THE UNTUTORED MOB
I’ve never met Ifan Morgan Jones but he do seem a tidy boy, what with his blog, and his books, and now he’s branched out with Nation.Cymru.
I withheld judgement on this new venture because with so many different contributors it was difficult to get a handle on where it stood on things close to my heart, such as the Swans, or the price of laverbread. Another issue was that my comments – or certainly those submitted as Jac o’ the North – disappeared into the ether. I accepted the explanation that this was due to some glitch rather than to censorship . . . but even so, a suspicious old bastard like me will still mutter to himself when in his cups.
Over time I have attuned myself better to the eclectic nature of Nation.Cymru accepting that I won’t agree with everything I read there; an example being the recent article defending Cyngor Gwynedd’s surrender to the Planning Inspectorate. But then, Nation.Cymru is there to give a platform to divergent views and it balanced Dyfrig Jones’ lamentable piece with this counter-argument by Huw Williams.
As I say, I was already warming to Nation.Cymru and then I read Why the Welsh national movement needs Brexit voters by the man himself, Ifan Morgan Jones. Quite simply, this is one of the best political analyses I have read for a long, long time. And nothing sums up what’s wrong with the ‘national movement’, and Plaid Cymru in particular, better than this sentence.
But recent experiences of mine suggest that the problems with ‘the national movement’ may go beyond a disconnect between it and the greater part of the Welsh nation. For I see a split within the movement itself.
Or maybe those I’m going to deal with now are examples of what Ifan meant when he wrote, “Ironically, the people who currently make up the Welsh national movement are also the group that’s probably one of the least likely to vote for Welsh independence.” He continued . . .
I suppose it could be extrapolated that the middle class national movement, with so many of its members dependent directly or indirectly on the UK state, has a vested interest in not engaging with the untutored mob to create an effective national movement. Self-interest with a dash of snobbery.
Though I first suspected this back in the 1960s. Those I associated with most closely wanted independence and nothing less; independence for the good of Wales and all her people. Yet I soon grasped that there were others hanging around, some egging us on, and using the unrest to press for personal advancement.
The ‘language movement’ seemed to contain more than its fair share of those whose antipathy to England and all her works could be vanished away by a cushy number at the BBC or a quango. Little different to socialists accepting peerages and arguing that henceforth they would be working against the system from within. Right on, comrade!
Yes, I’ve known a lot of hypocrites in my time. All prepared to do their bit for Wales . . . as long they didn’t lose out. And yet the ultimate test of an individual’s principles is that he or she is prepared to suffer for them, otherwise they’re just vacuous dinner party spoutings.
As a student of history, one thing I’ve learnt is that it is invariably the case that empires are brought down, governments are overthrown, and new countries brought into existence by those who have little or nothing to lose, not by those who’d like to tinker with a system to their own advantage.
♦
DON’T WELSH LIVES MATTER?
Every so often I have a little run-in on Twitter or some other medium with those of a younger generation and a more leftward political orientation. It amuses me until my opponents become irrational – to the point where I can visualise the spittle on the keyboard or phone – and then I just block them.
This week I’ve enjoyed a couple of exchanges that I think are worth sharing with you. On the one hand, they’re illuminating of themselves, but equally, I believe they link with what Ifan Morgan Jones wrote.
First, let me introduce @PollyLizManning. I’m not entirely sure how our little contretemps started, I think she joined an exchange I was having with someone else. Anyway, it centred on my use of the term ‘wimmin’, which I’d been told was a feminist word used to avoid the ‘men’ element in women.
But that’s not really important, what might interest you is how she framed her response to me after I’d said that I reject political correctness. Here it is.
“White bloke”! Yes, OK, I’m white, I confess; but I blame my parents, and their parents, and their parents’ parents . . . Joking aside, what possible relevance is the colour of my skin? Is she so involved with the politics of race that she subscribes to the view that all white people are racists?
Or is she trying to sound black, maybe identify with black people in the patronising way the Left always has done? Well, maybe she is, because this is the tweet proudly pinned to the top of her Twitter timeline.
“Croeso i Refugees” the placard reads. But Wales has no power to admit refugees or refuse admittance. And as for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ poster she’s holding, I can only assume that this is protesting about all the black folks being shot down by redneck sheriffs in Powys.
What I’m asking is – what the hell has this got to do with Wales? And the reason I’m asking is because Polly Liz Manning is the Women’s Officer for Plaid Ifanc. This is the future of Plaid Cymru.
On the face of it, standing up to racism would be commendable . . . if this was Mississippi in the 1960s. But when you package it up with other issues, such as immigration and Donald Trump, and then argue that anyone who isn’t in favour of unrestricted immigration or impeaching Trump must be a racist, you are no different to the fascists in using the combination of corrupted arguments and vilification.
Below you’ll see a photograph from the ITV website of the march that Polly Liz Manning attended. I think it makes my point. (I think we can see Ms Manning behind the police officer.)
Though if racism is such a concern why don’t Polly and her comrades confront white flight into Wales? The answer to that is simple: to deal with white flight would mean discussing English colonisation, which is a taboo subject because to discuss it will a) alienate Plaid’s English allies in the fight against ‘international fascism’ and b) bring down the wrath of the English redtops.
