It is a sad situation we got here in my country. My country is called Hellas (known as Greece) and my country is famous for history, education, mother of western civilization, philosophy and many more things including lots of wars. I Hate to see people like our neighbour countries(Serbia, Albania, F.Y.R.O.M, Bulgaria) fighting with us or with other neighbours. Its really sad. We have been neighbours with some of the countries around almost 100 years. We are arguing about an issue for example "The Macedonian" Issue, "The Kosovo" Issue, "The Cyprus" Issue and lots of more Issues, that not only we, as Balcans, dont even create them but somehow, those issues appear. I am not refering to the acts but to the solution it can be given. Why should The Balcans ask USA for "opinion"? The answer is "because USA wants to control the Area". Is that true though? i hear that almost a month now... Why cant we solve this issue as Balcans, as countries with civilized behavior, and why some rednecks are always on tv sayin "Things they wouldnt like to hear"? Is TV on the trick too? All people are allowed to reply but I would really really like to hear the opinion from the Albanians, Yugoslavians, Bulgarians and also my fellow Greeks of this forum, since they are neighbours to what do they think about local Media, Polititians and also their thoughts about "USA controlling the Area" talk i am hearing all day the last 30 days. Please be mature enough to answer and please do not start "flames". We are all humans.
Harry, please say hello to Fukushinkan Dojo, Athens, George Koliopoulos, Sensei for me (Paul, uchideshi, Toyoda Sensei). Don't know much about your country - nothing about any nascent separatist movements existing there. I believe the problems you are seeing in the Balkans come from much further back than 1992-on, not the least of which is the flawed thinking surrounding the Versailles peace, and, sadly, they are only now coming to full fruition. Like the German principalities in their time, the Balkans were the chessboard of power politics in Europe, torn, in their time, between the Ottomans and the Hapsburgs, and the surging nationalism and separatism you see now is only the result, not the cause of that process. Given that, American intervention or not, I think what you have seen would have taken place - now or later.
It's bad as far as I am concerned. The Greeks, the Serbs, etc should be deciding their own fate, not having their future, their internal politics bent to conform to some international or foreign body. I agree with you. The Balkans can solve Balkan problems. They don't need anyone else to interfere and tell the Balkan people how to live.
Sorry man but american had no interest in the Balkans until Europe came crying to the United states to help resolve situation, since they couldn't handle it themselves. Remember Nato bombing of Milosevic? Not American's idea.
Germany and France we afraid of the flood of refuges coming into their county if milosevic keep killing civilians in Kosovo and they couldn't do it militarily on their own so they came to the united states, its not revisionist history it's how it was.
Believe me, you don't want to be talking that nonsense around Serbs. America didn't want to bomb, but we did because we were asked to. Next thing you will be telling me that Rudy Giuliani was the hero of 9/11.
This sort of validates a point I've been thinking about that what ever america does someone will always be unhappy with what we did. For example In the Balkans, we don't remove Milosevic and he keeps slaughtering women and children in Kosovo and refuges start flooding Europe, then Europe is pissed at us for not doing anything and having to deal with refuges and the Muslims in Kosovo are pissed because American didn't come and help them. American does help the Serbs are pissed, American will also be the A hole whatever it does.
I have to agree with guerilla in certain posts. This area (The Balcans) have suffered so much the last years. Bombings, Terrorist Groups, and a lot more things. It is no wonder why we are facing this situation. I think the phraze for this occasion is "We managed to blind ourselves" I believe, in my opinion that Goverment and Media have become a married couple, brought to braindamage/herass/brainwash/control the minds of the citizens. In what world will our children grow up? With what values??? I am not sure to what i am about to say but i think that this world "Is turning with Geometric Progress into Corrupted". No wonder why there are so many earthquakes and floods lately... Even nature is mad at us....Or is this all caused by military equipment?
hello HARRY256 im Albanian and i cant forgot about my friends killed by Greece army i cant forgot CAMERIA i cant forgot that u do our people i cant forgot that Serbia do in Kosovo i cant forgot our neighborhood steal our history etc etc
Ah, you made me cry.. Poor people, trying to create just a few other countries around.. And what your country gave to neighbors?
Balkan is, was, and will be crossroad. Really multiethnic spot. Place where east meet west. Place where someone must be unsatisfied.. Yugoslavia never recovered from WWII, and I presume Balkan in whole, too. We lived in fraud unity. And that lasted 50 years. In that time people tried to forget many things. 700.000 Serbs killed in Fascist Croatia during WWII. Our Kingdom vanished. Then peace come by Croatian communist Tito. Many political groups used post war Yugoslavia to reach their goals by any means.. You, in Greece had that dictator, with military junta for seven years.. Big deals in short period of time. Here, just as we recovered from many things, few prosperity years our PM was shot dead. Then, after few years Kosovo "final" issue. I do not even think that Balkan ever will be quiet place.
Ah, Russia... Always good on words. Never done anything practical. In WWI when Serbia lost 63% of male population and was on Allied side, as in ever war, Russian czar just gave moral support. Now, they are again good in words about Kosovo (they have similar issues too, so it is natural), but, for that, buying our oil corporation for pocket pennies (read: we are naive, again, and expecting some help from our Ortodox "brothers"). In other hand, when I was at holiday in Greece, and that was dozen times I felt like I am at home. More than friendly people. Got many friends from Greece. We studied together here. Greece gave to our Kingdom Thessaloniki port. Serbian forces regrouped for counterattack in WWWI on Corfu (now is popular travel destination). One monastery is in Halkidiki (Hilandar, built in 1198.)... That is real spirit of Balkans: Friendship, working and understanding. Too bad there are "clans". Regards