Misappropriation of National Symbols: United 'Macedonia' Diaspora Issues VISA Card With Alexander the Great Portrait

 VISA Card - United 'Macedonian' Diaspora

Source: www.Defencenet.gr

The pictured VISA card appears to be the latest provocation by an increasingly intransigent FYROM in its continuing battle with Greece over what it sees as its exclusive right to appropriate the name 'MACEDONIA' , by claiming the great Hellene, Alexander the Great as its own, and by so doing putting another obstacle on the road of any possible resolution of the name dispute.

Alexander the Great has been a feature of Greek history, art and culture, even coins and notes for a very, very long time, long before the establishment of FYROM and  its historially unfounded claims, that its inhabitants are the direct descendants of one of our most glorious Global Greeks!

It appears that the US  based United 'Macedonian' Diaspora has had this VISA card issued (we don't know the bank) featuring the detail above from the famous floor mosaic below.

Floor Mosaic - Battle between Alexander the Great and King Darius III

Source: Wikipedia

The mosaic depicts a battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia, and was found at the House of the Faun in Pompeii.  The portrait of Alexander shown sweeping into battle at the left of the mosaic on his famous horse, Bucephalos, is one of his most famous and internationally recognised and acknowledged. The breastplate he carries in the battle depicts Medusa, the famous Gorgon, and his wavy hair is typical of royal portraiture as established in Greek art of the fourth century B.C.

As negotiations continue between Greece and FYROM on a long-term-one-name-for-all-uses solution, FYROM knows that without an acceptable solution it will be very difficult if not impossible for FYROM to be admitted to the European Union and NATO, as well as other International Organisations, yet they continue to create obstacles to this. 

This weeks' EU report on accession progress effectively said that FYROM cannot join the EU until the name dispute with Greece is resolved, but it doesn't seem to worry their leader Gruevski at all.  

If it hadn't been for President GW Bush and the US fanning FYROM's over inflated ego, by  recognising it as 'Macedonia'  for reasons known only to them, FYROM would have been obligated to put some water in their irredentist wine by now.

As it is, each such move by FYROM or their 'friends' just aggravates an already difficult situation. 

As Alec Mally *, a former US Diplomat in the region commented recently,



'I can only say most of the time we have engaged, we tilted badly towards Skopje and failed. They move deeper into self created purgatory with each new statue and renamed airport. Skopje has lost a lot of time. Gruevski was elected on a highly nationalistic platform, and he deserves zero support from Washington or Brussels....in fact he should be snubbed. I hope the Greek lobby in the US can make it clear to Secretary Clinton that US re-engagement is a waste of energy.' 

The Greek lobby should indeed act quickly to nip this particular provocation in the bud but let's all help! 

It is up to us in the Global Greek Community, and especially the Greek American Community to point out the futility of such moves by FYROM who have every reason to want a resolution to the name dispute but seem to be doing everything they can to sabotage it.

There's nothing like a bit of pressure  so ACT NOW!

Mobilise all of our sitting Greek American representatives such as Olympia Snowe, John Sarbanes, Niki Tsongas, Zack Space, Dina Titus, Gus Bilirakis, Charlie Christ,  Suzanne Kosmas and Shelley Berkeley  all members of the Hellenic Caucus.  



Mobilise the Greek American organisations, AHEPA, AHI, the Pan Macedonian Association and others. 



Write to your local congressman/woman or senator, to Secretary Clinton even, pointing out that this is an unacceptable move by a US based organisation and that appropriating your neighbour's national symbols and passing them off as your own is not exactly conducive to peaceful coexistence, on any level!



PS You could also contact VISA asking them what it was thinking of to allow one of its partner banks to issue a card with a 'forged' identity? 



Ask VISA what they would it do if someone decided to issue a card with the word VISA written on it but without getting the proper authorisation? 



Maybe then it will get the message that it should never have allowed a card with misappropriated symbols to be issued! 

 *Alec Mally is currently Executive Director for Global Economics at Foresight Strategy and Communications, Athens.

South Australian Premier Mike Rann - Macedonia is as Greek as the Acropolis - Cleared of Racism by Human Rights Commission !

 SOUTH Australian Premier Mike Rann has been cleared of 'racially vilifying' the people of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The Human Rights Commission found Mr Rann had no case to answer for claiming that FYROM was stealing Greek history and culture, an accusation the Premier made in a speech at a Greek festival in Adelaide last year, along with the statement that 'Macedonia is so much Greek like the Acropolis'.

In the speech, Mr Rann also accused FYROMian President Gjorge Ivanov of "stirring up trouble in a most dangerous way" with Greece.

The comments sparked a complaint to the HRC by South Australia's Macedonian community but judge Catherine Branson ruled it to be "lacking in substance".

"I stand on my record of racial and ethnic tolerance. I will not be intimidated by anyone from speaking forthrightly on behalf of historical truth," Mr Rann said.

Read more from  The Australian 

Thank you Premier Rann, for telling it how it is! 

History cannot be hijacked or changed...

Have You Heard of Monkeydonia? We Hadn't ...Until Today!

Photo Source: SAE-World Council of Greeks Abroad

We discovered a new land called Monkeydonia on our travels through cyberspace today and thought we would share it with you...We look forward to your comments!

'Monkeydonian is a person who holds the view that by renaming a potato to apple, the potato will then taste like an apple. In other words, it is the person who thinks that by renaming a country's name from 'Vardaska' to 'Macedonia', in the mid 20th century, he can include in its identity, all Macedonian history that took place even as far as 2000 years before the name change. This is really a script for Aristofanes..

Monkeydonian is someone, who when it comes to history and historical perspective, can not count up to three, but at the same time will make arguments which he will firmly support, even if all evidence would point, or even shout, against him.

Monkeydonians are all those who went to school after 1991 in FYROM, and have fallen victim of revisionist education, Gruevskis' cabinet agenda, and other nationalist propaganda.

Finally and most importantly, Monkeydonians are those who are actively involved in any sort of deliberate, organized, intentional attempt towards world history falsification, so as to achieve their own goals and interests.

Being Monkeydonian does not include all those FYROM citizens that agree with the above, have a sense of historical perspective, take pride in their real past, and are thus more honest and true to their ancestors and their history.

Also excluded are the all innocent children that have fallen victim of their educational system, and who I personally sympathize with the most.

One can not blame one, for what he does not know!

So lets start with education.. 

Read the rest of the article at www.monkeydonia.blogspot.com



A very interesting blog with a wealth of information for those who really want to learn...we know you will find it enlightening.

Global Greek Issues: MACEDONIA - What's In A Name???

Photo Source: SAE-World Council of Greeks Abroad

Negotiations are continuing on a long-term-one-name-for-all-uses solution.Without an acceptable solution it will be very difficult if not impossible for FYROM to be admitted to the European Union and NATO, as well as other International Organisations.Recently, while the Prime Minister of FYROM, Mr Gruevski was in Australia, another front in the battle for survival was opened up, with Bulgaria this time. Why?Doesn't FYROM want a solution?Why don't it's leaders sit down and work out something with it's neighbours for the benefit of all parties concerned, but primarily for the benefit of it's own people? What is there to gain from such an intransigent attitude?Click on the photo to read what Greece's position is.