Far safer to ignore Wales and ‘fight’ faraway issues.
Another with whom I exchanged words was @Wales4Europe. I don’t know who this is, but whoever it is he or she is another fighting against Brexit, supposedly on behalf of Wales.
I’d seen a tweet somewhere quoting Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, so I re-tweeted it and encouraged the curious response below. Which raises quite a few questions.
For a start, what was the thinking behind giving my name? Was it an attempt to expose me? Was the writer trying to intimidate me – ‘We know who you are, pal’? Or was it just showing off? Whatever the answer, my name is no secret, so nothing was achieved except making the writer look a little weird.
As for Voice of Europe, I’ve no idea who or what this is. As I say in my reply, I was showing support for Viktor Orbán. What is a national leader supposed to do but protect his or her people? Though of course I wouldn’t expect that to be understood by Leftist members of the ‘national movement’.
I found the reference to the Arrow Cross, a fascist organisation of the 1930s and ’40s, intriguing. For remembering the Arrow Cross but ignoring the Muslim invasions and occupations that colour Hungarian attitudes to Islam is another example of the Alt-Left’s selective interpretations of history to serve its own political agenda.
And it goes without saying that the heroic national uprising against the Soviet Union in 1956 will never be mentioned by Welsh Leftists, too many of whom still have a lingering affection for the old USSR.
Onwards and upwards.
♦
“FAR RIGHT” IN BARCELONA
Leanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru, made a monumentally stupid and insensitive remark following the recent atrocities in Catalunya committed by Muslim extremists. I’m sure most of you are aware of it, but in case anyone missed it, here it is.
What I think she was trying to say was, ‘These people are no different to the extreme Right you saw last week in Charlottesville’. Certainly her defenders argued that her use of the term “far right” made sense because both are violent and intolerant of the views and beliefs of others. Which may be fair enough . . . up to a point.
That point is passed when you realise that she’s likening law-abiding political opponents to terrorists. And by suggesting that the evil people in the world all belong to the far right she lines herself and her comrades up on the side of the angels (not that such enlightened and progressive beings subscribe to primitive superstitions).
I say that because fundamental to interpreting her remark would be an understanding of who exactly Leanne Wood regards as “far right”. I suspect that for many who share her views anyone to the right of the Liberal Democrats is flirting with fascism. This is certainly close to what we’ve heard from within the party when working with the Tories has been suggested.
Though to fully understand why Leanne Wood made that stupid remark you have to put yourself in her position.
She leads a party going nowhere, a party that has gone backwards since it deposed Dafydd Wigley. Her own position as leader is under threat from more Wales-focused elements within the party, which means that she needs to rally the Left around her to stay at the helm.
But it goes beyond Plaid Cymru, because for a socialist and an ‘internationalist’ like Leanne Wood things have not gone well lately. First there was Brexit, and then came Trump, followed by the return of Theresa May. Bitter blows for the Left, represented in Wales by the likes of Polly Liz Manning, WalesForEurope, and of course Leanne Wood herself.
The lesson most observers drew from Brexit and the election of Donald Trump was that a majority of voters on both sides of the Atlantic reject the views held by Leanne Wood and her cohorts. But they can’t accept that.
Seeking to rationalise or explain away these defeats has led many to persuade themselves that Brexit and Trump were victories for racists and fascists. That’s why Charlottesville was such a godsend, and played for all it was worth by the Alt-Left and its media allies – ‘We told you so! Look! there they are on the streets, carrying guns – Trump supporters.’
Which elevated a couple of hundred saddoes into the manifestation corporeal of tens of millions of Trump supporters. Which made the ‘horror and revulsion’ that filled our television screens complete theatre.
If we add the political escapism above to Ifan Morgan Jones’ ‘national movement’ then what we have is a socialist party that just happens to be located in Wales, but with little or no interest in improving the lives of the vast majority of Welsh people. Which of course disqualifies it from being a national movement.
More damningly, it confirms that these people do not aspire to be a national movement.
If those in Plaid Cymru who care about Wales more than Wood, Manning and the rest, have any sense they’ll get rid of their leader and try putting their party on a different course in order to appeal to more of our people. Personally, I’m past caring, as I believe Plaid Cymru is now beyond saving.
♦ end ♦
Love that tweet from Dennis Morris Abergwaun re FWA. He shouldn’t be surprised after all “Fe godwn ni eto ” is easy to understand. Just hope it happens soon !
The tweet regarding Finland is a useful reminder of what can be achieved. They even managed to stay “alive” and free in the immediate post WW2 period which was not so good for other nations on the Baltic borders. A muppet called Keiron seems to be blissfully unaware of the grim realities of life here in Wales, judging by his stupid comment !
Last but not least, the EU tweet spells out why getting out of EU and UK are both vital and getting the UK to break down the first gate leaving us to do the heavy lifting on the second is just right.
I think Ifan hits the nail on the head – The English-speaking Welsh working class are socially “small c” conservative but I would say they are on the Left economically (broadly in favour of public ownership of utilities, railways etc) Plaid Cymru is not a good fit for the people who have to be won over to support Welsh independence. Plaid is a middle class pursuit in Swansea – We are an irrelevance, We come over as otherworldly and wishy-washy. In Plaid – you will see a member of the crachach and a member of the English middle class get on pretty well – but neither of them will have any time for an Amazon zero-hours worker from Morriston or a bus driver from Townhill. Plaid actively court the British Left – they crave their acceptance, they go on all their demos and marches and guess what? The Left champion the national causes of Ireland and Palestine but never Wales – we are invisible to the Left because they don’t see the Welsh national cause as an anti-imperialist struggle (the Left obviously have not read a page of Welsh history) Plaid is trying to be trendy and hang out with the cool guys but we should be listening to the working class communities and taking on the issues that matter to them – because they hold the keys to a Welsh state.
Plaid was the same in Swansea back in 1970s, otherworldly, middle class cultural nationalists. I think the only reason I was tolerated was because I could go into the pubs where they wouldn’t be seen dead and talk to people they just didn’t understand. For them it was cheese and wine parties (to which I, Ray Williams and the other ‘roughs’, were not invited).
And yet, there was always a latent Welshness in Swansea waiting to be tapped into, but the people I’m describing were incapable of reaching out to my people. They were in Swansea but behaved as if they were in Ceredigion. I often think of Viv Davies of the FWA, a Jack to his fingertips; Plaid never stirred him, but Dennis Coslett did.
As you say, there are too many in Plaid Cymru more comfortable with the English middle class than with the Welsh working class – and that’s why Plaid is in the mess it’s in. And why it must either get its act together or be faced with a rival.
I see Big Gee is mentioned in this Wikipedia article 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_relationship_between_the_Welsh_and_the_English#cite_note-14
good job blokes like you & me manage to stay under the radar. You won’t find me on any internet reference and I intend keeping it that way. Mind you I fancy GCHQ have me down to my inside leg measurement ! and that’s just by monitoring any online purchases. But they still don’t know whether I fire off the left shoulder or the right.
Really? I am humbled & so excited (not). I didn’t even know it existed. Whoever authored it got a few finer points wrong anyway – I have just taken it upon myself to edit the article written by the original author to make it factually correct.
John Elfed Jones & I got reported to the Race Relations Board (for comments we made separately, but on the same subject) – either by Paul Starling on behalf of his paymasters ‘The Welsh Mirror’ (remember that crap? Made in England by Trinity Mirror & promoted in Cymru at every opportunity by so called ‘Welsh’ Labour) or some other vile AI BtitNat (that’s ‘arrogant/ignorant by the way – not Artificial Insemination).
The bit in the Wiki article about the complaint being dropped after we apologised is WRONG. John Elfed Jones lost his bottle and issued an apology – I NEVER did, I would rather poke needles in my eyes than do that. If I had, I could have stayed on in the comfy confines of the H.B.T.S. party nest. No Chance. I never have, and NEVER will apologise for telling the truth – regardless of the consequences.
Not only have I just read the wiki article but I I’ve read one of the references at the end as well – an article by Christina Odone who was startled that she, Ann Robinson and Tony Blair were investigated after they made insulting comments about the Welsh. Regarding Ann Robinson – if she had made the same comments about black, Jewish or Asian people she would have been sacked. I attended a meeting of the BBC governors in Cardiff where the audience angrily confronted the Chairman Michael Grade about Robinson’s comments. Grade just didn’t get it – but then he had already made ‘jokes’ about Welsh people being small, the bad weather in Wales and one of his equally brain dead colleagues, Ruth Deech explained that she definitely wasn’t anti-Welsh because when she thought of Wales she thought of choirs and valleys. And probably women in tall black hats as well. To whom did this bunch of dipsticks have to refer when they were asked a question that took a functioning brain to answer? A Welshman – the governor for Wales who was the only one on the panel with any degree of technical knowledge about their own fucking organisation. Michael Grade and Ruth Deech are now both in the Lords.
Regarding Blair. There is a notorious clip of him screaming ‘it’s the fucking Welsh again’. This is the Blair who’s administration concealed criminal activity, malpractice and astronomical death rates in the UK NHS – which before devolution included the concealing of the problems in the north Wales mental health services. The problems in those services arose because for years they had been used to discredit the victims of the north Wales paedophile ring – the young people who dared complain were labelled psychotic. Blair knew what was happening in the mental health services and ignored it. That was because his top team was stuffed full of former London councillors who were running children’s homes where kids were being abused – and some of those Councils were sending children to the dreadful Bryn Alyn Community, the centre of the north Wales child abuse scandal. Some of Blairs mates who knew what was happening included Tessa Jowell, Paul Boateng and Harriet Harman – and of course dear old Margaret Hodge.
