Posted on 04/08/2008 8:46:11 AM PDT by longtermmemmory
What's in a Name?
A challenge for regonal stability
*Why is the Maredonian question so delicate and complex?
The term "Macedonia" is not exclusively related to a state Rather, it has always been used to delineate a wider geographical area, approxmdy 51% of which is part of Greece, 37% is in the Former Yugoslav Republic of what's Macedonia, 11% in Bulgana and 1% in Albania. The choice of one state alone to monopolize the name "Macedonia" - the largest part of which lies outside its borders - neither depicts geographical and political reality, nor contributes to stability in the Balkans.
Why does Greece oppose the name ''Republic of Macedonia'?
"Republic of Macedonia", or just "Macedonia", , to solve the problem, as it does not distinguish this new country from the Northen Greek region of Macedonia, or from the wider parts of the wider Macedonia, which are in Bulgana and Albania. Furthermore, it is associated with the argument for the the reunification of "Greater Macedonia" - a policy conceived by Stalin and Tito and pursued by the leadership in FYROM to the present day. The name is therefore linked with an ongoing policy that foresees territorial daims to a part of Greek territory, that has had a Greek Identity for more than than three millenia, and is associated with immense pain and sufferning by the peoples in the region.
*Why does Greece support a compound name?
Greece, unlike FYROM, has made great strides to try to resolve the name issue under U.N. auspices and has gone more than half-way to find a solution. It has sat at the negotiating table since 1995 and has shown willingness to consider a compound name such as "North Macedonia", which includes the term "Macedonia" but attaches an adjective to it to distinguish it from the Greek province with the same name. This is sensible, reasonable and fair for both sides. A win-win solution.
*Why is it time to end the debate?
Today, the conditions fir achemg a breakthrough are better than ever. Greece is the mgle largest investor in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Athens supports FYROM's bids for NATO and EU membership, but this crucial issue must be resolved first Alliances and partnerships can only be fostered among countries if there is good will, mutual trust and good neighbourly relations.
[CAPTION UNDER PICTURE FROM FEBRUARY 2008 IN AD]
Skopje, February 2008-- Former Yougoslav Republic of Macedonia's Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski lays a wreath on the monument of national hero Georgi Delchev, to which a map of the so-called "Greater Macedonia" is attached; the map includes considerable part of Norther Greece, including Greece's second-largest city Thessaloniki and the Halkidiki peninsula. This is no less than 30% of the territory of Greece -a 55-year-old NATO member. Can this be the behavior of a friend and perspective ally?
Dora Bakogianis, the Greek Foreign Minister, has indicated the support for ANY name with the work "Macedonia" is no longer viable. (per the BBC news service) Greek went through a communist uprising in 1945-51. Many of those old timers in the north have not forgotten the region. (there are also remants of the 1821 war of independence from the ottoman empire but that is another story). Given the 1945 attempted terriorial grab by the communist satelite nations, Greece has good reason to be concerned.
SAE is one of the smaller groups around that expressed this sentiment above. The other American groups were vocal congressionally on this.
ping
Apparently ABSOLUT would gladly change US borders to satisfy its customers. Why not for Skopje?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/us_nm/mexico_absolut_dc
Bump!
BUMP
Stalin's program was for a Macedonia that would extend beyond its current borders through conquest.
The US State Department does not approve of any plan by Macedonia to expand beyond its current borders.
Therefore your statement is slanderous.
Moreover, the Macedonian government lays no claim to Greek, Bulgarian or Albanian territory.
Further, the name "Hungary" used by Hungary does not imply any attempt by Hungary to expand its borders to include the regions in Rumania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovakia that were formerly part of the historical kingdom of Hungary. Nor does the name of Lithuania imply any attempt by Lithuania to expand its borders to include the enormous territories that once went by the name of Lithuania.
BUMP!
Obviously, you are unable to grasp the definition of "slander".
"Approving" anything, and embracing policies, long term due to incompetence, ignorance or malice, that have the exact same result, is a distinction without a difference.
Perhaps I should rephrase that using smaller words?
Apparently so were the editors of the OED, who defined the word precisely according to the sense in which I used it:
"The utterance or dissemination of false statements or reports concerning a person, or malicious misrepresentation of his actions in order to defame or injure him; calumny, defamation."
"Approving" anything, and embracing policies, long term due to incompetence, ignorance or malice, that have the exact same result, is a distinction without a difference.
The result of Stalin's policy was the pro-Communist insurrection in Greek Macedonia of 1945.
The result of the US State Department's policy would have been a Macedonia which was sworn to the defense the existing borders of its neighbor Greece: in other words the diametric opposite of Stalin's policy.
Perhaps I should rephrase that using smaller words?
My, what devastating repartee.
Unfortunately, the OED can only present words and definitions, and lacks the ability to educate its readers by osmosis.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, which I studiously avoid, an incompetent bureaucracy is not a person.
Shall we just agree to disagree and leave it at that?
Ninth-rate Cleessiana.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, which I studiously avoid, an incompetent bureaucracy is not a person.
Is the bureaucracy staffed? Or did the negotiations take place between two unmanned CPUs?
The Former Yugoslav Republic Formerly Known As Macedonia?
Or maybe, Genericnondescriptsouthslavia?
Youknowhovia?
No Country For Old Greeks?
Somewheresouthofserbia?
How about The Byzantine Empire? Hey, its available.
Fair point, but I think the Greeks are opposed to anything with “Macedonia” in it.
I was thinking of “The almost 40 percent of the former Macedonia and the former Yugoslavia that isn’t Greek and doesn’t want to be Greek”
They are being useful idiots.
It is not slanderous, it is pointing out how much the state department has become useful idiots for those who are adverse to the interests of the USA.
The US state department was the FYROM state as part of NATO and the EU.
The FYROM had no problem changing the flag early on when appropriate persuation was applied, so this is no different.
The notion that this is not a territorial aspiration dating back to the 1950s is just the state department trying to hide its body behind its finger.
this map is from schoolbooks that kids are taught from. I have seen these exact maps as well as other delusional maps prominenly displayed at many so called "macedonian" venues in the US -
law school torts year one.
“slander you say, defamation you write...”
as for the state department being incompetent, I think they long established that with Ambassador Guest who demeaned the Ambassadorial corps with those reports of wild parties and turning the Romanian embassy into something NOT to be proud of.
Before Tito and Stalin the area was called “Vardarska”
also “The Republic of Vardarska”
There is ZERO dispute in returning to that name except by those who have a vested interest in communist propaganda programs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.