. Now we are making a last attempt. One of the first acts of the new leadership was to place the security forces, the dreaded Securitate, under control of the army. The mighty Law of the Land is exposed as all bark and no bite; a fine they cant enforce. Free elections would be held as soon as possible, and independent media would be established. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? JUDECATORUL: Va rog sa luati loc. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. Paper is patient. 105). Just a genteel, inoffensive refusal from an old gent. ROMANIA: DEATH OF A DICTATOR : Ceausescu--Tyrant Who Posed as a A little noticed article in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. They were not really interested in the people. If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban I have done everything to create a decent and rich life for the people in the country, like in no other country in the world. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. PROSECUTOR: Note the following: The defendant refuses to sign this statement. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. Nicolae Ceausescu LAST SPEECH english subtitles 2/2 - YouTube PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceausescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. PROSECUTOR: Please, ask Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu whether they have ever had a mental illness. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. These two defendants procured the most luxurious foodstuffs and clothes from abroad. You were not used to talking to the people. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? Everybody should be paid according to his performance. Sudden realizations are like a crash; its not the fact of deceleration that is fatal so much as the suddenness of it. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! At the beginning, Ceauescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. This source is a part of the The Romanian Revolution of 1989 teaching module. PROSECUTOR: Note the following: the defendant refuses to sign this statement. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. Nicolae Ceauescu had been making speeches for over a couple of decades. We have data concerning both of them. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. All the world should know what is going on here. The slippage that attracts the most attention of course, is discontent within the United States military. Ceausescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. This shows again how false the charges are. Every honest citizen who worked hard here until 22 December knows that we do not have medicines, that you two have killed children and other people in this way, that there is nothing to eat, no heating, no electricity. Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu appeared on the balcony of the Central Committee of Comunmunist Party of Romania building, in Bucharest, Romania, on 21 December 1989, and began as he had in years past, with a speech laden with the usual `wooden language`. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. I do not recognize this court. Its just that he makes it so hard to do so.. I will not answer any more. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 Annotation One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). By the morning of 22 December, the rebellion had already spread to all major cities across the country. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. We want a legal trial. And the next moment he was lying in the dust. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. What happened? The Balcony from Which the Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu How can one say something like this? Every honest citizen who worked hard here until 22 December knows that we do not have medicines, that you two have killed children and other people in this way, that there is nothing to eat, no heating, no electricity. Ceauescus hated son, Nicu, a one-time candidate to follow his father as the countrys leader, was said to have been arrested in the city of Sibiu as he was trying to take hostages. has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument. Trump says "this is the final battle" as he lays out grievances, 2024 It should be stated once and for all that this military court is absolutely legal and that the former positions of the two Ceausescus are no longer valid. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. Only a few hours before the Genius of the Carpathians had been in apparently complete command. CEAUSESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of the former President and his wife, Elena, last night. 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. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. I will not answer you putschists, Ceauescu says. One of the fundamental defenses of a democracy is the truth. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. 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. I am the president of the people. The following is a transcript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceauescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. It is a historic time, given that no military member goes public to speak negatively about the ultimate commander. It must be cleared up whether Ceausescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? 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. I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. Transcript of the trial of Nicolae and E. Ceausescu By the way, I will not answer any more questions. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. Unprecedented Interruption of Ceausescu's Speech With AM - AP NEWS Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 | Making the History of CEAUSESCU: No, we will not sign. 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. Ceauescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. CEAUSESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. KGB technicians and agents made one of the most brilliant moves and played a recording of whistles and protests through installed speakers in the square. PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. Frederich Hayek identified the primary reason why tyrants fall: they rely on the poisoned cup of centralized knowledge. Nobody has opened an account. In response, Ceauescu raised his right hand in hopes of silencing the crowd; his stunned expression remains one of the defining moments of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. No one was shot. PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. I ask the court, as the plaintiff, to take note that proof has been furnished for all these points, that the two have committed the offenses mentioned. How can one say something like this? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No one recognizes that. PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. I will only speak in front of it. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. They wanted to separate the people from the army. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. 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. Storm Over the South China Sea $0.99, how China is restarting history in the Pacific However, there is a difference between real sickness that must be treated and mental insanity which leads to corresponding actions, but which is denied by the person in question. You told us about it here. Earlier, joyful crowds had paraded through the city after reports that Mr Ceauescu had been arrested after trying to flee from the roof of the party headquarters by helicopter. Hayek and Ceauescu's Last Speech - PJ Media Free shipping for many products! PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. The Land of Green Plums, Mller, Herta 9780312429942 | eBay After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu is death sentence. a silent falling away among American allies. What about the accounts? He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers' salaries by 200 lei per month (about 18 U.S. dollars at the time, yet a 10%-20% raise for a modest salary) and student scholarships from 100 to 110 lei while continuing to praise the achievements of the past 42 years. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. As the other primary sources reveal, the Ceausescus were tried a few days later and executed as enemies of the new Romanian state. In one speech, a Romanian politician likened Ceausescu to Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Peter the Great, Abraham Lincoln and other major historical figures. We are all equal. Elena keeps whispering to him. After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu is death sentence. Answer this question! The details are known. You told us about it here. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? Tell us! Forget the pontifications from the myriad talking heads on TV and radio. He was a cosignatory of an open letter harshly critical of the Ceauescu region which appeared last march. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. About PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? 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. Her husband, Nicolae. The day began as it ended with vehement anti-Ceauescu demonstrations. PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? Tip Jar or Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Belmont Club. . The people were slaves. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). The story of Ceauescu's final speech is a textbook example. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. 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 Ceauescus to death. Watch the exact moment when a brutal dictator realizes the - DeadState Like a jalopy falling apart on the road, dropping a screw here and a spring there, the Obama administration is gradually shaking itself to pieces. Machine guns splattered against a background of church bells ringing in triumph. I do not recognize this court. 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. No one can dissolve the National Assembly. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we will not sign. And who brought them into the country? Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not say anything more. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] - Readable You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. Ceausescu sprinkles snow on his wife's head during yet another hunting trip in 1976. The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceausescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceausescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. The palaces belong to the people. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. President Nicolae Ceauescu was overthrown yesterday and became a fugitive in the country he has ruled for 24 years as remnants of his personal troops fought bitter last battles with regular soldiers and demonstrators in the streets of the Romanian capital. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. I am now talking to you as simple citizens, and I hope that you will tell the truth. Transcript of the trial of Nicolae and E. Ceausescu The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceausescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? Storming the Castle at Amazon Kindle for $3.99, why government should get small The War of the Words for $3.99, Understanding the crisis of the early 21st century in terms of information corruption in the financial, security and political spheres PROSECUTOR: Well, Mr. He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. For example, there isa silent falling away among American allies. 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. Copyright 2023 PJMedia.com/Salem Media. However, why are your programs not implemented? Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu know the aforementioned facts that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. You have information about it. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not answer. A horse or a hearse? VIENNA, Austria (AP) _ For the first time that anybody could remember, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu was interrupted at a public speech by boos and jeers that began a huge demonstration against him in Bucharest Thursday. The people were slaves. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. I do not recognize the court. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. Who are these fanatics? His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? He always claimed to act and speak on behalf of the people, to be a beloved son of the people, but he only tyrannized the people all the time. Workers, military units and other popular organizations were bused to the capitol and given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. The great Ceauescu escape attempt came after it had become clear that most of the army had gone over to the people. Tax experts say the best it can do is withhold the penalty amount from any tax refund due. Yet there is a big difference between grousing, which is endemic to the military, and actual rebellion. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. However, there is a difference between real sickness that must be treated and mental insanity which leads to corresponding actions, but which is denied by the person in question. The streets and squares of Bucharest were littered with torn portraits and shattered busts of the President and his wife. Furnish proof! Are they the people, or are you paying them? ELENA CEAUESCU: How can one tell us something like this? It gave no further details. The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. PROSECUTOR: Please, ask Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu whether they have ever had a mental illness. This page was last edited on 8 October 2016, at 23:48. 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. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. Romanian demonstrators gathered in front of the headquarters of the Romanian Communist Party in Bucharest during the 1989 anti-communist revolution, 22 December 1989. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. No truth, no survival. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency CEAUSESCU: This is not possible at all. Nicolae Ceausescu LAST SPEECH - YouTube And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. Ceaucescu's Last Speech | half note CEAUSESCU: We had no account in Switzerland. Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final speech (executed 12/25) More Notable Events on December 21: 1997 Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season 1991 U.S. actress Jane Fonda marries CNN-director Ted Turner 1989 Dan Quayle sends out 30,000 Xmas cards with word beacon spelled beakon 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. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Incredible. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu and his wife. He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers salaries He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting before his eyes. Lech Walesa has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. Ti-mi-oa-ra! The new committee declared its immediate aim was an end to the cult of personality which had developed around the Ceauescu family. Elena keeps whispering to him. All their property will be impounded. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. The notorious programme of razing villages in the countryside would be halted. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: What an obscene provocation. I will not answer any question. PROSECUTOR: This situation is known. What defamation, what provocations! The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Esteemed chairman of the court, today we have to pass a verdict on the defendants Nicolae Ceausescu and Elena Ceausescu who have committed the following offenses: Crimes against the people. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 - Wikipedia Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. Tell us! Forget what the politicians on Capitol Hill are saying about the prisoner swap. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. But we are not talking about people. PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Unprecedented Interruption of Ceausescu's Speech With AM-Romania, Bjt Bundled in drab winter clothing, she was shoved around by armed guards inside a cold, empty building. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. Making use of Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, he delivered a litany of the achievements of the "socialist revolution" and Romanian "multi-laterally developed . Answer this question! CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. What do you say as a citizen? Ceauescu was finally cornered in a small town, where he and his wife were subjected to a summary trial, taken out to the courtyard and shot. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. What defamation, what provocations! This demonstrates their lack of understanding. Getting a shut-off notice from a utility is also sufficient to claim a hardship exemption. 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. Who pays them? Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty meters back from the front of the Central Committee building. You were not used to talking to the people. 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.