EB Website galling

[V.T. Marvin]

I agree.

I like both Greece and Macedonia

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(I recognize that country under its constitutional name despite the fact that my country does not)

, but the arguments between some of their nationalists (and governments) are ridiculous indeed. I believe that most Greeks and Macdonians either do not care or are annoyed by that frog-mice war as well. I wish...!

Currently serious talks are taking place on a new "international" name for Macedonia (that would replace that preposterous FYROM). Hope that it will end up in some reasonable solution that would help to lower the tensions...

Hopefully we will see the day when a short story about Macedonian history could appear on the EB website without any fear...

[Timoleon]

It's the damn Balkans. They have ultranationalist idiots like Finland has trees, ie. way too many.

I think this comment is very insulting for the peoples of the Balkan countries! If you where aware of the history of the Balkans in the last two centuries, you would show a bit more understanding of the situation.

Your telling me that greeks are arguing with modern Macedonians about the name.... that's silly.... Ancient Makedonians were neither Greek or Slavic-so why argue? Ancient sources say that Makedonians were Barbarians, and that this one greek mercenary needed an interpretor to understand his Makedonian troops. And the Ancestors of modern Macedonians were mostly Slavic, judging from language-no way they were there earlier than 6th century AD.

You are right that ancient Makedonians couldn't have been Slavs but you are wrong about them being Barbarians. There are overwhelming evidence that they where Greek, although not as civilized southern Greeks (such as the Athenians).

I believe that most Greeks and Macedonians either do not care or are annoyed by that frog-mice war as well. I wish...!

Being a Greek (and not a nationalist one!), I can assure you that we both care and are annoyed by the whole situation.

All in all, the issue of the name and the identity of the state of FYROM is extremely complicated and has many political implications in the counties of Greece, Albania, Serbia and the Kosovo. I would need to write a huge post to explain it in detail.

I would suggest that the moderators of the forum should stop this thread before it becomes a "battlefield" between nationalist. EB is fun and we shouldn't mix fun with politics.

[cmacq]

don't fortget the albanians?

[pezhetairoi]

Then again, this forum isn't just about fun. If this forum was just about the game alone, it would probably not be as busy as it was.

Don't close this thread just yet. People on this forum have demonstrated the ability to argue civilly about such topics, because we don't happen to be the sort of Balkan nationalist Alexander-never-existed sort of people. Let's prove pcaravel wrong.

No offence meant to you by Watchman, pcaravel. He is a respected and veteran forumer and would undoubtedly know the correct rules of conduct. Take things easy. Opinions expressed here in the Org, as long as they are not personal attacks or insults, are after all opinions. It's a free world.

Just because someone mentions 'damn' doesn't mean he's trying to insult the Balkans. And you have to agree, these nationalist sorts are damn annoying, especially when they publish their bigoted views online. You haven't read, as we have, the rabidly anti-Alexander views put forth by some obnoxious Balkan (was he Greek or 'Macedonian' or Bulgarian or others, I can't remember) on some wiki site which was shared with the Org by some poster. IIRC, some of our own people had even tried to debate with him based on academia and incontrovertible fact.

If you had seen the sheer amount of wrong-headed, blind, immature and utterly irrational hatred and bigotry advanced on that debate as intellectual fact and argument, and the complete refusal to accept anything anyone said who didn't agree with him ('I am definitely correct so you are wrong, however you want to argue'), you'd understand why we say we need Balkan nationalists like Brazil needs coffee imports.

Or perhaps let's use a different word to prevent confusion: Balkan BIGOTS. Nationalism is a strong cohesive force that holds a country together and is not bad in itself. It's only when people take it to such extremes it becomes xenophobia/historiophobia/revisionism/irrationalism/terrorism that it goes too far.

There really are too many of them.