An antidote to the anti-Macedonian attitude prevailing among Western elites

A quick note: I have been writing columns for Macedonian newspapers, magazines, and website since 2001. This is column number 700. And I begin column number 700 with this: all who love Macedonia will work tirelessly to eventually overturn what has just been done to Macedonia. We will, eventually, put the so-called Prespa Agreement in the garbage bin of history.

Today we find Macedonia at a point where the forces of imperialism and authoritarianism prevalent in the West today have succeeded, for now, in moving Macedonia closer toward their goal (not Macedonia’s goal, their goal — more, below). For clarity in reading this, by “the forces of imperialism and authoritarianism prevalent in the West” I mean, the elites in the US, EU, and NATO to include: elected officials, unelected bureaucrats, members of the media, civil society organizations (see more on this, below), think-tanks, academic institutions, and others. In some cases, these forces include Macedonians (you know who they are), but also, of course, individuals in Macedonia’s closest neighbors, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, etc.

Now, what is their goal? I think Yoram Hazony, a Jewish scholar and author of “The Virtue of Nationalism” sums it up best this way: these elites have a “single imperialist vision: They wish to see a world in which liberal principles are codified as universal law and imposed on the nations, if necessary by force. This, they agree, is what will bring us universal peace and prosperity… ..Dogmatic and utopian,” he continues, they believe “that the final truths concerning mankind’s fate have long since been discovered, and that all that remains is to find a way to impose them.” These elites, as others have written, see themselves as the new high priestly class of this cult of global governance — our new overlords, if we allow them that opportunity.

So, we now find Macedonia at this point where these elites are still working to deny Macedonia and the Macedonians their desire and right to call themselves Macedonian and call their country Macedonia.

What do we do about this? Is there a cure? Or even an antidote? I believe there is.

Since the current government of Macedonia stands against Macedonia we must go back to the basics. And that begins with strengthening institutions. Hazony writes that “enduring and resilient institutions are those that are constructed principally out of bounds of mutual loyalty,” and that the family is “the strongest and most resilient of all small institutions known to human politics.” He then explains why this is the most important institution writing that the family is instituted “in order to pass on to another generation an inheritance that has been bequeathed to us by our parents and their ancestors. This inheritance includes life itself…but it also includes a way of life, a religion, a language, skills and habits, and certain ideals and ways of understanding what is to be valued that are unique to each family…one way to understand this effort is to say that a family is established to repay a debt to one’s parents and forefathers for the inheritance that has been received from them, a debt that can only be repaid by raising up new generations that will receive it and, if possible, improve upon it in return.”

So if we are to strengthen institutions in Macedonia in order to save it, we must begin with the most basic of institutions: the traditional family (the family, of course, is under attack by the elites in every country where they cast their eyes). We can strengthen this institution, the family, by encouraging the growth of the family through marriage, births, adoption, proper child rearing to include discipline, character building, and 1,000 other ways. By strengthening this first and most basic institution, the family, we will then be able to strengthen our communities, our cities, and our nation.

Next, faith institutions must be strengthened and while I understand the historic relationship between the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the State, in general faith institutions are best strengthened internally and when the leaders look to their source of strength and faith, God, and when members of that faith do the same thing.

Next, this strengthening of institutions continues with neighborhoods where neighbors and the associations they create care for each other, work to improve their neighborhoods physically (as much as possible on their own and without government, even local government) and engage in social interaction, etc.

Then, civil society must be strengthened. (And here I do not mean top-down civil society such as groups created by outside influence and money — think George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, all the organizations created by USAID and EU money and groups like them. We all know that many of these groups have been created simply because of the money, power, and prestige offered to those who ‘founded’ them by Soros, USAID, the EU, etc. These groups, and their leaders and members, are merely extensions and tools of the above-mentioned elites.) Instead, here I mean truly civil society organizations created from the ground-up and by local communities and local Macedonians to address local needs that cannot or should not be addressed by the government, any government. True civil society has a valuable role to play in Macedonia and in fact in any society.

Education must be strengthened and, if necessary, outside of the schools. As we watch the current government of Macedonia agree to erase Macedonian history in the schools in an attempt to appease Bulgaria and Greece, it may be necessary to create associations of teachers, parents and others who, after school or on weekends, teach the children and students about the true history of Macedonia. This would be an excellent example of a truly civil society organization emerging from the ground up.

I think you understand where I am going with all of this. Every Macedonian institution must be encouraged and strengthened for Macedonia to survive and then thrive even as it is under attack. You can think of the all of the institutions this will carry over to including institutions in culture, sports, heritage, the arts, etc.

And while the above suggested steps specifically refer to Macedonia and Macedonians living in the Republic they also must include Macedonians and their communities living in neighboring Greece, Bulgaria and Albania. I think it is especially important for them because they are under a greater degree of attack and pressure from their respective governments. It is therefore vital that the institutions of the family and neighborhood in those countries be constantly strengthened.

All of the above should be engaged in and continued regardless of who is in government. It is not up to the government to encourage and push these things (though government can engage in some pro-institution building projects, like family-friendly policies, etc.) but it is individuals, families, neighborhoods, communities, etc. that must engage in these things for the health and longevity of Macedonia and the Macedonians.

Two last points. First, it is vital to recognize what all successful human societies have recognized through the ages that in order to have the most peaceable and prosperous society possible, you need virtue and morality, a virtuous and moral people. Without a virtuous and moral citizenry, nothing will work — government, the economy, society, nothing.

Second, and finally, never forget Macedonia’s history, always remember the past so that you can pass that memory to your children, grandchildren, and generations yet to be born. Encourage one another with stories from the past and hope for the future. The great authors of the last century tell us what happens when we forget or allow others to destroy our memory and heritage. George Orwell wrote “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history” while Russian dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn asserted “To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.” And Milan Kundera told us “The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history…. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was.” We must remember the past and celebrate the many good things given to us including how we achieved our freedom and sovereignty, remembering what was sacrificed to achieve it.

Do these things, Macedonia, and you will be fine.