From: cla04@seq1.keele.ac.uk (A.T. Fear)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: Re: RE: A GERMAN IN GREECE!
Date: 30 Sep 92 20:57:57 GMT
Organization: Keele University, England

From article <6409.3248.uupcb@factory.com>, by michael.polymenakos@factory.com (Michael Polymenakos):
>>> ago, the Americans were in a similar patriotic blitz, with yellow
>>> ribbons everywhere,
>>>
>>Except of course this was about Americans imprisonned elsewhere, not an
>>attempt to hijack a country's name. Now if they'd put 'Only the USA is
>>America' on their stamps perhaps we'd have a viable parallel.
> 
> Ah, Andy... As ignorant of America as he is ignorant of Greece.
>  During the hostage crisis, only a few people had yellow bands. The
> yellow band mania exploded when Desert Storm/Desert Shield was taking
> place. Americans came in support of the troops in the Gulf, even those
> americans who were opposed to the war. Other expressions of support came
> in the form of shopping bags, pharmacy receipts, storefront signs, even
> highway traffic displays all saying "We Support Our Troops".

More than happy to admit my general ignorance of things to do with the
USA, I never have found that country of interest. However even corrected
in this way, the parallel you wish to draw still won't work. Support for one's
countrymen fighting abroad, a thoroughly laudable sentiment, is still not at all the same as trying to hijack a
country's name for one's own country's exclusive use, a considerably
less laudable project. The parallel would only work if the slogans in
the USA were claiming the
use of 'America' as the sole right of that country reading something like 'Only the USA is
America'.

As for my ignorance of Greek history, there's been so much
incorrect Greek ancient history posted here recently that I appear to be in
very good company. 


> If
> Americans can express such support for 400,000 troops about to invade
> Iraq, why is are Greeks "Paranoid" when expressing their support for
> 2,000,000 residents of Macedonia
>, who are worried that war may come
> their way, as it has recently happened in neighbouring Croatia and
> Bosnia?

Well we still have to see evidence of where this war is going to come
from and none has been forthcoming yet. Given this, and the fact that no
one has suggested that the Greek province of Macedonia should change its
name, paranoia does seem to describe the Greek government's propaganda campaign quite well.

 
>>For paranoia of monumental proportions this really takes the biscuit.
>>Next perhaps we'll be told that the Republic of Macedonia is
>>responsible for Hurricane Andrew, the famine in Somalia, [put your
>>suggestion here]. Once again where is one scrap of evidence that
> 
>  It is your paranoia, not anyone elses. No one has suggested any such
> thing.

Now I don't mind disagreeing with people, but let's do this in an honest
way. The comments of mine you have copied above were attached to those
of a previous poster who suggested that Macedonia a small, poor country,
could nevertheless turn into an aggressive, expansionist power and used
as his example Germany immediately after WW1 and in the Hitler era. I
stand by everything I said above about arguing in this way.

Andy
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek