Post by depletedreasons on Apr 2, 2008 5:04:58 GMT -5
"Makedonia" or bust
By txenos | April 1, 2008
Tags: Athens, FYROM, Greek flag swastika, Hitler, Karamanlis, Macedonia, NATO, Skopje, SS uniform
The “name issue” has had a remarkable effect on the perennially fractious Greek political landscape: (almost) all sides in parliament have come together in their opposition to the “Makedonski” and their American cheerleaders! George Papandreou, in fact, took the unprecedented step of calling (!) on the prime minister this morning to assess jointly the situation, and express his support for the government’s decision to exercise the veto on the FYROMites, one day before the opening of the Bucharest NATO summit, where Bush et. al. will try to ram Skopje’s invitation to join the “alliance” up our southern end.
Greek tempers have been pumped up following the desecration of the Greek flag with the Nazi swastika by some Skopjan rocket scientist and its display all around the “Makedonski” capital — to be closely followed by a cartoon in the Skopjan magazine Forum (run, they say, by a former Skopjan foreign minister - article in Greek) depicting Kostas Karamanlis in Waffen SS uniform! The Greek government has protested, as it should, but I’m sure Skopje’s US protectors see these sewer rodent tactics as “insignificant,” not to say “natural” indeed, given how “oppressed|” the “Makedonski” have been feeling because of the name dispute.
I should also respond here to the imbecile publisher of the cartoon, who told a Greek reporter that there are no Nazi insignia on the uniform (!) shown in the cartoon and it’s “only the cut” of the garb that reminds of the SS. Okay, Mr. Skopjan, grab your notepad:
1. Start with cap: insignia of the Totenkopf, the Death’s Head, the SS exclusive symbol insignia. No need for anything beyond that, but…
2. Collar insignia other than the Greek flag: those of the Hauptsturmführer, a Head Storm Leader, equivalent to Captain in the German Army.
3. Shoulder boards: similarly, those of the Hauptsturmführer.
4. Nazi eagle on cap and left hand tunic sleeve (minus swastika, but the Nazi eagle is unique and never used by the German armed forces before Hitler or since).
5. Battle clasp on chest; I haven’t been able to identify it exactly, but all battle badges and clasps during World War II had a distinct Nazi origin (I didn’t say medals).
This outpouring of good will from across the border is indeed welcome. Our friends, the Skopjans, display their true colors. We now have a clear point of departure. And before I forget, here’s the other work of art involving the Greek flag, the Nazi swastika, and the gesture our buddies in Skopje will be equally seeing many times during the Bucharest summit (you may adjust the legend of this fine piece of creativity to read for FYROM - Skopje - Makedonia).
PS: I haven’t heard anything from the Greek businesses operating in FYROM… something … anything … supportive of their (?) country and government, perhaps?
dominagrecia.com/?p=540
By txenos | April 1, 2008
Tags: Athens, FYROM, Greek flag swastika, Hitler, Karamanlis, Macedonia, NATO, Skopje, SS uniform
The “name issue” has had a remarkable effect on the perennially fractious Greek political landscape: (almost) all sides in parliament have come together in their opposition to the “Makedonski” and their American cheerleaders! George Papandreou, in fact, took the unprecedented step of calling (!) on the prime minister this morning to assess jointly the situation, and express his support for the government’s decision to exercise the veto on the FYROMites, one day before the opening of the Bucharest NATO summit, where Bush et. al. will try to ram Skopje’s invitation to join the “alliance” up our southern end.
Greek tempers have been pumped up following the desecration of the Greek flag with the Nazi swastika by some Skopjan rocket scientist and its display all around the “Makedonski” capital — to be closely followed by a cartoon in the Skopjan magazine Forum (run, they say, by a former Skopjan foreign minister - article in Greek) depicting Kostas Karamanlis in Waffen SS uniform! The Greek government has protested, as it should, but I’m sure Skopje’s US protectors see these sewer rodent tactics as “insignificant,” not to say “natural” indeed, given how “oppressed|” the “Makedonski” have been feeling because of the name dispute.
I should also respond here to the imbecile publisher of the cartoon, who told a Greek reporter that there are no Nazi insignia on the uniform (!) shown in the cartoon and it’s “only the cut” of the garb that reminds of the SS. Okay, Mr. Skopjan, grab your notepad:
1. Start with cap: insignia of the Totenkopf, the Death’s Head, the SS exclusive symbol insignia. No need for anything beyond that, but…
2. Collar insignia other than the Greek flag: those of the Hauptsturmführer, a Head Storm Leader, equivalent to Captain in the German Army.
3. Shoulder boards: similarly, those of the Hauptsturmführer.
4. Nazi eagle on cap and left hand tunic sleeve (minus swastika, but the Nazi eagle is unique and never used by the German armed forces before Hitler or since).
5. Battle clasp on chest; I haven’t been able to identify it exactly, but all battle badges and clasps during World War II had a distinct Nazi origin (I didn’t say medals).
This outpouring of good will from across the border is indeed welcome. Our friends, the Skopjans, display their true colors. We now have a clear point of departure. And before I forget, here’s the other work of art involving the Greek flag, the Nazi swastika, and the gesture our buddies in Skopje will be equally seeing many times during the Bucharest summit (you may adjust the legend of this fine piece of creativity to read for FYROM - Skopje - Makedonia).
PS: I haven’t heard anything from the Greek businesses operating in FYROM… something … anything … supportive of their (?) country and government, perhaps?
dominagrecia.com/?p=540