Alexander Mania Grips FYROM

The following is an interesting article that describes how the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M) is constructing a mythical historiography in order to appeal to the masses. The Gruevski administration is promoting the notions that the Slavic population of F.Y.R.O.M are descendants of the ancient Macedonians and are the originators of the “White Race”. The notions being promoted by F.Y.R.O.M’s government hint of the ideologies that were exhibited by the likes of Mussolini and Hitler who appealed to ideals involving genealogical lineages and ‘pristine’ genetic bloodlines. The F.Y.R.O.M government looks akward using the 19th century nation building tactic of promoting a mythical national historiography in the context of 21st century Europe.

Some of the more telling excerpts from the article are:

In an intense media campaign, locals are told that ethnic Macedonians are the proud direct descendants of Alexander, and thus a people responsible for spawning the white race of planet Earth, from the Caucasus “to the seas off Japan,” according to a public service spot on national TV.

Even “God” has gotten involved. A nine-minute TV ad starts with a petition from Macedonia to the heavens: “Our neighbors distributed thousands of books across the world, containing false history and portraying a wrong picture about Macedonia. … Only you know our pain.” The Almighty then responds: “From you, Macedonians, descendants of Macedon, I conceived the white race. All that stretches to the seas off Japan is conceived from your genes.”

The following is an excerpt from the TV ad that the article describes. This TV ad appeared on state sponsored television. This 1930’s style fascist ideology does not belong in 21st century free and progressive Europe.

Beyond theatrics, the program deeply troubles many scholars and intellectuals here – who are being sidelined – for its promulgation of myth as truth. The new taxpayer-funded Alexander ideology has no serious texts

Unlike Serbia’s Kosovo story, based on centuries of poetry and legend,the Macedonian ideology is being both invented and presented at the same time. There is no outside scholarly consensus, no textual tradition; the result is a kind of history-free history. The top-down, debate-free imposition of the new history is itself seen as illiberal and authoritarian

In addition, you may find the report from FYROM by Robert Marquand, talking with Pat Murphy, as audio recording here:\”Christian Science Monitor\” About the \”Alexander-Mania\” in FYROM, 20-III-2009

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\”Christian Science Monitor\” About the \”Alexander-Mania\” in FYROM, 20-III-2009