By Michael Collins
Macedonia is about to experience Democracy American Style. The nation’s misfortune is simple. It occupies strategic territory of keen interest to the United States and Russia.

“Russia's Stroitransgaz said on Thursday it will build a gas pipeline across Macedonia, which could eventually be used as part of a route to supply Europe with Russian gas via Turkey”. Reuters, Mar 12

In January, Russia fired Ukraine as its natural gas transit for Europe. The pipeline across Ukraine was ideally positioned for this function. However, Ukraine’s practice of failing to pay for the natural gas it used and the outright hostility of the Kiev junta toward Russia were simply too much. Russia gave notice that the spigot would be turned off permanently in 2019. (Image: WikiCommons)

As an alternative to the Ukraine pipeline, Russia struck a deal with Turkey to sell it all the natural gas it wanted. In addition, Turkey agreed to put a gas portal at the Greek border for interested European nations.

Enter Macedonia (on the northern border of Greece). The announcement of Russian pipeline deal on March 12 put the small nation in the cross hairs of the Obama administration and Congress. Allowing Russia a backdoor to sell Europe natural gas challenged the economic and political war against Russia. The U.S. and its puppet governments in London, Paris, and Berlin give lip service to free markets. But, when it comes to Russia, political goals trump commerce.

The last time a country started to cooperate with Russian natural gas commerce in 2014, the U.S. and it’s European Union puppets coerced Bulgaria to reverse course at great expense to the country and its people.

Will Macedonia get the message and fall in line?

NATO Narco State and NGOs Target Macedonia

The government of Macedonia and its upstart leader needed to be taught a lesson. After all, if Macedonia successfully defies the U.S. will, the people of the puppet states might elect leaders that actually stand up to the dictates from Washington.

Stories appeared from the usual suspects, i.e., the corporate media, about corruption in the administration of Macedonia’s Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. On March 29, the leader of the opposition party charged Gruevski with taking bribes based on taped conversations that appeared shortly after the Russia – Macedonia pipeline deal of March 12. Charges and counter charges carried the story further. The press failed to mention that corruption has been a mainstay of Macedonian politics since independence in 1991. Even if true, the charges are just more of the same.

U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) activated their ever-present democracy cadres paid for by the U.S. Congress. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) spends hundreds of thousands of dollars in Macedonia promoting “Civic Engagement in Legislative Advocacy and Public Policy Dialogue.” The George Soros funded Open Society Foundation is on the ground in Macedonia providing “… coordinated actions that have prompted the government to improve accountability and transparency.” Like serpents in a swamp, the NGOs lay in wait for any signs of deviation from the projects of the U.S. financial and political elite.

Parallel to NGO agitation, Macedonia charged Albania with stirring up violent acts by ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. Attacks on police in the city of Kemerovo resulted in the injury and deaths of police and security forces. When Macedonia cleared out the terrorists, the Albanian foreign minister asked for an investigation of police abuse. This is highly ironic given the fact that Albania is seen as a major center for narcotics trafficking. Albania's neighbor and collaborator Kosovo is also the location of one of the largest U.S. overseas military bases, Fort Bondsteel.

Predictable but Effective

There’s a simple goal for the latest democracy festival in Macedonia. It’s the same goal as its recent predecessors in Libya, Syria, and Ukraine. The big man in charge isn’t cooperating. Time to bring him some serious democracy. And sure enough, just hours ago, the British started to create the reality on the ground in Scopje, Macedonia’s capitol:

Tens of thousands of protesters in the Macedonian capital Skopje have demanded the resignation of long-serving Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. BBC May 17

It’s the same storyline that showed up after the Russia - Macedonia pipeline deal in early March. But, in the world of propaganda, the BBC represents the heavy artillery.

What Next?

Let’s look to the recent past for the answer. In Libya, there were protests, supposed use of military force against the protesters, and international outrage. In Syria, we saw the same scenario. Ukraine required more effort but the U.S. and its puppets used the same scenario.

Here is where the latest chapter in foreign destabilization is headed:

• Macedonian leader is a crook! (Never mind endemic corruption in Macedonia over time.)

Macedonian opposition leader accuses PM of corruption, AP, Mar 26

• Grave concerns by the U.S. and its European Union puppets about current leader (this is the clear signal that it’s game on).

German Ambassador to Skopje urges resignations over wiretapping scandal, Focus, Apr 29

“Western powers on Monday questioned the Macedonian government's commitment to democracy and European values over its failure to address allegations of abuse of power, piling pressure on leader Nikola Gruevski following a weekend of bloodshed.

“In a statement read out by U.S. ambassador Jess Baily, the envoys criticised Skopje's failure to address the "many allegations of government wrongdoing arising from the disclosures" published by opposition leader Zoran Zaev.” Reuters, May 11 (Authors emphasis)

• Thousands rally to protest the crooked leader

Thousands Rally in Macedonia for PM Resignation, Voice of America, May 17

• Behind the scenes manipulation by U.S., EU, NGOs with possible false flag implicating the current leader.

• Much commotion, some bloodshed, and, in a stunning conclusion, democracy prevails and the evildoer, the bad guy leading Macedonia, is replaced.

We are only about half way through this scenario. There may be variations in plot and the outcome is uncertain. One thing for sure, this series of events represents a message to other rulers who fail to cooperate with the forces of democracy and not-so-free enterprise: cooperate or else.

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