A number of ‘radical lawyers’ with close links to Blair and of course Cherie and the wider Labour Party also knew what was happening – including the grandest of them all, Michael Mansfield. How do I know? Because in 1993 I was stitched up in Bangor Magistrates Court by a perjuring social worker who was a colleague of those who abused the kids in care and I wrote to Mansfield and told him. Helena Kennedy QC, now a Labour peer, worked closely with Professor Nigel Eastman, a forensic psychiatrist at St Georges Hospital Medical School. Eastman received a letter from a colleague in 1991 which made it clear that mental health patients in north Wales were being sexually abused by psychiatrists. Eastman did not react. Neither did four of his colleagues who were also made aware of what was happening.
The attitude of Blair and those on the London scene was ‘this doesn’t matter, it’s only Wales’. When I worked at St Georges between 1989-1991 I was told that if they had a really bad doctor, they ‘sent them to Wales’. I saw this in action. Whilst I worked there they employed a gynaecologist who was a serial sexual harasser of staff, who even had sex with one member of staff on hospital premises. He failed his professional exams and they were desperate to get rid of him before there was a scandal. He is now a consultant in Cardiff. Before he worked at St Georges this man worked at Hammersmith under Lord Robert Winston. Winston will have known what he was like.
I was seriously bullied when I was at St Georges and constant derogatory comments were made about me being a sheepshagger with a degree from a Welsh University. Years later I obtained documentary evidence demonstrating that their real problem with me was that I had found out about the criminal activity in the North Wales Hospital and that I had known some people who were victims of the paedophile ring in north Wales. The ring in north Wales was the gang supplying kids to the Westminster Paedophile Ring, among which were several people close to Thatcher. Which was concealed by Thatcher, by Major, by Blair and by Cameron. It’s a barrel of shit and they were all compromised. What they have all done is pretend this was just a problem with social workers and psychiatrists in Wales – it was, but they got away with abusing the kids and patients because Gov’ts in Westminster covered up for them.
A lot of those kids were found dead after they gave evidence.
I was not the only person who knew what was happening. My small group of close friends with me at Bangor University in the 80s knew as well. They were all young academics or media professionals who would have made credible witnesses in a criminal trial. Two are dead, one is brain damaged, three were unfairly dismissed from influential jobs after false allegations were made about them. And there was three attempt to frame me for serious crime. It’s certainly bad luck that so many of us have died or been injured as a result of NHS ‘mistakes’ or car crashes. It’s not as if we were boozers or dangerous drivers or terminally ill or indeed criminals. As for those whose very promising careers were hampered – one was obstructed by a university where Anthony Giddens wields great influence, the other works in a field where Lord Robert Winston has a major say. Giddens and Winston were both advisors to Tony Blair and are Labour peers.
Wales has been seriously crapped on by successive Gov’ts – it all stemmed from the north Wales child abuse scandal. People knew what was happening but they pointed the finger at Wales saying ‘aren’t the sheepshaggers dreadful’ whilst the Welsh Office followed orders from English PMs to conceal the crap. Alison Taylor blew the whistle on the child abuse in 1987 and I blew the whistle on the associated abuse in the psychiatric wards in Ysbyty Gwynedd and the North Wales Hospital in the same year. We were not simply ignored, we were harassed, threatened and had our careers destroyed.
This sort of thing is only possible if people are able to believe that the Welsh are a bunch of cavemen. That is why anti-Welsh racism is deemed acceptable or ‘just a joke’.
Good for you Big Gee, but unbelievable that you were forced to resign over this, it should be perfectly legitimate to express concerns regarding how Welsh people are being marginalised, because it is happening and needs addressing. Your treatment was particularly disgraceful, when you consider the endless bigoted, derisive abuse of the Welsh by the likes of Blair, Clarkson, Gill, Wilson and Robinson etc, their views peculate down and are legitimised, because they are not condoned. If they made such disgusting comments against any other minority/ethnic/racial group, they would be sacked and prosecuted, why are the Welsh considered fair game and why on earth do we have to put up with it?
Diolch Myfanwy. But the real enemy is within. It wasn’t the likes of Blair, Clarkson, Gill, Wilson and Robinson etc. who forced me to resign. It was the lily-livered, jelly-backboned hierarchy within the H.B.T.S. (party of Wales)that did it – THAT’S what made it so sickening. It’s the historical weakness – the ‘Uncle Tom Syndrome’. Fear of the masters – ‘cachgwn’, ‘chachwyr’ a ‘crachach’ bonheddig y Blaid.
What rubs salt in the wound is the fact that most of the ones who forced me out, all agreed with me and praised me to my face in private, they then stuck the knife in my back when facing the public. Shit-pots basically. Their actions says it all about what type of two-faced party they are.
Wigley probably thinks the same, but he’s too much of a gentleman and statesman to expose their sly, inderhanded and devious out working. That’s the party that’s looking after Cymru’s interests – yeah sure.
Do you wonder why they are incapable of making headway? Even their core supporters who have patiently given them chance after chance are quietly walking away. Can you blame them?
The only solution is a revolution or a true patriotic and nationalist party to take their place.
Although this article is 20 years old, it relates very much to what you say about the Crachach, it is not hard to understand, that the divisive problems relating to the struggle for Independence, as you say, actually lie within Wales.
