Below I paste a discussion I had with an apparently young person from the country that Greeks call Skopje and it's inhabitants call 'Macedonia'. For those unfamiliar with the subject, there is an ongoing dispute about the historical name 'Macedonia' . The Greek side claims hold of the name on a historical basis, since forever really. The other side does so since approximately 1920. While I have a very strong opinion on the subject the chat below isn't about that.

 

Konzerva actively seeked me out by using Skype's directory search, so he could fight with me, or any Greek really. To me this underlines exactly what's wrong with our relationship with this country. It's gotten to the point where we can't have an indifferent discussion about the weather. This is unfortunate since I have even had such with Turks with which my country has had traditionally a less than optimal relationship.

 

Georgios Kasselakis : hm do we know each other ?
Georgios Kasselakis : hello ?
KONZERVA : no we don't
Georgios Kasselakis : can I help you then somehow ?
KONZERVA : do you like to chat with me?
KONZERVA ::)
Georgios Kasselakis : I'm kind of working right now.. but if you don't mind large pauses between messages ok
KONZERVA : ok
Georgios Kasselakis : so where are you from ?
KONZERVA : i'm from MACEDONIA
Georgios Kasselakis : hm so a neighboor really
Georgios Kasselakis : Im in thessaloniki
Georgios Kasselakis : you are close yes ?
KONZERVA : you think you are from Solun?
KONZERVA : we are close then...
KONZERVA : if not...hmmm
Georgios Kasselakis : I don't understand the term 'think'
Georgios Kasselakis : I came here to study from athens
KONZERVA : but why?
KONZERVA : athens have good education
Georgios Kasselakis : I dont fully understand your question, why not ?
KONZERVA : i think so..
KONZERVA : when you will get back Solun to us?
KONZERVA : (devil)
Georgios Kasselakis : what is solun ? and why would 'we' give something back to whom ?
KONZERVA : because Solun (or Thessaloniki as YOU say)was ours til 1913
KONZERVA : so,you have to back what you taken
KONZERVA : from us
Georgios Kasselakis : borders change through time, one is not entitled to what was his for a passing moment in time if the last defining treaty is still valid
KONZERVA : so according to you Greece should take Macedonia??
KONZERVA : my dear friend
Georgios Kasselakis : Greece in it's current political status does not have the will to extend it's borders. As you can guess this would propably lead to a war, which is unwanted from what I see around me.
KONZERVA : you were the one who said that we are neighboors-so if we should be friends,dont cha?
Georgios Kasselakis : .. I believe that political issues should be resolved in a political process
Georgios Kasselakis : I can be a friend with anyone, if our personas match to some extent, unless he/she does not behave in a friendly way.
KONZERVA : i agree
KONZERVA : and I don't wanna be friend with GAYS..
KONZERVA : because all greaks are gay
KONZERVA : (chuckle)
Georgios Kasselakis : So you don't really want to chat, you want to fight yes ?
KONZERVA : (flex)
KONZERVA : back what you take and then we can be friends
KONZERVA : maybe
KONZERVA : and do you self a favour-watch SHADOWS by Milco Mancevski
KONZERVA : 8-|
Georgios Kasselakis : An interesting aspect of politics is that it can completely substitute all other relationships. You see we don't have to be friends. In fact I'm not sure I want to be friends.
Georgios Kasselakis : Do yourself a favor and read the book 1984, by George Orwell. It has a great deal of insight on forging history.
Georgios Kasselakis : Funny thing is, it has nothing to do with the political relationship between our countries.
KONZERVA : look we we don't care about politic but you counyry does
Georgios Kasselakis : You seem to discard the importance of politics, as if it is an inferior and mundane issue. Why is that ?
KONZERVA : Demostean said:Macedonians are barbarians,and barbarians aren't Greaks
KONZERVA : you tell me
KONZERVA : ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Apparently he did, apparently in the long run he was also wrong.
KONZERVA : you don't respeact Demostean?but you suere in him...
Georgios Kasselakis : You mean Dimosthenis right ?
KONZERVA : you are  really gay
KONZERVA : yes
KONZERVA : you should get that
Georgios Kasselakis : Why am I gay ? And how would that be an insult ?
KONZERVA : nooo
KONZERVA : but you do not say no
Georgios Kasselakis : Dimosthenis was a demagogue, meaning he often stepped on people's emotions to do what he wanted.
Georgios Kasselakis : So seriously, if I was a politician for my country I wouldn't fix this with war. I would slow your processes down as much as possible and wait for your economy to implode.
Georgios Kasselakis : That shouldn't take more than a century. So preety fast too !
KONZERVA : maybe that's way you aren't politician...war is not a solution...
KONZERVA : if you get back Solun to us
Georgios Kasselakis : I don't fully understand your sentence..
KONZERVA : i meant if you get back Thessaloniki
Georgios Kasselakis : I got that, I mean the previous sentense.
KONZERVA : and do not FYROM us
KONZERVA : war is not solution
Georgios Kasselakis : As I said I agree. Politicaly speaking however, I too do not recognize the name Macedonia on a country. I do not even support the name FYROM. I prefer Skopje, or Vardaska.
KONZERVA : that is maybe the reason that you aren't politician because you want to solve the problem with war
Georgios Kasselakis : I never proposed war... Perhaps you misinterpreter my writing ?
Georgios Kasselakis : *misinterpreted
