How a Name Change Opened the Door to NATO for Macedonia

Feb 06, 2019 · 13 comments
Liberty (USA)
As a Macedonian American I'm pleased with NATO membership, but not how it happened. Its just a shame that the Greeks held this process up for so long. From this point on we have an obligation to fulfill our rightful place in the European family. Its unfortunate that the Balkans can't be more like the other European neighborhoods, respecting one another. Macedonians have been the most persecuted people in Europe. We are not Northern Macedonians only Macedonians. God Bless Macedonia!
Tim B (Sydney AU)
The Belgian provence adjacent to the border with Luxembourg is called … Luxembourg. Why is it that Belgium and (East-) Luxembourg don't have the same problem?
Théo Michaël (Montreal)
A silly argument that went way too long in a region searching for stability.
scottthomas (Somewhere Indiana)
Great news! Another country conned into membership under an unelected administration in Brussels!
Lloyd (London)
@scottthomas Define 'unelected' ?!
William (Minneapolis)
This also means Russia has just declared an undeclared war on northern Macedonia. Expect the kremlin to unleash its cyber thieves and bullies. The kremlin likes to use small nations to set an example of punishment for joining NATO.
Robert Wright (Adelaide, South Australia)
And New Mexico! The Republic of Mexico can't allow that! It should be Indiana, but that is taken already. How about Pueblolandia? I saw a bumper sticker in Albuquerque: New Mexico -- it ain't 'New' and it ain't 'Mexico'.
wfkinnc (Charlotte NC)
great news for europe thumb in the eye for mr putin..Here's to many more (thumbs)
A. Lester Buck III (Houston)
I remember in May 1995 landing at the Athens airport for the first time, and looking out the window. A huge banner was strung across the airport building announcing "Macedonia is Greece!" Say what? It is amazing that the dispute went on this long.
Robert E. Malchman (Brooklyn, NY)
This is a righteous and brilliant result. I think the next step in the eradication of cultural misappropriation through the naming of political states should be to force the State of "Washington" to change its name. Our Beloved Founding Father had no connection to the Pacific Northwest, whom the coffee-swillers of Puget Sound outrageously use to confer legitimacy on their plagiaristic polity. If the residents with such micro-soft brains refuse, Congress must act to rectify this outrage forthwith.
PSelinger (BC)
@Robert E. Malchman I agree completely. They should change the name to "South British Columbia" and revert back to being part of British North America, which it was before the UK capitulated in negotiations that led to the Treaty of Oregon.
Robert Wright (Adelaide, South Australia)
@PSelinger Check out Dan Jenkins' humorous novel about Texas: 'Baja Oklahoma'. I think there was a movie, too.
Thomas Zaslavsky (Binghamton, N.Y.)
@Robert E. Malchman All we ask is that they call themselves "State of Washington" on all their official documents, instead of "Washington".