From: ls1@cec1.wustl.edu (Lambros Skartsis)
Subject: Re: Scopjian Flag
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:07:17 GMT

In article: <zoltan.38.722054876@psychnet.psychol.utas.edu.au>
 zoltan@psychnet.psychol.utas.edu.au (Zoltan Schreter) writes:

>I often wonder reading this newsgroup how it is possible that not a single 
>Greek has an opinion different from the official Greek position.
>I only saw similar behaviour in citizens of the previous Eastern Block.
>(remember the 99.83 % votes for the communist governments?)
>However, while those people could claim fear being their motive to parrot
>the official positions so closely, modern day Greeks do not have this
>excuse. I addition, my impression is that most of these Greek defenders
>of their supposed heritage have a bad - aggressive, arrogant - attitude
>in this issue. Show me a counter example, if I am not correct, but postings
>like I am answering now seem to prove my point.


Zoltan,
you are right about the sometimes arrogant and even fanatic response of
some greeks. Actually, right now in Greece, every screwed-up politician
is using the people's sensitivity on the Macedonian issue for his own
ambitions, I'm afraid...

But the catholic response of the greeks on the principle of the issue
itself should make you think a little bit.
Such catholic responses occur when, say, a country is attacked, or
threatened to be attacked by another country, or when there is a major
challenge form abroad, etc. 

All I'm trying to say is the following:
the greeks have lived, during at least the last 50 years, with the 
Macedonian problem; they have been experiencing it, with all its
implications, complications, related activities around the world,
underground diplomacy, associated "scientific theories", efforts
to "convince the [assumed] ignorant" etc., etc. 

The macedonian issue is WELL DEFINED problem going on in the 
Balkans for several decades. For most of you guys (and allow
me to include yourself in this group - please correct me if I'm wrong)
it was two sentenses in the news one nice morning or evening, which,
more or less, sounded like "Greece objects to the use of a greek name 
by another country", i.e., more or less "asking for .. copyright".
That's why, then, we had all these saaaaad postings "arguing" why
doesn't Greece complain about Athens, Ohio!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's why I have been asking the readers to go and find for themselves.
Here on the net you are not gonna get much. Probably (admittedly) 
screaming greeks, screaming slavomacedonians, ignorant but nasty
Europeans and "net characters" who practice the sport of arguing/
teasing/aggravating by claiming that the cows are flying and
having fun with the responses [you know what I'm talking about,
I think I have said enough recently]. 

For us greeks, who are unlucky enough to live in the screwed-up
neighborhood that we live, and have a pretty bad experience
of how things are, what things mean and where things can be
going to [would YOU have guessed Yugoslavia? No, tell me
sincerely], the macedonian is a serious national issue;
spontaneously and without discussion (probably the same would
be true for you guys if you had been around here long enough).
The degrees of reaction, up to fanatism, may vary.
But we see it that way because, unfortunately, we KNOW.

All I can tell you is to please try to avoid hasty judgements 
with inadequate information.

Regards,
L. Skartsis

Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast