the people, I plead, on behalf of the victims of these two tyrants, for the death sentence for the two defendants. One of the first acts of the new leadership was to place the security forces, the dreaded Securitate, under control of the army. A later article shows that Australia is moving toward. But rebellion begins involuntarily, at the Hayekian level. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. This is a vulgar provocation. But we are not talking about people. However, why are your programs not implemented? Bundled in drab winter clothing, she was shoved around by armed guards inside a cold, empty building. JUDECATORUL: Va rog sa luati loc. Ceauescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. I am the president of the people. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? "Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989," Making the History of 1989, Item #696, https://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/696 (accessed May 28 2021, 3:24 pm). The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. Centralized Information as Hayek points out, eventually becomes the Official Lie. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. A voice in the studio said that the army was wholly on the side of the people. I now ask the court to pass a verdict on the basis of the law, because everybody must receive due punishment for the offenses he has committed. Not a single shot. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. CEAUSESCU: This is not possible at all. The produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. Military base Trgovite - December 25th 1989. It is a lie that I made the people starve. It must be cleared up whether Ceausescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. By 6 pm, Romanian television was broadcasting live reports of victory rallies attended by thousands in Bucharest. Ceausescu refused to answer. I will only speak in front of it. The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceauescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceauescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved. Recent items of interest by Belmont readers based on Amazon click-throughs. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. And so should such reports chill one to the bone. As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when . By the morning of 22 December, the rebellion had already spread to all major cities across the country. Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . What prevents him from doing so? CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. CEAUSESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. I do not recognize the court. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. One day Obama may wake up and find the alliances just gone. They carried out acts that are incompatible with human dignity and social thinking; they acted in a despotic and criminal way; they destroyed the people whose leaders they claimed to be. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. No one was shot. A flight into peril, flashbacks to underground action. PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. Furnish proof! But who gave the order to shoot? Are they the people, or are you paying them? Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting "Ti-mi-oa-ra! ELENA CEAUSESCU: Such impudence! In the wake of growing tension over an uprising in Timioara in which thousands were reportedly killed, Ceauescu decided to give a nationally televised speech before a crowd in Palace Square (now known as Revolution Square) in Bucharest. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. Its just that he makes it so hard to do so.. PROSECUTOR: Well, Mr. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. At that very moment, many everyday Romanians saw the weakness of Ceauescu's regime for the first time. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceausescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. At some point the entire structure of governance becomes a system of workarounds with all real power devolved to the man on the ground. The great Ceauescu escape attempt came after it had become clear that most of the army had gone over to the people. They used to fetch people from orphans' homes or from abroad whom they trained in special institutions to become murderers of their own people. In the uprising by people against Ceausescu during this speech and in subsequent days 1,058 people lost there lives. The defendant has not recognized us. The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceauescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. What should he ask us? "This is the final battle," he said. You have information about it. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. . As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. And Elena says: It is incredible what they are inventing, incredible. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. The following is a transscript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. No one can ask Bergdahl, since he is now reported as being unable to speak to anyone including his family. Romanian demonstrators gathered in front of the headquarters of the Romanian Communist Party in Bucharest during the 1989 anti-communist revolution, 22 December 1989. PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. Ti-mi-oa-ra!a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The intelligentsia of the country will hear what you are accusing us of. All Rights Reserved. They are cowards. They used to fetch people from orphans' homes or from abroad whom they trained in special institutions to become murderers of their own people. The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: What an obscene provocation. These two defendants procured the most luxurious foodstuffs and clothes from abroad. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! The trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu was held on 25 December 1989 by an Exceptional Military Tribunal, a drumhead court-martial created at the request of a newly formed group called the National Salvation Front. PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. Because of the crimes they committed against the people, I plead, on behalf of the victims of these two tyrants, for the death sentence for the two defendants. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. This shows again how false the charges are. They cultivated the soil in line with your orders and had nothing to eat. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. And that assumes more dont simply dodge paying the penalty because of the ease with which they can claim a hardship exemption, or because the law places strict limits on the IRS ability to collect the money. You, as a scientist, did you know about it? In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. After many people began to exit the square, Ceauescu shouted over the public address system for them to "remain seated". PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceauescu. As the other primary sources reveal, the Ceausescus were tried a few days later and executed as enemies of the new Romanian state. Perhaps the biggest example of thisis a CBO report that while 30 million people will technically be liable to pay the Obamacare Individual Mandate fine but in practice all but 4 million will have their fines waived or exempted. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the early hours in front of the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest, undeterred by armoured vehicles. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. 600K views 3 years ago Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary General of the Romanian. Ford said of his resignation,I was no longer in a position where I felt I could defend the American policy. Sooner or later inability to credit yoga or videos produced in Los Angeles as actual factors becomes more and more widespread. I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. What defamation, what provocations! They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. The Ceauescu administrations Prime Minister, Mr Constantin Dsclescu, and his government were said to have resigned. No one can deprive me of these functions. As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he -- like her -- committed insane acts, we want to defend them. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. From the archive, 23 December 1989: Celebration as a nation emerges from the dark, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. No, no, he says. CEAUSESCU: No, no. