Promotional Messages (2)

PROMOTIONAL MESSAGES (2)

To conclude our analysis regarding the most recent publicized promotional trick which follows the letter exchange between the prime ministers of Greece and the country of Skopje, we will begin by saying which was the usefulness of the whole matter of Militi, Florina as well as by mentioning the importance of other moves which, while very important, are hidden by the Greek people and most possibly from the people of the country of Skopje while what is communicated internationally remains undefined.

In particular, from the so called ‘diplomatically dangerous’ issue of the celebration of the prophet Elijah in Meliti, Florina during which an annual Balkan culture festival takes place:

The mass media reported and commented:

1. that in Meliti there is an issue of ‘Macedonian’ minority and fortunes which is proven by the presence of dance and music groups from the country of Skopje, which play Slavic music, after their being invited by the organizers of the festival.


2. that people from the country of Skopje are invited and who are related to dwellers in Meliti, fact which is presented as further indication of the existence of this minority.

3. that nameless people (they are presented on television without name and function and of course no way to double check the evidence) mention their certainty for the existence of this minority in Meliti and Greece in general, self-naming themselves ‘Macedonians of the Aegean’.

4. that during the weekend, members of the far right that is identified with Nazism demonstrated at Greek borders against having buses carrying Skopjan demonstrators/ groups/ of diaspora enter, fact which according to them makes Greece look bad. After the intervention of the district attorney the ‘fanatics’ dispersed peacefully, and the access of the Skopjan people was allowed from that moment on.

5. that the Skopjans were very displeased because they were forced to wait for two hours in the borders while the security check was taking place for the security of the Greeks and peace, since Skopjans had publicly threatened with episodes on Greek soil, fact which for some reason is a minus for Greece.


Taking one point at a time we will explain a. what the mass media are attempting to get across to the Greek people, and b. why the whole issue of Meliti is fabricated for promotional reasons.


“1. that in Meliti there is an issue of ‘Macedonian’ minority and fortunes which is proven by the presence of dance and music groups from the country of Skopje, which play Slavic music, after their being invited by the organizers of the festival.”

It is widely known that when one organizes a cultural festival where international cultural groups are participating one must primarily invite them actively so that they will schedule their appearance in the festival and one often offers financial remuneration / accommodation. From the moment the particular group accepts to appear exactly because it is cultural and represents the folklore of its culture/ Nation, it goes without saying that when it comes where the festival is taking place, the group will dance, sing and speak the language, the songs and the dances for which it was invited in the first place.

The existence of such a group which is visiting does not, of course, mean that there exist land or fortune-related or any other type of National matters of the group’s Nation of origin with the country the group is visiting, because if that was the case, then the whole globe would have issues in the several different countries because there have been observed in numerous of them appearances of Irish, Chinese, Aborigine, Shaolin, Argentinian, Spanish, Russian and other groups which blatantly and overtly dance their folk dances and speak their language throughout their stay in each country where the performances are taking place. That is to say, that something which is normal procedure is presented in a distorted manner by the mass media with the purpose of causing fear, anger and specific impressions.


“2. that people from the country of Skopje are invited and who are related to dwellers in Meliti, fact which is presented as further indication of the existence of this minority.”

Again there is an effort to intimidate through misinformation and a false attribution of graveness/ danger/ evidence-giving of a fact which is a world wide phenomenon because of the diverse movement of populations around the globe:

It is very logical to have it occur repeatedly in every country to invite relatives of different Nationalities and national status to visit their families in another country regardless if these families staying in the country are indigenous, immigrants, refugees, of the diaspora, etc. However this phenomenon does not constitute proof of land/ National/ fortune claim in the country they are visiting or they are staying as immigrants/ fugitives. If that were true, then the parade of the Greeks every 25th of March in Astoria, New York in the USA or the festivities of the Irish wordwide at St. Patrick’s Day with parades and the like would constitute evidence that Astoria is Greek soil under the occupation of the Americans for far more than 50 years, and the Irish soil is far larger than is apparent, with most of the irish lands being under occupation by more than six countries of the American Continent, Europe and Australia. All this without mentioning the other festivities openly celebrated and displayed by Chinese, Italian and other National groups.


