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You're conflating viewpoints here. I've been arguing against the people who have been saying Tito invented the Macedonian identity for years. If you go back to any of my old posts on the topic, you won't see me arguing in favor of the Tito theory. I've even mentioned Georgi Pulevski talking about a distinct Macedonian language and ethnicity here many times (although he also considered himself Bulgarian and the Macedonian language to be descended from Old Bulgarian so was pretty confused).
I came up with the time frame of the mid 1800s because I noticed all of your posts regarding ethnic Macedonian identity in pre-Tito times don't go back earlier than the mid 1800s.
And if someone were to "change goalposts" from 1945 to the mid 1800s, then I wouldn't call it "changing goalposts", but instead "changing your position based on new information". Changing your view on something after receiving new information shows the person is intellectually honest and not just arguing for the sake of it. I haven't done that here, but I don't think someone should be judged negatively were they to do such a thing.
So if you believe that Macedonian identity emerged in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, what did the people of modern day North Macedonia identify as shortly before the emergence of the Macedonian identity if not as Bulgarian?The Macedonian identity emerged out of the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, organically. Against all pressure to Serbianise, Hellenise and Bulgarise the population. Yes, I accept communism solidified it and not created it. I believe the Bulgarianess of Macedonians is a lie. No I don’t believe my ancestors identified as ethnic Bulgarians.
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