Cheer up, Macedonia!

One of the individuals I follow on Twitter, er, X, goes by the handle “Ethiopian White.” His name is Juan Viedma Martinez, and he posts a lot about Ethiopia.  And strangely, Macedonia.  I have no idea why.

One of his recent posts was a beautiful photo of a winding cobblestone street in Ohrid, with the distinctive architecture of Ohrid homes along the street and hanging pots of colorful flowers leading the eye toward a bright blue sky flecked with passing clouds.  The moment I saw the photo, I was taken right back to a spring day in Ohrid, and it gave me a smile.  Juan added the words, “Cheer up, Macedonia!” to the photo, adding a bit of encouragement to those who saw it.

An election is now upon Macedonia, and not just one election, but two, for president and for parliament.  The past seven plus years have seen Macedonia governed by, on the one hand, a feckless, clueless, gutless, and, ultimately, terrified party which dares to have the name “Macedonia” in its title, and their senior partner, a malign, corrupt, angry, and victim-mongering party borne out of a terrorist group.  These two parties have brought shame on Macedonia, giving away Macedonia’s name, identity, history, and much more, in return for very little, insisting along the way that “there is only one way” to do things, effectively shutting down any debate and then claiming that any other way is “pro-Russian.” Lies, all lies.

Winston Churchill, writing before he became prime minister for the first time, said, “Alexander the Great remarked that the people of Asia were slaves because they had not learned to pronounce the word ‘no.’”

Over the past painful seven plus years have Macedonians now learned to pronounce the word “no” to those politicians, unelected bureaucrats, and diplomats, who do great harm to Macedonia?  Over the past seven plus years Macedonians have seen higher levels of corruption, backsliding in the rule of law, open gangsterism and crime, declining standards of living, a declining healthcare and education system, and declining interethnic relations (among other signs of decline), not to mention shame, and a loss of pride about what it means to be Macedonian.

It's time to say “no” to those who have brought Macedonia to this point in time.  It’s time to say “no” to those who, through their past actions, have proven that their future actions will result in more of the same.  It’s time to say “no” to those who would trample on the pride and past of Macedonia and Macedonians.  It’s time to say “no” to the destructive policies of a one party beholden to their supposedly “junior” party which is very happy to wallow in corruption while giving away the last vestiges of anything that is and should be “Macedonian.”

At this point, you might be wondering why this column is titled “Cheer up, Macedonia!”

The reason is because you now have that opportunity not only to so “no” to the aforementioned individuals who have brought Macedonia low and down, and “yes” to others who have a proven record of defending Macedonia and her interests, pursuing economic policies that create wealth and lift people out of poverty, creating strong standards in education that benefit the future of Macedonia, her children, strengthening the healthcare system of the country by providing for the healthcare needs of all of Macedonia’s citizens, and much more. 

A democracy doesn’t guarantee good outcomes, but it should guard against a bad outcome. When SDSM/DUI took control of the government in 2017, there were many in Macedonia who said to themselves “Ah, now we will move into the sunny uplands of NATO, the EU, and prosperity like we’ve never seen it!”  Except for the fact that, well, Macedonia didn’t.  Yes, Macedonia is in NATO, but at the unexceptionally high price of your name, identity, and much more.  And the EU?  When Bulgaria saw what Greece received, they decided to join the game as well.  And instead of prosperity, rampant corruption, crime, and more.   

This is why I’d encourage you to cheer up – because you now have an opportunity to, as we say in America during elections, “throw the bums out.” You gave them seven years.  They performed not only poorly, but wickedly. 

One last thing: when you vote, do it with gratitude: gratitude for the amazing, beautiful country of Macedonia, a hospitable, creative, and innovative people, the Macedonians, and for the life you have in Macedonia.  I guarantee you that if you have the attitude of gratitude for these things, and more, you’ll be happy and content, and, with a smile on your face, you will throw the bums out.