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. All their property will be impounded. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. And the next moment he was lying in the dust. Now you know what members of our U.S. military are thinking and saying. Robert Ford, the former US ambassador to Syria, has effectively accused the Obama administration of abandoning genuinely pro-American rebels in Syria thereby allowing the ascendance of al-Qaeda. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? Frederich Hayek identified the primary reason why tyrants fall: they rely on the poisoned cup of centralized knowledge. ELENA CEAUESCU: I will not answer. We have data concerning both of them. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. No Way In at Amazon Kindle $8.95, print $9.99. [1] The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. One moment Ceauescu was in total control of Romania, determined to crush his enemies. An important historical square located on Victoriei Street. Suntem in fata unui tribunal al poporului. Why did you starve the people? After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu is death sentence. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. PROSECUTOR: Please, ask Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu whether they have ever had a mental illness. In the wake of growing tension over an uprising in Timioara in which thousands were reportedly killed, Ceauescu decided to give a nationally televised speech before a crowd in Palace Square . COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he like her committed insane acts, we want to defend them. They organized the putsch. How can one say something like this? Nobody is likely to rise up and become a Man on Horseback. PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. This was a coup d'etat. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. In the footage, Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu can be seen delivering a speech from the balcony of the Central Committee building overlooking Palace Square, now know as "Revolution Square," where he praised the achievements of Romania's socialist regime and its "multi-laterally developed socialist society." From Wikipedia: This page was last edited on 8 October 2016, at 23:48. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Grandiose plans are announced, pivots are ordered, Red Lines are drawn, all manner of schemes are announced with a maximum of hoopla but everybody ignores it they know the latest fad will pass and the regime will Move On. They not only killed children, young people and adults in Timisoara and Bucharest; they allowed Securitate members to wear military uniforms to create the impression among the people that the army is against them. Elena and Nicolae Ceasescu state: Well, you told us about it. What about the accounts? There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. This page was last modified on 10 April 2016, at 21:40. A later article shows that Australia is moving toward purchasing Japanese submarines to replace its existing fleet. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not say anything more. These two defendants procured the most luxurious foodstuffs and clothes from abroad. But those who shot at the young people were the security men, the terrorists. No, no, he says. It should be stated once and for all that this military court is absolutely legal and that the former positions of the two Ceauescus are no longer valid. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. What do you think? CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? This gang will be destroyed. CEAUSESCU: No, we had no palaces. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. You told us about it here. It gave no further details. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary Gener. Later reports suggested the couple had been captured. Almost none of the uninsured will end up paying the ObamaCare mandate penalty, according to an updated analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, which found that 87% will be able to claim an exemption. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu must be held fully responsible for this. In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. Those moments of Ceausescus weakness and the power of popular pressure explain why, a mere 48 hours later, Ceausescu was attempting to flee Romania, all power lost. The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. TheWashington Timesreports that a top intelligence official is accusing the Obama admininistration of funding a terror network for the next ten years, alleging the administration paid a cash ransom to redeem Bowe Bergdahl. Powered by Omeka, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media. Free shipping for many products! Military base Tirgoviste - December 25th 1989. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu should be punished in a really legal trial. PROSECUTOR: So far, they have always claimed that we have built this country, we have paid our debts, but with this they bled the country to death and have hoarded enough money to ensure their escape. Diane Dimond writes in Real Clear Politicsabout the low level grumbling that risen to detectable levels since the Bergdahl affair. What happened was that he was misled by Centralized Information. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. The Times of Israel quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. PROSECUTOR: So far, they have always claimed that we have built this country, we have paid our debts, but with this they bled the country to death and have hoarded enough money to ensure their escape. CEAUSESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. A lie, a lie in my face. Bucharests Broadcasting House was the main source of information yesterday for Romanians about the countrys liberation and the means by which politicians, military officers and dissidents tried to influence the situation. Do you want to sign this statement? Have you understood them? Ceausescu's last speech was interrupted but not by the shouts of the masses. About They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. The Defence Minister, General Vasile Milea, was said to have committed suicide although it is equally possible he was shot by a member of the Ceauescu retinue. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. Share . Furnish proof! I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. You cannot talk to me in such a way! And who brought them into the country? Ceausescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. His country passed from traditional monarchy to troubled democracy to royal dictatorship to military control to occupied territory. The crimes against the people grew year by year. The produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. Print. Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obamas Impeachment Richard III of England rode into Bosworth Field relying on his ally Baron Stanely to come to his aid. Elena keeps whispering to him. They will receive a link in their email and it will automatically give them access to a Kindle reader on their smartphone, computer or even as a web-readable document. Those moments of Ceausescus weakness and the power of popular pressure explain why, a mere 48 hours later, Ceausescu was attempting to flee Romania, all power lost. Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality [2], Ceauescu appeared on the balcony of the Central Committee building and began as he had in years past, with a speech laden with the usual "wooden language." He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. PROSECUTOR: And who wrote the papers for you, Elena? It can go on for a long time shedding parts, but eventually the axle falls out. You have acted in a very irresponsible manner; you led the country to the verge of ruin and you will be convicted on the basis of the points contained in the bill of indictment. This gang will be destroyed. The History: Last Speech, Trial and Execution Decades of brutal oppression under the Ceausescu regime came to a head in Timisoara, earlier that same December. PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. PROSECUTOR: And who wrote the papers for you, Elena? The prosecutor quotes Ceauescu, Ceauescu's program. We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. This shows again how false the charges are. As a simple citizen, I tell you the following: For the first time I guaranteed that every peasant received 200 kilograms of wheat per person, not per family, and that he is entitled to more. 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it.