This extract here seemed very relevant:
“The Crachach is not to be confused with the Taffia. While the Taffia grab power, the Crachach assumes it. For the past 20 years Conservative appointees to quangos – the so-called “white settlers” with second homes in the Usk valley – thought they ran Wales, but in reality it was the Crachach who occupied the top jobs in these agencies and councils, and who were the real power brokers.
….but the Crachach as we know it has really been built up over the last 30 to 40 years when the establishment of Wales has gravitated to Cardiff. It’s a ruling elite, a lot of whom are related. When it comes to networking they make the Masons look like inadequates,” said a Welsh poet.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/why-ffion-is-marrying-badly-1288697.html
It is not surprising that the arrogant assumption of power, by those who have an exclusive notion of what it is to be Welsh, has only served to alienate swathes of the Welsh population. It is also not hard to see how the Welsh language and the so called, National Party of Wales suffer accordingly, as they are identified and rejected as representing the elite. That Welsh people would rather identify with being British than vote for the National Party, shows how damaging and entrenched the system is, but how can it be changed?
Yes there is a huge seam of latent Welshness in Swansea that has not really been tapped by Plaid – the odd chunk has fallen off in Llansamlet in 1976 and Cockett in 1998. In recent years I have seen the main roads of Clydach and Morriston lined out in Welsh flags for St Davids day. In my hometown of Gorseinon where i have stood for Plaid at Council level for the last 20 years – I have seen Welsh symbols on car numberplates, front doors and in gardens at every other property while out knocking doors or leafletting in my home patch. The national consciousness is there, the potential loyality to wales is there. The identification is there. – If Plaid can translate this into votes – The northern half of Swansea should be coloured in Plaid Cymru Green on the political map.
And it’s not confined to those areas that were Welsh speaking a couple of generations back. I’ve experienced this sentiment on the Hill.
But these are working class people whose ‘socialism’ is simple, practical and self-serving – if Labour puts more money in their pockets (or takes less money out) then they’ll vote Labour. But Plaid has to complicate things by dealing in ishoos – and frightening them off.
Push the argument that Wales is getting a bad deal from the Union with England and Plaid could treble its support on Swansea Bay and in the Valleys. But Plaid won’t deal in ‘raw’ national sentiment because it will upset its English friends, and be used against it by Labour.
It’s obvious why Labour would attack Plaid for being ‘too nationalistic’ – because it would know the game was up.
Plaid Cymru is its own worst enemy. Which is why I’ve always suspected that there are a few highly placed people within the party ensuring that it’s successful enough to keep hopes alive and minimise the threat of a rival emerging, while ensuring that there’s no chance of real success.
Yes ishoos like When LW on her first UK leaders debate show said that Wales should be sanctuary for refugees – I thought that would go down like a lead balloon in areas that have never recovered from the 1980s and Labour’s disastrous administration that has made us the poorest in Europe.
“Uncle Toms” with white faces Jac. “Uncle Toms”.
I agree with you and Ifan, that if Plaid Cymru are serious about Welsh independence, they also have to represent people from traditionally working class backgrounds, who have been marginalised for too long and disenfranchised. If you spend anytime living abroad, you become very aware of how class ridden Britain is compared to other countries. The British establishment survives, precisely because of how divisive the class system is. Pandering to just one social class, reinforces this division and keeps Wales firmly in the Union.
I think Leanne Wood has forgotten she is leader of a national political party rather than the Tooting Popular Front. I’ve always been a fan of Leanne but her comments about the Barcelona attack was crass and insensitive at best.
I would have said ‘ignorantly stupid’ for the very reasons I’ve been highlighting above!
What the fuck is “RIGHT WING” terrorism when it’s at home?
Our fight in Wales is not a national struggle…..but one of the left v those on the ‘extreme’ right…..according to Leanne.
Good lord I hope she didn’t actually say that…
been out for the day. Got back to spend a few minutes catching up on all the slanging and mud slinging to find that Nation.Cymru is being blocked by Firefox and Google on grounds of being “unsafe”. Is this for real or is it some plot by some sort of Loyalist cabal to disconnect IMJ’s site which despite its flaws provides for some interesting observation of our more “extremist” fellow Welsh men and women ?
Yes, I noticed that on Opera, but didn’t pay it too much attention
If a site has been flagged by Google as malicious, it means that a cyber-criminal has successfully exploited the server the site is hosted on and has probably installed (by what is called ‘injection’) damaging code in the site’s coding.
The site is then blacklisted by Google and every visitor who comes to the site will likely be prevented from reaching the homepage and instead shown an embarrassing warning. Even search results where the site appears will be flagged as malicious by Google.
I wouldn’t jump to any other more colourful suggestions at this stage. A hell of a headache for the web-site builder, because copying the contents and migrating to another server could just cause the same problem on another server. I hope the contents have been backed up at the local end.
Jacqui thompson s blog is blocked on Google searches when using council provided free Internet. Another blog NEWPORT Really Matters was completely evicerated as it was anonymous and highly critical.
I can’t even begin to explain how sick I am of this infernal ‘right’, ‘left’ & ‘centre’ crap. WAKE UP! Not only is it the mindset of the political dinosaur, but as I’ve repeatedly vocalised on this blog – it’s a bloody abstract illusion – in other words, it doesn’t exist in reality!
The whole concept has been cooked up by the global political establishment in order to pigeon-hole people in pre selected holes labelled right, left and centre, and then of course FAR right and FAR left – or better still EXTREME right or EXTREME left. It’s a load of bollocks! A herding mechanism designed to segregate and label people in opposition to each other, so that they spend half their time debating crap and the other half hurling insults at each other based on the ‘RIGHT’ or ‘LEFT’ wing labels assumed to belong to their opponents. It’s bloody lunacy, and is healthily marketed and promoted by the establishment’s ‘lie repeaters’ the mainstream false media. They love it because they don’t need to analyse anyone, or the statements they make, because they have a handy label to pin on them.
All of these preconceived ideas (based on what are actually descriptions of travel on a map), and cooked up by so called ‘experts’ are flummoxed when it comes to patriotic Nationalism, they go into a tizz – not knowing where to place them. So we get called Nazis or Communists! Pathetic, and we ourselves promote this madness. That’s why I keep on begging Jac to drop that nutty “. . .right of centre nationalist prospective” nonsense from his blog’s banner.
Interestingly, when mentioning Communism and Nazism in the same sentence, one cannot help pondering on the validity of the Horseshoe Theory . . .
‘Communism’ isn’t necessarily totalitarian, and the progressive communist movement in Europe became very critical of the excesses of Stalinism post Hungary 1956 and even more so post Prague 1968.
Nazism is totalitarian with no possibility of being anything else, as it’s akin to fascism and as such is totalitarian intent. Many communists, rightly, divorce themselves from the excesses of Stalinism and it’s derivatives.
Communism can be quite progressive, as was the case in Bologna, Italy from the end of WW2 until the late 70s. (The city is still controlled by a left of centre government)
The use of ‘right’ and left’ as descriptors of political leanings are overused, and of limited utility, they do serve as a rough guide, compass bearings as to political orientation. Nationalism is always problematic, in terms of where it lies politically, but as any even cursory glance over the contributors to any blog discussing Welsh nationalism will show that there are proponents of all those usual descriptors. The fact that most people subscribe to these descriptors is an indication of their utility, imperfect though they are.
In the absence of these descriptors, how would you describe the orientation of a political group or movement?
And, as far as abstracted illusions go, the whole idea of the nations is an abstract illusion – they exist in the human mind only. But this makes them no less real. ‘I think, therefore I am’. And though nations are abstractions, those who subscribe to the abstraction are at least not deluded as those who deny that they are any part of national abstraction are.
A lot of sense being talked here by a few people about how redundant the political labels we’ve inherited from the French Revolution have become in the modern world. Perhaps especially when it comes to nationalism.
I regard myself as a conservative, a Tory even, but my nationalism is fundamentally anti-colonialist. So that’s the spectrum covered.
There are two ‘lefts’ in Wales. The ‘genuine left’ which has it’s origins in the ‘not a minute on the day nor a penny off the pay’ type struggles of the miners in the last century. These were represented by the Communist and Independent Labour Party. Then there’s the ‘trendy left’ a kind of middle class, self serving, third sector ‘ishoo’ politics, social climbers, spongers of EU funds, represented by grant creaming and betrayals of the Labour Party.
The first seat in Wales to vote majority for Welsh independence was not Carmarthen or Caernarfon, but Rhondda East.
In the European Parliament it is Sinn Fein who sit with the communists, the genuine left. They have a policy of ‘critical engagement’. Plaid Cymru, on the other hand sit with the ‘Greens’ on the trendy left, and share a platform with the Green Party of Englandandwales which stand against Plaid Cymru in elections. Due to the uncritical support for EU, it has failed to expose the gravy train and often fails to get support from the ‘working class’ in Wales. The exception being where individual Plaid candidates are forthright in exposing the grant farmers (McEvoy).
Leanne Wood has her heritage in the ‘genuine left’ but I fear she is pandering to the ‘trendy left’ a bit too often. There are also too many Plaid candidates who are third sector trendy left spivs.
I was prepared to accept that the explanation that the Llanelli candidate, chosen by the constituency was not on the ‘official candidates list’ this being a technicality and she attended a special meeting to explain this, but it’s now transpired that on the same day, this ‘technicality’ did not apply to the candidate chosen by the Cynon valley constituency, which was also evicted by the ‘national executive’. Something is amiss. Plaid Cymru must be representative of the communities of Wales, otherwise it’s just acting as an appointments bureau for third sector crachach.
Leanne needs to remember she used to make Ferrero Rocher at their factory in Llantrisant. Now she needs to stop trying to distribute them to the appointed ones.
“Left” means representing those from where she sprang, not pandering to the elite Powerpoint office culture trendies in Cardiff.
The genuine “left” that have survived the traumatic migration of their formal representation into an elitist clique more concerned with “ishoos”, fake emotive outbursts and passing fads are now few and far between. Indeed it is said that some of them turn up on the “far right”,another pejorative term often used to describe those who make the elitists uncomfortable. Often the truth is that the old style “leftie” hasn’t moved at all. It’s the boundaries written by the trendy commentators and chattering bullshitters that provide the moving feast. Social problems reduced to footballs, kicked around but never resolved. So the old “leftie” appears to be “right wing”just because the new label is stuck on his/her back.
