From: lb@cs.man.ac.uk (Luben Boyanov)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria
Subject: Re: BULGARIAN IRREDENTISM
Date: 11 Jan 93 11:23:15 GMT
Organization: Dept Computer Science, University of Manchester, U.K.

In article <1993Jan11.032914.19497@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gd8f@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (Gregory  Dandulakis) writes:

[deleted]

>>I should also note that nobody posting in this group is "feeding" the Bulgarian
>>population with anything.
>
>
>Certainly not the Bulgarian population from here!
>
>But unfortunately I have witnessed lately to the Sofia radio in short
>waves, and in the greek language programm, that "all the troubles come
>from not-applying the San Stefano treaty, and this should be considered
>in the current political situation".

If they say that troubles in the past were from not applying the treaty -
there is much truth in it and many non-Balkan historians agree on this
fact. But if radio Sofia speaks for the present and implementing
San-Stefano - I'm very much against such stand and regard it as a wrong and
dangerous words to be carried nowadays. I've stated many times that
NOWADAYS the ethnic picutre of the Balkans IS NOT WHAT it was in 1878 or
even in 1913-18, hence Bulgaria can't and MUST not follow the same or even
similar attitude as 70-120 years ago. I am against any talks of
'liberation' , etc, nowadays and I regard it very wrong and dangerous. But
to speak that 70 years ago the ethnic picture on the Balkans was the same
as now and hence - the objectives of the Bulgarian nation are the same - is
ABSOLUTELY wrong.

> Even though I was delighted with
>the quality of the greek spoken, the message was not that welcomed from
>me. It means: We are 50%, we want 100%, to my interpretation.

If this was the real message (and not only your interpretation) - that is
wrong IMHO, and I am against such statements. Northern Greece
(contemporary) is not Bulgarian in spirit any more (after the Balkan wars, the
population exchanges in the 20-ies it lost its Bulgarian  character and the
majority of the population which before that was Bulgarian there became
Greek after those exchanges - I never argued about it, but in case you had
doubts on my stand - I'm stating it clearly here) and wasn't (in different
degrees !!!) for the last 60 years.


>It is true that the relations before the Dimitrof's government were
>much warmer. But this again is fluctuating.

I hope the warm relations to restore. I certainly hate the present existing
tone between Greeks and Bulgarians and the patronizing attitude of some
people. I also don't like 'attrocities' examples as one may be amazed from
how much pro-Bulgarian examples exist on that very matter, but that won't
bring a lot of good. However, it is 100% unfair only one side to be bashed
and portrayed as 'guilty' for many developments on the Balkans.


>Gr


Luben


PS. I've thought I won't write in the newsgroups for a month, and I have
saved some articles to responce, but this patronizing and insulting posting
made me really unhappy and I can't stay silent. Fortunately, we can have
some dialogue with you, Gregory, can't we? No insults, no patronizing, just
exchange of thoughts and facts the other side doesn't know or haven't
thought about.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria