ELENA CEAUESCU: I will not answer. The prosecutor quotes Ceausescu, Ceausescu's program. CEAUSESCU: This is not possible at all. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? You, as a scientist, did you know about it? ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. Forget the pontifications from the myriad talking heads on TV and radio. CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? . The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. The mighty Law of the Land is exposed as all bark and no bite; a fine they cant enforce. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. We have data concerning both of them. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize you. Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . 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. 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. Have you understood them? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. ELENA CEAUSESCU: We will not sign any statement. For example,the administration recently issued a new list of prisoners to be released from Guantanamo, citing theirpractice of yogaas proof they had reformed. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. He, Elena and four others managed to get to the roof and escaped by helicopter, only seconds ahead of a group of demonstrators who had followed them there.. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. Fanatics, whom you are paying. Teams of doctors with emergency medical supplies were being flown in from Geneva last night. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. . Storming the Castle at Amazon Kindle for $3.99, why government should get small 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. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. In the uprising by people against Ceausescu during this speech and in subsequent days 1,058 people lost there lives. Getting a shut-off notice from a utility is also sufficient to claim a hardship exemption. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. Sudden realizations are like a crash; its not the fact of deceleration that is fatal so much as the suddenness of it. . What prevents him from doing so? ELENA CEAUESCU: The intelligentsia of the country will hear what you are accusing us of. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. It is simply an accumulation of multitudes ignoring the official line bit by bit and thereby gradually placing themselves unwittingly in opposition to it. He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting right before his eyes. They are cowards. Ceauescu refused to answer. Who pays them? This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. I will only speak in front of it. The process usually follows this path. [1] The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. They were not really interested in the people. Did you know that you can purchase some of these books and pamphlets by Richard Fernandez and share them with you friends? They wanted to separate the people from the army. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. This source is a part of the The Romanian Revolution of 1989 teaching module. 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 I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. In the essay The Use of Knowledge in Society, Hayek argued that in complex systems the relevant facts are dispersed among many people. The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. It is a historic time, given that no military member goes public to speak negatively about the ultimate commander. Tell us! The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. Watching the "Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech" on the Making the History of 1989 website, a speech which Nikolae Ceausescu made on 21 December 1989, I was curious to see what the disturbance was that so rattled Ceausescu because by the end of the speech it appears a semblance of order had returned. Nicolae Ceauescu had been making speeches for over a couple of decades. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. Ti-mi-oa-ra!a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. I ask the chairman of the prosecutor's office to read the bill of indictment. CEAUSESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu is death sentence. Another question to Ceausescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Her husband, Nicolae. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: the accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. Mr Ceauescus overthrow followed a week of carnage in which thousands of men, women and children protesting against his regime were killed in cold blood, and probably tens of thousands wounded. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. However, why are your programs not implemented? It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. It gave no further details. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu know the aforementioned facts -- that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. What do you say as a citizen? 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. Tell us! Storm Over the South China Sea $0.99, how China is restarting history in the Pacific The next he was a hunted man. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu and his wife. 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. About After many people began to exit the square, Ceauescu shouted over the public address system for them to "remain seated". The recent Bergdahl prisoner swap in which five hardened Taliban terrorists were released from prison is rubbing a lot of the military veterans attending D-Day events the wrong way. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. This was a coup d'etat. Centralized Information as Hayek points out, eventually becomes the Official Lie. 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. They are cowards. 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. You, as a scientist, did you know about it? You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. Its just that he makes it so hard to do so.. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. Now we are making a last attempt. They obstructed the normal process of the economy. They are speaking about injustice, ineptitude and impeachment. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: What? Judecator Gica POPA. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. Ceausescu and his wife were later captured, tried, and executed. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. Tyrannies are buried by the shovel of self-deception. 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. We want a legal trial. 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. 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. quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. Tell the people that I will answer all their questions. Recent items of interest by Belmont readers based on Amazon click-throughs. At some point the entire structure of governance becomes a system of workarounds with all real power devolved to the man on the ground. All their property will be impounded. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? No one was shot. Everybody should be paid according to his performance. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. 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. They cultivated the soil in line with your orders and had nothing to eat. One in four of the population is believed to have a member. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. 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. 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. You cannot talk to me in such a way! PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. 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. The collapse of the narrative doesnt happen in a single big step, but through an accumulation of small, personal, often innocuous refusals. I am a member and the chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. 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. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. Now we finally saw your villa on television, the golden plates from which you ate, the foodstuffs that you had imported, the luxurious celebrations, pictures from your luxurious celebrations. Thirty years on, will the guilty pay for horror of Ceauescu orphanages? If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. 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. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. Decembrie 25 1989 - Garnizoana Tirgoviste. JUDECATORUL: Va rog sa luati loc. This was a coup d'etat. I will not answer any question. The Rise of Ceausescu Nicolae was a member of the communist youth movement. PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. Rebranding Christianity for $3.99, or why the truth shall make you free Powered by Omeka, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media. Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty yards back from the front of the Central Committee building. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. 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. Share . COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he like her committed insane acts, we want to defend them. 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. But rebellion begins involuntarily, at the Hayekian level. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? In the second stage their edicts become unenforceable from sheer impracticability. An important historical square located on Victoriei Street. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. You have information about it. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: They have lost all respect for their commander in chief. As the other primary sources reveal, the Ceausescus were tried a few days later and executed as enemies of the new Romanian state. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceausescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. Rebranding Christianity (The World of Information) Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. Tip Jar or Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Belmont Club. The people were slaves. Fuelled by the events taking place in Berlin (the wall had come down just a few weeks before) and the ripple impact of the weakening Iron Curtain, Romanians had taken to the streets in . He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. Ceauescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. Centralized regimes may seem to collapse suddenly, yet in reality they have been coming apart for a long time. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people.