“3. that nameless people (they are presented on television without name and function and of course no way to double check the evidence) mention their certainty for the existence of this minority in Meliti and Greece in general, self-naming themselves ‘Macedonians of the Aegean’”

Primarily the term ‘Macedonian of the Aegean” is a geographical oxymoron which, though it could simply be proof of the ridiculousness and arbitrariness of the people designing this propaganda, in essence it is an indirect but very definite attempt to transform a term which is connected to a specific area of Greece and its citizens (i.e. a subgroup term) into a term that is connected to a group and has, in turn, subgroups exactly like, for example, Greece is a term containing the subgroups Crete, the Cyclades, Epirus, Thrace, etc.

The people who present themselves to claim the above do not give any other proof beyond their word about their own existence, nor is it, of course, demanded by the mass media which are providing full coverage. After a phone research I conducted in the indigenous people of Meliti, I was informed that a very small group of individuals who are displeased or in a difficult position by the ruling party are stating all of the above for a fee. I was also informed that even under these circumstances it is very hard for the mass media / channels to find people who will make, even anonymously, these statements and ‘they hunt them down to find them like wolves’ as it was told me verbatim.

When I asked a person of the non-state radio of the area there why he had not mentioned all these things, he replied to me that the National Council for the Radio has forbidden to all the local stations except the state one to comment or report anything that does not strictly fall in the artistic/ sports categories.

“4. that during the weekend, members of the far right that is identified with Nazism demonstrated at Greek borders against having buses carrying Skopjan demonstrators/ groups/ of diaspora enter, fact which according to them makes Greece look bad. After the intervention of the district attorney the ‘fanatics’ dispersed peacefully, and the access of the Skopjan people was allowed from that moment on”

Primarily, this would not have occurred at all if through the Greek0wide and internationally broadcasting mass media it was not cultivated throughout the week a terrorism that the festival taking place in Meliti was going to have every other kind of significance except the objective, harmless and cultural profile it does have.

Secondarily, the constitutional right of every Greek citizen, regardless their political affiliation, to demonstrate peacefully his/her will is attacked. If and since the demonstration of these people consisted only from a vociferation of mottos and slogans nobody had the right to tell them to disperse.

Tertiarily, the particular group of people with their actions characterizes and intimidates the rest of the liberal Greeks into remaining idle (not regarding demonstrating, but regarding following ways that truly count and which the particular group of far right people certainly has not followed) and not defend their Human Rights for fear of not being characterized totalitarian, junta-lovers or fascists.

It is questionable why publicity was given to the particular group and its activities and the rest of the very wide activity of the Greeks within and beyond the borders, which is peaceful and liberal and teaches the proper way to defend the Human Rights of the Greeks (part of whom are the Macedonians) remains unpublished and non-broadcasted despite the successive press releases to all the previously mentioned channels which are the agents of political, social, moral, anti-religious and anti-national propaganda.

It is also unacceptable to have Greek population dispraised for the choice not to want certain elements to come in their country, fact which is their inalienable right just as it is for every population of every country. It is a right that seems to be upheld in the cases of closing up the borders for protection from terrorism that take place at the borders of the USA and the United Kingdom.

“5. that the Skopjans were very displeased because they were forced to wait for two hours in the borders while the security check was taking place for the security of the Greeks and peace, since Skopjans had publicly threatened with episodes on Greek soil, fact which for some reason is a minus for Greece.”

How someone feels, when this someone wants to enter a foreign country which seeks to defend peace and order within its borders and for that follows certain security measures that are typical and do not violate any human right, is irrelevant and does not make any sort of political argument or piece of news. The broadcasting of people who nag in front of the camera because they were obliged to prove, just like any alien, that they are not going to be part of criminal activity within Greek borders is just a means to unfairly anger a people.

If how a person subjected to security check at the borders of a country feels and what he/she has to say has gravity, then all the highly humiliating and insulting checks tourists have to go through in the borders of the UK and the US, as well as in every airport where personal affects are confiscated such as perfume and nail clippers, while others are viewed fully by third parties which constitutes a breach of personality and dignity of every person.

We see that with this analysis, the whole issue of Meliti is just a news-hunting and provocative, distorted presentation of a simple cultural celebration, fact which renders all the contributors to these news stories (reporters, commentators, producers, editors in chief, channel/station directors and owners, and others) as well as the state agents who allowed it to broadcast during the entire week warmongers, anti-peace, anti-hellenic and underminers of the well being and peace of the People of more than the state of Skopje.

Due to length we will refer to the issue of hiding or undertoning of very important elements with relation to the entire issue of Skopje next time.