And none dare call it conspiracy !
That’s it – simple as that Jac. Without any mention of ludicrous R. L. or C. shite.
I always thought that ‘abstraction’ was the process of removing something, especially water from a river or other source! But we won’t dwell on that. What I was referring to was the abstract nature of political labels. In reality they don’t exist.
You say
You’re not serious are you? Tell me you’re joking please! Do you honestly believe that you can’t work out the orientation of a political group or movement without labels like ‘left’, ‘centre’ or ‘right’? Jesus – I give up!
I’m beginning to wonder if you actually know what an abstract concept means. The most basic and minimal grouping is a family – it’s an unit (solid and quantifiable). Many families, from a common source, make a tribe – another unit. Many tribes form a nation – yet another bigger unit. The units have names, ‘family’, ‘tribe’ or ‘nation’. Now where the hell do you arrive at your statement that “the whole idea of the nations is an abstract illusion“? They don’t just exist in the human mind – as you suggest – they are a tangible reality. Even animals know which pack, herd or troop they belong to, and they don’t have the ability to create abstract thought.
In politics you are what you are, a Socialist, Conservative, Liberal or Nationalist etc. or whatever you choose to call yourself. What does ‘centre’ quantify? What does ‘right’ of ‘centre’ or ‘left’ of ‘centre’ quantify? Fuck all, it’s an illusionary label that has no substance in reality – it has no quantifiable identity. Just try and explain to me what or where ‘centre’ is. The centre of what is it? It’s an abstract label that makes no sense. However it serves a great function in providing a silly label, that then gets banded about like a mark on the forehead – usually to provide derogatory labels in quibbles. As I keep on repeating, it is an abstract concept designed to divide and tar brush people and to keep them divided, instead of united. Handy.
And finally – good ol’ “Cogito ergo sum”. A proposition by René Descartes in French, translated into English and forever more quoted out of context (especially the way you’ve used it). The phrase first appeared in Descartes’s 1637 Discourse on the Method – sod all to do with abstract thought in the guise of non existent political labels.
I wasn’t going to reply to you, but I decided to back up my argument.
You may not see any utility in the traditional descriptors used to define political position, but most of us still do, and that doesn’t make us stupid. Of course anyone is entitled to make up their own mind on things, but crude labels of ‘conservative’, ‘socialist’ or ‘liberal’ etc are also pretty meaningless without some other indicator of just where on the spectrum of each broad definition lies. Telling me someone is a socialist tells me very little, any more that telling me someone is conservative. If they tell me that someone is a Conservative, or a conservative socialist, then I have a better idea of what they are telling me. I said that the traditional descriptors are fairly crude indicators, as I’m aware that on their own those labels don’t actually mean that much and need qualifying.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left–right_political_spectrum
It’s all about context and relativity. Corbyn is described as ‘extreme left’ when in fact his policies would have been considered mainstream Labour policies in the 1960s. I can see why people might consider the traditional descriptors redundant, but for many of they still have some utility. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but berating others over their use is just going to raise your blood pressure, which is going to do no-one any good. Besides which, though what you say makes sense, you are also perfectly aware of what people mean when they use these terms, and how they are used relatively in a constantly shifting political environment.
And nations are abstract, a social construct, ‘imagined communities’, in the words of Benedict Anderson. Nations do not exist as concrete realities, do they? They might be a bit harder to destroy if they were.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation
1. Have I accused anyone of being stupid?
2. I’m not debating whether people use the ridiculous concept of R. L. or C. Just that it is a fake representation that prejudices and pre-empts other’s judgements. It is also a tool that’s used to attack and denegrate people with no evidence. If a journo or news reader says of me “he’s more right wing that Adolf Hitler” or “he’s more left wing than Stalin” that immediately conjures up an image that is based on a hypothetical position that has no substance.
3. In the link you provided you will note this comment “The terms left-wing and right-wing are widely used in the United States BUT, as on the global level, there is no firm consensus about their meaning.” In other words, they are meaningless! I rest my case. These labels originate in France, they have been promoted in the Western hemisphere because they serve a purpose they create ‘Sheeple’ – a system where a person’s argument can be snuffed out by applying an abstract label to him. Call someone extreme ‘right’ wing, or extreme ‘left’ wing then you’ve burnt him down before he starts, simple innit? You have to view the big picture and ask why these things exist. They are not there to help you along with your politics!
4. Your comment about Jeremy Corbyn is spot on, and again underlines my point – that these labels are not fixed, stable or real. They float with the times – they have NO positive benefit for anyone, apart from politicians and the establishment’s false news broadcasters & media moguls who do their bidding.
5. Finally, if Benedict Anderson says it, then it must be true? I think not. A nation in human terms is akin to a herd in the animal world – nothing abstract there. It’s a reality. And as for easy destruction of nations, well I would have thought that the destruction of an abstract concept is far more difficult than the destruction of something physical & real. Go check out how easily the white man wiped out herds of buffalo, millions large.
