Suppose They Gave a Referendum and Nobody Voted!
Suppose They Gave a War and No One Came!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnVIE2eV-eY
America’s foreign policy appears a strategy to encroach on Russia as much as possible and jimi-jinx China as much as possible. Indeed, the US geopolitical strategy wants east and west sides, as well as the lower side, of Eurasia under complete US hegemony. If war, or proxy wars, become necessary to accomplish this, so be it (see Middle East, The Stan Region and Northern Africa).
These days this long-time US strategy has become severely tested by the recent military-economic alliance of Russia with China, coupled with China’s determined implementation of The Belt Road Initiative (BRI) where the plan is to re-open the ancient Silk Road land and sea trading routes using green infrastructure and modern technology.
Backing the BRI is the newly-enacted Chinese Petro Yuan supported by gold. China and Russia, internationally, are respectively Number One and Number Three when it comes to gold. Meanwhile, the US Petro Dollar, traditionally the world standard, is backed not only by debt but also with a strong military and favorable banking. Over the long haul, which of the two has a better chance of success?
It is well documented that when the Soviet Union ceased to exist one of the promises made by the US and NATO was there would be no encroachment upon Russia’s boundaries. However, look at what’s been happening with Eastern European, Balkan and Caucasian nations. Then think of Ukraine and Crimea and you begin to realize the US and NATO has not held up its end of the agreement negotiated with former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev.
Let’s go to The Balkans.
Macedonia, located in the Balkan Peninsula, declared its independence as a sovereign nation in 1991 after the break up of Yugoslavia. It joined the United Nations in 1993 under the name of Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, instead of just Macedonia, due to a dispute with Greece over use of the name Macedonia.
The US and NATO, continue with a policy of encroachment against Russia. Thus, it wants Macedonia to join NATO and eventually become part of the European Union. But this can only happen if citizens of Macedonia first hold a national referendum to change the name of Macedonia to Northern Macedonia. This referendum was organized for September 30, 2018.
To become a valid referendum 50% + 1 of the electorate were required to vote. However, only 36.9% voted. Therefore, the 50% + 1 requirement was not met, thereby invalidating the vote. This happened in large part due to the Macedonian president calling for a boycott of the vote.
Incredulously, because the name change was supported by a majority of those who did vote, the US State Department therefore interpreted what was a clear and obvious defeat into a victory. This not only is an insult to the Macedonian people, but it outright denies the will of the 67% of Macedonians who refused to support the change of name by not voting. Realistically, a non-vote can only be interpreted as a no vote, especially given the call for the boycott!
Anyway, below are two descriptions of the Macedonian referendum. From an intellectual point of view, the western version is a joke. Any reasonable thinker can only conclude the western media description of the Macedonian vote is a product of pure unadulterated propaganda, much like what most of us supposedly free-thinking Americans receive on a daily basis from a US media where only five corporations control 90% of all media.
http://time.com/5411191/macedonia-referendum-nato-name-change/
