Monday, March 28, 2011

What I learned from all of this...

After doing lots of research on both sides of the issue, I have come to the feeling that I have some sympathy for FYROM. While I don't exactly agree with what they are doing still, I think I finally got around to understanding where they are coming from for wanting to be Macedonian. As I thought about it, I began to think how it might feel to not have an identity to relate to. Keeping that feeling in mind, I began to understand why the mixed people  within FYROM might try to cling onto something. Macedonian isn't reflective of their race as a people, but it is reflective somewhat of the region that they are within. By that context I can understand their actions and see some justification for it. What I don't agree with still and find completely moronic is the fight over the history. While they are a mixed people they are Slavic; this means that there is no way they can be Macedonian as a racial group and with that there is no way they can claim Macedonian history. I fear that if they keep up the twisting of facts when it comes to their identity, one day Greece may lose that aspect of their history.

Through all this research that I have been doing I have grown to understand their side a bit, and accept it. Greece wants FYROM to name itself some different entirely, but if that can't be reached then at least name themselves northern Macedonia. The northern Macedonian bit would allow them to recognize themselves as a part of greater Macedonia which is fine, but not take the core history away from Greece. Earlier I was completely opposed to this, but after researching some I feel sympathy and can agree with it.

In addition, I managed to stumble upon these maps that show the Balkans before FYROM and once FYROM was created. I thought they were pretty interesting to see for visual purposes.


 You can see how the sudden emergence of a Macedonia would bother Greece whose northern territory is called Macedonia already.

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