From: pef@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Panayotis Fouliras)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe
Subject: Re: The New Greek Phobia (phobos): [ Part 2 from 5 ]
Date: 2 Sep 92 00:18:28 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept, QMW, University of London

In <BtwuK8.IuG@apollo.hp.com> nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter Nelson) writes:

>In article <1992Sep1.154536.1915@dcs.qmw.ac.uk> pef@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Panayotis Fouliras) writes:
[..]
>>Greece is opposed to the use of the name "Macedonia", not
>>because of the name, but of what this implies. Bulgaria
>>recognizes a coutry under this name, but no Macedonian nation,
>>etc.
>>
>>Perhaps somebody can explain, why Germany is opposed to the use
>>of the word ECU for the EEC currency or even why Copywright
>>Laws, etc  exist (e.g. why can't I set up a company in the USA called
>>"Microsoft"). Think of the implications.

>  Ok, I'll bite:  what *are* the implications?

>  Actually there are plenty of companies with the same name; in
>  the US the courts typically only object if it appears that
>  there will be confusion or if one company appears to be
>  deliberately trying to gain commercial advantage by exploiting
>  the reputation of another company.

The same (roughly) here. If all of a sudden Greece accepts that
there is a "Macedonian" nation, which is non-Greek, even if it
is Slavic (and therefore at least 2000 years *after* the
"original" Macdenonians - Phillip, Alexander, etc), there may
be a confusion internationally as to what the rights on land,
resources, etc may be. Given that such a "trick" was used by
Bulgaria at the turn of the century, there is no guarantee that
this could not be repeated.

In a future conflict in the area (hopefully none),
international assistance for one or another side could be based
on who has more "rights". Given that non Greeks, hardly know
what Greece is (I remember a 15year old sample of New Yorkers's
answers to that question: One said Greece is an olive oil
brand, another a small country bordering Israel, and a few more
nothing, only three knew what Greece was, because they had been
there on holidays), one could easilly be persuaded to beleive
that the pseudo-Macedonians are the descendants of the ancient
Macedonians (Greeks of course) and should take control of the
whole of Northern Greece, etc. The fact that the flag of Skopje
is now replaced by the emblem of the ancient Macedonian dynasty
speaks for itself.

>  And even this doesn't apply to place names.  I'm posting from
>  Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a place *deliberately* named after
>  a town in England.  In fact on a recent visit to England I was
>  struck by the great many towns there with the same names as
>  towns around where I live: Bristol, Portsmouth, Essex, Plymouth,
>  etc.   This part of the US is known as "New England" and we've
>  never received a complaint from the British Consulate.   The majority
>  of US states have Springfields.   The state of Maine was formerly
>  part of the state of Massachusetts.  If they get fed up with
>  the way things are going in the US and decide to secede from
>  the Union, and adopt the historical name "Massachusetts" why
>  should I care?   Maybe there would be confusion, but we'd probably
>  learn to live with it, and maybe we could even work it to our
>  advantage with cutesy advertising slogans to bring in tourists.
>  Certainly not worth fighting over.

>  How about New Macedonia (as in New Mexico) or North Macedonia (as
>  in North Korea, North Dakota, West Virginia)?

Read above. And something else: If Greeks are paranoid,
neurotic, etc, then why not go to the Skopian Slavs and ask
them to change *their* name, thus showing moral superiority and
good will?

>---peter

With  all due respect

Panayotis
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