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Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

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Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#71

Post by dgut »

russellbeattie wrote: post #64
dghughes wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know this is always unpopular but, how about the name America? I refer to the country south of me as "the US" or "the USA". To me as a Canadian I live in the Americas so I could be an American. Growing up nobody I knew called the US "America" you'd even hear "the Boston States", I have no clue how that originated. But I've noticed over the past decade or two it's become more common for people in the US to refer to…

The terms America and Americans have been used for hundreds of years, not just the last decade or two. I've had this same conversation with Mexicans and people from South America. The U.S. was the first independent country in the Americas recognized by foreign countries and remained the only one for many years. The term American had been used by the British for years to refer to the colonies, and was adopted by the c…

It's irrelevant what Washington or anybody else said. The common name for the North and South American landmasses is America (note: not Americas). The land between Canada and Mexico has no more rights to that name than the rest of the continent (or continents, depending on what model you prefer).

Abroad, Hollywood has popularized the use of "American" to refer to citizens of the USA. Also, most languages don't have any other way to refer to US citizens because of its odd name. I'm only aware of Spanish "estadounidenses".

It's no different than if the most powerful European country were to call themselves Europeans alone.

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#72

Post by jraph »

abnry wrote: post #68
dghughes wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know this is always unpopular but, how about the name America? I refer to the country south of me as "the US" or "the USA". To me as a Canadian I live in the Americas so I could be an American. Growing up nobody I knew called the US "America" you'd even hear "the Boston States", I have no clue how that originated. But I've noticed over the past decade or two it's become more common for people in the US to refer to…

To be fair, the USA is the only country with America in it's name. And what would you call people who live in the United States other than Americans? Hop, skip and a jump to calling the place Americans live America.

In French, some people say étasunien (or États-Unien, Étatsunien) to avoid saying américain. États-Unis d’Amérique meaning USA.

https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/%C3%89tasunien

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#73

Post by stoic_beard »

albinary10 wrote: post #39
stoic_beard wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Around a quarter of the population is Albanian" - is this also your educated guess, or something you "read" online? The FACT is that the last Census was done in 2002. According to conservative estimates pulled from the Health Ministry, there are less than 20% of Albanians currently residing on the territory of Macedonia. And a little free lesson in history for you: The Slavs you are referring to, in the 6th century…

According to the 2002 Census, 46.5% of the children aged 0–4 were Muslim. Macedonians will be minority very soon. It might come a time when this country will be called Eastern Albania. Given the extreme nationalism of the Macedonians I do not think this country will resist history very long in this configuration. And if they do not accept the Albanians and do not live in peace with them they will be soon a tiny joke…

By your bias and derogatory comment, it is evident that you lack a very basic understanding of the weight and proud nature Macedonians and Albanians feel as people, as neighbors, and as individuals.

Having grown up with Macedonian-Albanian friends, to this day, we both have respect for each others traditions. The common people living in Macedonia, regardless of their ethnic background, want one thing, and that is: peace and prosperity. Not war, nor divide, and not putting down, one another.

The conflict of 2001 is still a fresh reminder what can happen, where KFOR and NATO had to rescue the terrorist cowards surrounded by the Macedonian military. This is a fact.

Define "extreme nationalism", I challenge you.

Macedonians are all people born in Macedonia. Everyone else, is a tourist, on a tourist visa.

Therefore, calling one self Albanian, while born in Macedonia is the same as a person of African descent born in the US, calling him/her self African, instead of African-American.

See how what you "think" makes no sense.

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#74

Post by TheForumTroll »

abnry wrote: post #68
dghughes wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know this is always unpopular but, how about the name America? I refer to the country south of me as "the US" or "the USA". To me as a Canadian I live in the Americas so I could be an American. Growing up nobody I knew called the US "America" you'd even hear "the Boston States", I have no clue how that originated. But I've noticed over the past decade or two it's become more common for people in the US to refer to…

To be fair, the USA is the only country with America in it's name. And what would you call people who live in the United States other than Americans? Hop, skip and a jump to calling the place Americans live America.

I see more and more write USAnians. All from people that dislikes everything US but I like it!

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#75

Post by TheForumTroll »

pavlov wrote: post #14
mkempe wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there three other "Massachusetts"-named states bordering the current Massachusetts? [edit] Maine is not called "North Massachusetts". As for your belief that European borders are unrelated to ethnic/cultural distinctions, do you know much about Europe? [edit: blocked from replying] Were there truly no pre-19th century differences between the peoples and cultures in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia? and no-pre…

That was in response to your suggestion of “Slav Macedonia”. But there’s certainly a “California” both in the USA and Mexico and it’s not confusing anyone. I was born in Finland and have also lived in France. (Edit: I see you replied to me by editing the parent post, but it makes the conversation impossible to follow if we both do that.)

>But there’s certainly a “California” both in the USA and Mexico and it’s not confusing anyone.

Because one is called California and the other is Baja California.

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#76

Post by russtrpkovski »

Keyframe wrote: post #33
hristov wrote: post #28

They should change their name to Western Bulgaria. It will be more accurate and Bulgarians won't mind.

I'm quite sure macedonians would consider that statement offensive and disrespectful.

We do.

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#77

Post by kovach »

mkempe wrote: post #2

Naming themselves "North Macedonia" kind of implies that they are strongly connected to the other three Macedonia (administrative) regions of Greece (Western, Central, Eastern). The reason they're not going to join Greece is that there are no ethnic Greeks there, so why not call themselves Slav Macedonia instead? [added after downvotes] what is wrong with asking why "North" is the chosen distinction? it seems that th…

North Macedonia is probably the only solution that can pass a referendum vote.

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#78

Post by [deleted] »

Keyframe wrote: post #31
chadash wrote: post #6

This is pay-walled, but here's a summary: The country we now call "Macedonia" (i.e. The Republic of Macedonia) was formed in 1991 after Yugoslavia broke up. Greece didn't like the name, because "Macedonia" was already the name of a large region in Northern Greece. This would be similar to a region of Quebec bordering the US breaking away from Canada and calling itself Maine. Some Greeks apparently felt that the Repub…

Not the greatest analogy, considering both the greek region and the republic were both part of ancient kingdom of Macedonia, and neither modern instance has (much of) any continuity link to ancient Macedonia. I was there last year. It's a great country to visit as a tourist. There are much political issues still at large there. With Greece, there's that dispute over who has 'the right' to Macedonia. IMO, neither. The…

[deleted]

Re: Macedonia Agrees to Change Its Name to End Bitter Dispute with Greece

#79

Post by Khaine »

abnry wrote: post #68
dghughes wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know this is always unpopular but, how about the name America? I refer to the country south of me as "the US" or "the USA". To me as a Canadian I live in the Americas so I could be an American. Growing up nobody I knew called the US "America" you'd even hear "the Boston States", I have no clue how that originated. But I've noticed over the past decade or two it's become more common for people in the US to refer to…

To be fair, the USA is the only country with America in it's name. And what would you call people who live in the United States other than Americans? Hop, skip and a jump to calling the place Americans live America.

As an Australian, we'd call them Yanks :P
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