Republican Party Has Hung Macedonia Out To Dry – OpEd

For some unknown reason, the Soros/Hillary/Obama policy in Macedonia is still in place (let’s call it SHO since Americans seem to like acronyms) and the Republican Party is doing nothing about it. Well, they started to – by launching a Congressional investigation into SHO meddling in Macedonia – but they seem to have gotten distracted by a squirrel or a Trump.

The assumption that a country like Macedonia would be ignored by US foreign policy is an argument made by the naive. American foreign policy is one of foreign interventionism, everywhere, and the examples abound going back seven decades – including a multitude in Macedonia the past several years. We are dealing with something different here and the crucial question is: Why has the GOP completely capitulated to a Democratic Party policy and allowed a SHO-instigated, left-wing coup to go unchallenged? There are only two options – incompetence or complicity.

I never would have imagined that complicity would be possible until Secretary of State Tillerson congratulated the new SHO-installed Macedonian “Prime Minister” on winning a non-existent mandate. His party actually lost the parliamentary election, but the US State Department ensured that a pro-SHO, left-wing coalition would govern Macedonia. Mr. Tillerson, correct me if I’m wrong in suggesting that you’re complicit. Could it be incompetence instead? Better yet, simply direct the State Department to follow YOUR policy and end the unrelenting attacks on Macedonians’ identity and independence.

Excuse my anger – or don’t, quite frankly, I don’t care –  because my country’s name, ethnic origin, language, identity and territorial integrity are being threatened in order to fulfill an American foreign policy objective of denying the existence of Macedonians all to appease our oppressors – Bulgaria, Albania and Greece. BAG, if you will. But let’s not overdo the acronyms, it would just confuse POTUS – if he’s paying attention.

Macedonia is our name. Macedonian is our ethnicity. They always have been. I explain the idiocy of the artificially-created, anti-Macedonian “name dispute”, which is at the heart of the crisis in Macedonia and the region, in this op-ed in The Hill. Defending the existence of my, or any, ethnic group should not be necessary.

Another op-ed of mine in The Hill calls on Donald Trump to reverse the damage done in Macedonia by the previous US administration. Well, unless white supremacists, the NFL, or Bob Corker are involved – Trump won’t act. Mr. Corker, maybe I can teach you a few choice Macedonian words to tweet at Trump to get his attention. Tweet me.

Or how about the GOP actually steps in and finishes its Congressional investigation – a few months ago. Wait, you’ve already wasted enough time and we already know what the outcome would be. Mike Lee, Ted Cruz and the others who started the investigation, act NOW. Macedonia and Macedonians need you to literally save our country and ethnic group from extinction. All you have to do is announce that the United States defends Macedonia’s most basic human right – our right to exist – and that the US demands an immediate end to the racist, anti-Macedonian name negotiations. One sentence will save a country. And it can be done in 140 characters or less.

*Bill Nicholov, President Macedonian Human Rights Movement International