Bill Nicholov: Carrots, April Fools and Macedonia

In a poll about Macedonia's name & willingness or unwillingness to change it to achieve EU Commish Johannes Hahn's dangling carrot,of potential EU membership...


In the latest poll about Macedonia's name and Macedonians' willingness or unwillingness to change it in order to achieve EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn's dangling carrot...of potential EU membership, 14.1% accept a change erga omnes (new name to be used everywhere), 14.4% would accept a double-formula (different international name than local name), 47% are against any change to Macedonia's name, and 22.4568394% want to retake this poll but only if it's done on the third Tuesday of July during a full moon.

Imagine if Germany or France were to take a similar poll. The European Union would burst out laughing at such an April Fool's joke.

Imagine if Greece were to take such a poll. The results would be overwhelmingly in favour of further discriminating against Macedonians and other minorities, even though it wasn't listed as a poll option. For bonus marks, the EU and UN would turn a blind eye - again.

Imagine if the United States were to take a poll like this. They wouldn't be able to tally the results properly and would just invade another country or meddle in its internal affairs in order to achieve its racist and misguided foreign policy - again. Then they'd blame Russia, of course.

So back to the April Fools who are considering changing Macedonia's name because of...Oh wait, there is no reason to finish that sentence because there is NEVER a reason to change your name, ethnicity, and identity - and wipe out your entire existence - to appease the “big boys” who are aiding your oppressors.

If something is so blatantly wrong, you just don't do it. And you don't have to explain yourself. The answer is self-evident, much like the cherished US Declaration of Independence that proudly stated that it "holds these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal". Unless, of course, you're black, another oppressed minority, or Macedonian.

Another self-evident truth should be blatantly obvious. If the United States or European Union make a claim, there's an excellent chance that it simply isn't true (is a blatant lie). They are claiming that if Macedonia changes its name then there is a possibility of a potential payout. (How is it possible for them to even utter such a sentence, much less force it to become a reality?)

But those three Ps are crucial: Possibility, Potential and Payout. Let's examine common sense again for a moment and wipe up the spit after saying the three Ps aloud. And the spit from my contempt that countries that claim to uphold basic human rights are trampling all over mine.

Possibility: EU membership is not guaranteed for Macedonia, as they have to jump through countless other hoops before the ruler of the Western world - Greece - forgoes its veto power and allows its EU minions to vote in Macedonia as a member.

Potential: Another P is for Polite. That is what I'm being when I'm saying there is Potential for a Payout. The only thing that the EU guarantees is sky-rocketing prices once your country achieves membership and subsequent austerity/poverty measures to get your country out of EU-created debt.

Payout: Talk to Great Britain, Romania and Croatia. We could call this last point Getout. Get out of the European Union. And payout is what your country will be pumping into the EU, not the other way around.

Back to the poll. My ancestors fought against Greece's persecution and defended our Macedonian name, ethnicity and identity. They did not agree that current citizens of a country, decades and centuries later, would be able to change THEIR name, ethnicity and identity. Our Name Is Macedonia. End the name negotiations now, restore some common sense to OUR country of Macedonia and we'll teach the West how it's done.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International