I posted the below to the Macedonian Media Monitor Yahoo group and I don't know if it went through. But it's my response to Bill's and MHRMI statement. I am disappointed and troubled by the press release for two main reasons: 1) focusing too much blame on the US, as well as the tone used to do so; and 2) sidestepping much of the Macedonian peoples' responsibility, as well as the culpability of government officials and institutions, for the current state of affairs.
The US certainly meddles in Macedonia's and other countries' business.
But a good exercise in thought would be: Take US out of the picture, where would Macedonia and Macedonians be? Probably in a similar pile of crap as they're in right now. It might look and smell differently, but make no doubt about it: Macedonians have done, and are doing this, to themselves. The US is just taking advantage -- as they do many places -- of the Macedonians' unfair sense of justice; inability to organize; weak, corrupt and hypocritical government officials; and a passive, as well as apathetic and ignorant, majority populace.
Don't worry, the US political/economic machine does the same thing to its own citizens, who are no smarter or dumber than Macedonia's citizens. They're just better at knowing what they want and organizing how to get it.
If US or the EU were not in the picture, I'm sure Macedonians would end up attributing responsibility to everyone else but themselves.
The US has it's share of problems and the biggest being how it conducts itself around the world and the corporate influence in politics and government. I am a staunch believer that the US needs reforms in many aspects of society. Their foreign policy is heartless; federal government officials and corporate heads are one and the same; people are addicted to consumerism; and social-justice issues still need to be addressed. But if Macedonia could even come close to imitating the US on environmental standards or its justice system (since you alluded to both of those), Macedonia would be a pleasant country. The US is plagued with issues, but not more or less than most other countries. We just have a bigger economy and military.
Yet, to compare the United States and its 330+ million people to the Nazi regime just to justify why Macedonians can't possibly have royally screwed things up on their own is completely unnecessary and alienating. It's over the top. This incomplete picture of the US and her people is not fair and not accurate, and really avoids the heart of the problem by using the US as a scapegoat.
But I shouldn't be surprised. Going through all of MHRMI's press releases, it seems like you're so worried about human rights issues for the Macedonians, but yet barely is a criticism of Macedonia's ruling institutions or leaders for violating its own citizens' rights to be found in your statements. When not holding Greece and Bulgaria accountable, it's back to blaming the US and the EU.
This statement has left a bad taste in my mouth for your organization.
The US certainly meddles in Macedonia's and other countries' business.
But a good exercise in thought would be: Take US out of the picture, where would Macedonia and Macedonians be? Probably in a similar pile of crap as they're in right now. It might look and smell differently, but make no doubt about it: Macedonians have done, and are doing this, to themselves. The US is just taking advantage -- as they do many places -- of the Macedonians' unfair sense of justice; inability to organize; weak, corrupt and hypocritical government officials; and a passive, as well as apathetic and ignorant, majority populace.
Don't worry, the US political/economic machine does the same thing to its own citizens, who are no smarter or dumber than Macedonia's citizens. They're just better at knowing what they want and organizing how to get it.
If US or the EU were not in the picture, I'm sure Macedonians would end up attributing responsibility to everyone else but themselves.
The US has it's share of problems and the biggest being how it conducts itself around the world and the corporate influence in politics and government. I am a staunch believer that the US needs reforms in many aspects of society. Their foreign policy is heartless; federal government officials and corporate heads are one and the same; people are addicted to consumerism; and social-justice issues still need to be addressed. But if Macedonia could even come close to imitating the US on environmental standards or its justice system (since you alluded to both of those), Macedonia would be a pleasant country. The US is plagued with issues, but not more or less than most other countries. We just have a bigger economy and military.
Yet, to compare the United States and its 330+ million people to the Nazi regime just to justify why Macedonians can't possibly have royally screwed things up on their own is completely unnecessary and alienating. It's over the top. This incomplete picture of the US and her people is not fair and not accurate, and really avoids the heart of the problem by using the US as a scapegoat.
But I shouldn't be surprised. Going through all of MHRMI's press releases, it seems like you're so worried about human rights issues for the Macedonians, but yet barely is a criticism of Macedonia's ruling institutions or leaders for violating its own citizens' rights to be found in your statements. When not holding Greece and Bulgaria accountable, it's back to blaming the US and the EU.
This statement has left a bad taste in my mouth for your organization.
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