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Europe
Macedonian PM forbidden to fly over Greece in name hissy fit
2005-03-17
"Petty, party of one, your table is ready..."
Macedonia has officially protested to Greece after a plane carrying Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski was prevented from flying over Greek territory, a government spokesman said Tuesday. Buckovski was on his way to Turkey on Monday in a special government flight when aviation authorities in Athens notified their Macedonian counterparts that the flight did not have permission to use Greek air space, Dusko Uzunov said. He said the problem stemmed from a long-running bilateral dispute about Macedonia's name, which Greece refuses to recognise as it is the same as the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Greece has threatened to block Skopje's bid to join the European Union and NATO until it changes its name.
Next we'll have Virginia denying fly-overs to West Virginia and Mexico refusing tourists from New Mexico.
Posted by:Tom

#33  Not to argue, Aris, but it seems a shame to see your intellect wasted on insults. And work on your patience! Count to ten before you respond! Best wishes.
Posted by: Bobby   2005-03-17 10:50:04 PM  

#32  You probably mean #25. But I'd found the sarcasm at #20; however no good deed goes unpunished in this forum, and no intention to ignore a jab can go uninsulted it seems. When patience is punished by being presented as ignorance, what motivation do I have to be patient?

I remind you after all the case where my attempts to ignore Robert and Frank calling me "cunt", had merely resulted in the pair of them following me to another thread and calling me that again until I had responded to their insults: Once again, patience (NOT a virtue I have the most ample supplies thereof in the first place) is punished in this forum, not rewarded.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 10:36:45 PM  

#31  Ohhhh..... Aris! I had such hope for you, up to about post #23. Then you found the sarcasm. Your grasp of English is MUCH better than mine, of Greek. You must be a smart guy. Lay off the personal attacks! Not that others have not drunk deeply ....
Posted by: Bobby   2005-03-17 10:26:54 PM  

#30  I've actually fully grasped your insignificance over the last month

Then it's time to go back to Christian school. Christians are supposed to fully grasp their *own* insignificance, not other people's. Humility and the like, you know.

and really don't give a f^k what you think or say anymore

Except that you are so obsessed with me that you can't stand the idea you may have said something rude to me I might have not grasped.

have a nice day :-)

Thank you. Make sure you have a clear conscience over the sin of pride when you meet your maker.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 10:16:41 PM  

#29  I've actually fully grasped your insignificance over the last month + and really don't give a f^k what you think or say anymore - have a nice day :-)
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-17 9:45:59 PM  

#28  At which point he'll mock me again, no doubt? And when I say "thank you", he'll think it further evidence of me not getting his meaning?
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 9:22:05 PM  

#27  Careful, Aris. Lent will end soon.
Posted by: Tom   2005-03-17 9:19:17 PM  

#26  Another example ofcourse is here where instead of "thank you" I said "Glad to have of assistance. Will definitely remember your kind words"

I'm sure Frank never got the sarcasm behind those words either.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 9:16:08 PM  

#25  really don't catch the American aptitude for irony,

*rolls eyes* No, what happens is that you never catch mine.

I'm quite well aware what "gee, thanks" means. You should one day learn what "You are welcome" means when in response to that.

Mainly it means that I'm too weary to begin yet another flamewar over you being a jerk. So here's a polite response to your irony (or more properly your sarcasm).

But since it seems you'll be trying to explain your supposedly subtle but in reality blatant jabs in every single such thread, here's one post to spell it out for you. Whenever you say rude things to me, and I respond with "Thank you." or otherwise as if you said something polite instead, that's intentional.

Example: Frank G may say "You are an EU-loving dhimmi piece-of-shit."

I may respond with "Thank you. Love you too."

At which point Frank G accuses me of not understanding his meaning, when ofcourse it's he who doesn't understand mine.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 9:10:48 PM  

#24  Oscar Wilde found it ridiculous (and the pleasure fleeting...)
Posted by: Pappy   2005-03-17 9:03:50 PM  

#23  I find the Greek position very amusing.

Oh, no! I ain't touching that one.
Posted by: SteveS   2005-03-17 8:42:51 PM  

#22  California University is in Pennsylvania, Miami University is in Ohio, Kansas City is in Missouri...
Posted by: Tom   2005-03-17 8:10:25 PM  

#21  heh heh that was sarcasm, y'all. You really don't catch the American aptitude for irony, and it shows every time you type. Well, back on *Aris ignore*
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-17 8:08:52 PM  

#20  You are welcome.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 8:02:18 PM  

#19  gee, thanks
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-17 7:53:27 PM  

#18  Northeast.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 7:47:44 PM  

#17  New England = Northwest?
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-17 7:21:03 PM  

