From: jdd1@cec1.wustl.edu (James Dimos Dimarogonas)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia,soc.culture.bulgaria,soc.culture.greek
Subject: Re: Skopje's Swiss Dreams
Date: 20 Aug 92 16:12:23 GMT
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis Mo.

In article <1992Aug19.212149.28184@enea.se> sommar@enea.se (Erland Sommarskog) writes:
>Michael Polymenakos (michael.polymenakos@factory.com)  writes:
>>   The German army was not much larger than that in 1930. Besides, the
>>   Skopjie government seems to have the full support of Bulgaria. Need I
>>   remind you that Bulgaria annexed the Skopjie region during WWI as an
>>   ally of the Central Empires? Need I remind you the Bulgaria annexed
>>   Northern Greece and the Skopjie region again during WWII, this time as
>>   an ally of the Axis powers? Do you see a patern here? Don't you believe
>>   that history has a tendency to repeat itself?
>
>You're so right. We all know how a Greek by the name of Alexander went
>on a ten-year conquest layed his hands on lands that was not his. Before
>history repeats itself, wipe Greece from the face of Earth.
>

Mr. Sommarskog, This is irrelevant.  Skopje, under the guidance of
Belgrade, has had standing claims on Greek territory for half a 
century.  It is sad to see that everyone expects the Greeks to prove
that Skpoje still has them.  NO!  They have to prove otherwise.  When
they have been the agressors against Greece for half a century, they have to
show good will, not us. As to wiping out a country , as you say and bullshit,
let me remind you that Greece has been behind the formation of the country
of slavic macedonia.  It supported the goverement of Skopje when Albania
made territorial claims against them.  So your argument above is totally
irrational.  It would make sense if we were the agressors , but noone
can rationally argue that. 
>
>-----
>
>Get real folks. Are the above really supposed to be arguments against
>the recognition of Macedonia? One starts to wonder if Greece as a whole
>has acquired paranoia, and as diseased must be put under mental care.
>
>And would any of the arguments be any different if Macedonia had
>another name?

Let me put it another way.  If there were no claims on greek macedonia
in the past, and if they did not claim to be heirs of Alexander the great,
then probably noone would even care what they were called.  As for 
paranoia, look else where.  A country that still doesn't even have an
established legal status, and appears arogant by refusing any form of
negotiations, and uses as its national sumbol the emblem of an ancient
empire ( I am refering to the Vergina star), against its own interests,
that sounds like paranoia to me.  To make it even clearer, greece did not refuse
them the use of the word macedonia.  Inboth the proposals of the greek
goverement, either calling it slavic macedonia, either naming a province
only macedonia, we clearly did not object to the use of the word. But
we expect to see some good will.  They have to persuade us.  Not that it
really ensures anything in the future, but they have to show us that for
now at least, they have a genuine interest in peace.  Unfortunately,
all they have shown is arrogance and dreams of ancient empires.  

>
>Maybe some day I will something nice to say about Greece. But today
>I find it difficult. Very difficult.
>--

Mr. Sommarsog, by disagreeing on a political issue, coming to the
conclusion that there is nothing nice to say about Greece, is not 
very flattering for you.  Does the whole world revolve around the
macedonian issue for you?  If you are truly so single minded, I am
afraid that no one will care what you have to say.  I don't like
giving advice,  but you should be more carefull with such crude
generalisations. 


>Erland Sommarskog - ENEA Data, Stockholm - sommar@enea.se
>Life is wonderful when the wonderlife is full

Regards

James Dimarogonas
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe,eunet.politics,soc.culture.australian