KONZERVA : sorry maybe i do not understood what you meant
KONZERVA : Skopje is the capital of MACEDONIA,the country coldn't have that name.Vardar is a river..Do you know Philip The Second?From that time Macedonia is a country with her own name that still exist and will exist in future!!!!
Georgios Kasselakis : So you are suggesting that the country that you call 'Macedonia' existed before Yugoslavia ? My historical indexes suggest that you are a shard of the former country.
Georgios Kasselakis : I see you are typing for long strands of time, do you prefer to speak ?
KONZERVA : ofcourse, you've learn a wrong history.Have you ever heart about Alexander Macedonian,and his fother Philip how owned Greece and much more of the whole world...and he has a country and it's called MACEDONIA and still does.Only Greece do not want to admit that USA call us by our name-Macedonia and the other countries
Georgios Kasselakis : Ofcourse I know of Alexander and his legacy, but as independed sources have cited centuries before your country's formation (I could quote Italian Quatrocento era documents and also French Renaissance), Alexander spoke Greek. USA ofcourse calls your your country by the name that it wants to be called. Still the matter is not resolved in the diplomatic field. As you may know, we have a veto available for your country's inclusion in the NATO.
Georgios Kasselakis : I will extend the offer again, do you prefer to call me so you can speak ?
KONZERVA : you can't stop us to be part of NATO!
Georgios Kasselakis : Rules are rules, and we do have the right to veto your entrance.
KONZERVA : i have problem my microphone..so i can't answer you call-sorry
Georgios Kasselakis : Hm pitty, I have spilled coffee on my laptop and mine doesn't work either....
KONZERVA : what you know about rules?!the whole world recognize us as Macedonia only your country makes problems-because you have problems with reading the real history..it's not your fault (think)
Georgios Kasselakis : Don't you find it conspicuous though that your version of the history does not match that of external observers ?
KONZERVA : and Alexander Macedonian spoke greek because that was the lanuage that was spoken in a much of parts of the world,for instance like english 2day
Georgios Kasselakis : You are dropping my argument. History written in Greek matches the history as reported by external observers. I believe the concensus reveals that yours does not...
Georgios Kasselakis : What does Alexander's language have to do with any of this ?
KONZERVA : you mantion that he spokes Greek
Georgios Kasselakis : Oh I didn't see you backtracked there . You suggest therefore that if English is an important and globally understood language you should speak it in the inner country ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Do you have discussions with your friends and family in English or your mother tongue ?
KONZERVA : my parents are living in Italy so ai speak italian with them:)
Georgios Kasselakis : Speaking of language your alphabet is Cyrilic right ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Is there any written document of your language from the ages of Alexander ?
KONZERVA : and how do you know how does Alexander speaks at home?
Georgios Kasselakis : I can point you to marble slabs with Greek writing. Can you do the same ?
Georgios Kasselakis : By the historians of his time ofcourse.
KONZERVA : he spoke greek to understand him his rivals and the bigger part of the world
KONZERVA : and Macedonian language existed also
Georgios Kasselakis : Is there any proof of that ?
KONZERVA : there are words found
Georgios Kasselakis : Where are they ? And how old are these documents ?
Georgios Kasselakis : I can reveal works of literature, history and rapsody at the time of Alexander.
KONZERVA : in Egypt on the papiruses of the piramids
Georgios Kasselakis : Papyri do not survive for such lengths of time stil legible.
KONZERVA : from 4th century b.c
Georgios Kasselakis : And why would one interpret these as words of your tongue and not some other ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Such as egyptian perhaps ?
Georgios Kasselakis : I'll tell you what: You go ask that at school and you can give me an aswer ok ?
Georgios Kasselakis : *answer
KONZERVA : it is proved that these words has exist from the time Alexander took Egypt and they were in use til the time of Cleopatra
Georgios Kasselakis : Then apparently these papyri were not found in the pyramids, which are really tombs. So where are they right now ? Are they on display somewhere ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Isn't it also strange that no evidence of your tongue was found in Philip B's tomb ?
KONZERVA : you know what/go to Egypt and find them,ask about them!
Georgios Kasselakis : One would expect that sealing a dead body wouldn't have to be in this more widely spread language.
Georgios Kasselakis : Why don't you do that ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Aren't you even curious ?
Georgios Kasselakis : Are you a student ?
KONZERVA : yes i study history
Georgios Kasselakis : Nice. Why don't you go ask someone the questions I posed, so you can give me some more infromation and perhaps illuminate me ?
Georgios Kasselakis : I will be here tomorrow.
KONZERVA : and when Alexander died his impery has still existed
KONZERVA : ok
KONZERVA : seeyou 2morrow
Georgios Kasselakis : Good night:)
KONZERVA : you too
KONZERVA : (wave)

 

Pointless to say that he never contacted me again. Maybe it had to do something with the fact that he was a history student.