#16  Master Sergant Cyber. I used a translator at: http://www.translatum.gr/ and I guess it didn't copy over well. My Greek is thin but I am sure after some good Greek food and wine it will come back to me. You to understand how we Americans can't fathom the name thing. We call the Northwest area New England, we have a state called Georgia, and one called New Mexico. If the Canadians broke up and Vancuver changed it's name to 'Republic of America' it wouldn't bother us in the least. Hell we might just annex them! Kali Nichta Feelos.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-03-17 6:28:06 PM  

#15  No, Aris, South Korea has Seoul. What? Oh -- never mind.
Posted by: Tom   2005-03-17 6:06:06 PM  

#14  Cyber> The piece of Greek you wrote means "No words were found" -- what were you trying to auto-translate? :-)

I think most Greeks see Republic of Macedonia as trying to steal NOT a piece of Greek territory, but rather a piece of Greek history by using that name. The rhetoric goes something like this: "The name is our history, our history is our soul, by taking the name Macedonia, they're trying to steal our soul away, etc, etc."
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 5:23:29 PM  

#13  I was hoping for at least an NCO rank. :-(
Äåí âñÝèçêáí ëÝîåéò Cyber! I will wait until they start shooting and the deals off if Greece invades the ROM.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-03-17 5:00:29 PM  

#12  Sorry, messed up the link.
http://www.darrinzammitlupi.com/greekarmy.JPG
Posted by: Tom   2005-03-17 3:30:15 PM  

#11  You may want to rethink that, Cyber Sarge, or you may be reporting to Pfc Katsaris in a couple of months.
http://www.darrinzammitlupi.com/greekarmy.JPG
Posted by: Tom   2005-03-17 3:28:47 PM  

#10  Aris, I find the Greek position very amusing. Are they worried that the ROM will sneak in during the night and move the border markers? But I also remember a Greek/Turk tussle over literally a pile of rocks in the Agean Sea. Tell you what, if the ROM makes a move on the province of Macedonia I will personally enlist in the Greek Armed services and help recapture the territory.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-03-17 12:24:10 PM  

#9  Nah - academia is MUCH better at it. Trust me ....
Posted by: too true   2005-03-17 8:39:45 AM  

#8  *snore* rivalled only be the pettinesss of the aggregious slurs and fights in Academia
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-17 8:39:07 AM  

#7  Our brothers and sisters in the EU have ways to punish obnoxious use of vetos.

Gee, so does Bush. And some people think we don't have much in common with the EUros.....
Posted by: too true   2005-03-17 8:35:48 AM  

#6  How is Macedonia in a superior position? The country is a land-locked basket case and Greece is superior in every way

Greece can't hold an embargo or otherwise use trade against Republic of Macedonia, because of EU rules. Besides, the time of highest chauvinist hysteria where we'd hurt the economy of our own nation, just to satisfy our rage against the neighbouring one, is one decade past.

Still "superior position" was clumsily said of me: By "superior position" I just meant concerning the specific issue. With, Russia, China, United States all having recognized it as "Republic of Macedonia", and dozens of other countries likewise, and even EU nations starting to make sounds in that directions, Republic of Macedonia only needs to hold the course for a few years more before even Greece gets it into her thick skull that a time where compromise was possible has definitely passed and Republic of Macedonia won't be changing her name anytime soon.

The only weapon Greece still has in its arsenal is the denial of membership in EU and NATO. Which is a double-edged knife, that'll hurt Greece in its use almost as much as it'll hurt the Republic of Macedonia. Our brothers and sisters in the EU have ways to punish obnoxious use of vetos.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 8:25:15 AM  

#5  How is Macedonia in a superior position?

They still have balls?
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-03-17 8:15:10 AM  

#4  This is so gay.
Posted by: Cartman   2005-03-17 8:01:51 AM  

#3  Aris, giassou. You said:

Now, Greece is urging for a compromise, but Rep. of Macedonia recognizes it's in a superior position and doesn't want to hear of it.

How is Macedonia in a superior position? The country is a land-locked basket case and Greece is superior in every way. Almost everything the FYROM needs has to be shipped in through Thessaloniki.
Posted by: MW   2005-03-17 7:52:39 AM  

#2  Macedonian plane: Athens Center, request transit over Greek airspace.
Athens Center: Request denied, what are your intentions?
Macedonian plane: Uh, would a temporary name change be sufficient to gain permission?
Athens Center: Necessary, but not sufficient. State your intentions.
Macedonian plane: Uh, maybe we should go around. Our tanks are of insufficient capacity for the diplomatic doings.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-03-17 12:58:49 AM  

#1  10 years ago, Republic of Macedonia was willing to make a compromise on the name (e.g. using something New Macedonia or Slavic Macedonia, etc) but Greece wasn't willing to hear of any compromise at all.

Now, Greece is urging for a compromise, but Rep. of Macedonia recognizes it's in a superior position and doesn't want to hear of it.

After another 10-15 years Greece will probably accept Republic of Macedonia with that name. Hopefully.

Until such time however, we can expect pettiness upsurges from time to time.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-03-17 12:52:43 AM  

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