Problem with what you say about “imagined communities” is that it ignores the functionality of group forming and it also looks at the modern nation out of context.
We as human beings naturally group form. That started out to pool resources and to broaden skill sets – we are essentially more effective in groups. As communities evolved the needs of those communities changed until communities, which had begun as kinship groups then became small nations. Those small nations fought for resources and land… the winners becoming bigger nations… and as this is happening the needs of that nation change. While this is happening the culture, language of story of that nation naturally deviate from those other nations and communities – creating a unique identity associated with that nation.
BUT lets not forget that confederations of tribes have always exists for common purpose… the Picts may well have banded together to fight the Romans… again though… shows the functionality of “imagined communities”. Look at the Allies in World War II… was that an imagined community? Because its all basically the same thing… group forming to achieve a shared goal or purpose.
Now… nations most certainly do exist as concrete realities and I do not think they are easy to destroy at all. Language, culture and heritage… we all share at least one of those for us to decide we are part of some kind of community. Many here believe (including myself) that if those three things are removed… a nation can be destroyed. But its worth pointing out that its nationalism of another nation which seeks to do so.
Globalism probably best fits what you’ve said. Globalism is essentially nationalism on a world wide scale. People across the globe who shared ideas and values who believe in this citizens of the world nonsense… that does erode nations and could potentially destroy nations. But the problem with globalism is that it does not accommodate for group forming. We all have our interests and ideas and those interests and ideas will naturally have counter interests and counter ideas. Globalism as a reality can be destroyed too, its some what inevitable due to the natural deviation that has been inherent in our evolution as a species – I guess its like the Ouroboros. The different ideas will lead to the creation of communities, communities will band together into small nations… and on it goes.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you’ve said there CambroUiDunlainge.
In fact I’m glad you’ve explained it so well – I don’t think I could have done it so well myself – without losing my rag!
Long established by our ample experience thus far that “Globalism” is at best seeking to subdue/ subjugate national identities and at worst eradicate them. The post WW2 power bloc “system” gave them a taste, a liking for this kind of power equation, and its extension through regional/continental structures is a consequence of that preference.
Not running as smoothly as some of those “visionaries” would have liked but the EU is relatively well set up for its purposes ( nothing to do with the welfare of us mere mortals!) while others like the African Union is a bit of a bomb site of its own making with plenty of external corrupting influences from global corporates and the global powers’ aid and “diplomatic” activities.
Bang on the button Dafis. The aim is for Global rule with a Global army and one government.
They do it by stealth, set-up regions – like the European Union, the African Union etc. then at a later date bring them all together.
It is the ONLY reason I voted to get out of the EU. Sod all to do with economics or migration, they were all red herrings.
Jiw Jiw Ger I never ever thought that I would agree with you but I do on this occasion. Pandering to left or right, banging on about left and right is not productive to Plaid at all. Communitarianism is the way forward, the national movement must appeal to our identity and put our Welsh communities first and that means ensuring that peoples’ concerns and worries are addressed. and stop this emoting about occurances that happen in the world just for the sake of right on brownie points – fed up of seeing these tweets by Ms Woood cos she can’t do nowt about it. Start in your own back yard. She’s got to go, she’s too twp, I cant bear it any longer!
I entirely agree with you Gaynor.
It’s a great piece Jac, which I keep thinking about and you always make me chuckle. One of the salient points you make is:
“…that it is invariably the case that empires are brought down, governments are overthrown, and new countries brought into existence by those who have little or nothing to lose, not by those who’d like to tinker with a system to their own advantage.” I think this is very true.
However, how can the majority of a populace get to this position, of nothing to lose, to see clearly, when most people are signed up to the British State one way or the other, whether it’s earning a basic crust at one end, to the other end of the scale, say earning 600.000k on the ‘Today’ programme, far away from your roots, getting cosy with Rees-Mogg, possibly the next, Eton P.M. as a paid up member of the establishment, declaring “I knew your father”?
I agree with Alwyn ap Huw, for a National Party to work, it has to appeal to all voters, in a sense, it has to be above Party politics. Can people put their political ideologies aside to make a National Movement work?
The importance of a written constitution for Wales from the outset, is an excellent suggestion by Jonathan Edwards. It’s amazing that citizens in Britain have no written constitution to readily understand their rights, while some other, independent Nations even have a National day, to celebrate their written constitution, a respect some countries have given their citizens for over a hundred years!
The writing of a constitution for Cymru & Y Cymry, is the best suggestion I’ve heard in years.
It’s something everyone overlooks and it’s right under our noses!
If you form a club, party or business the first thing you do is publish a constitution. It’s the framework for your existence. When it comes to a group body you cannot achieve the status of being a “Legal Body Corporate” in other words you cannot have legal status as an entity.
How much more should this apply to those of us who wish to establish proper nationhood and a proper status in law for such a nation? It’s a ‘no brainer’ really.
I agree. So why haven’t we heard more about it? Wasn’t the idea well received in the party?
If existing corporations run the show and corporations already have constitutions, then political parties have limitations to what they can offer us. Independent nations need independent representatives.
Probably because we’ve been lulled into a sense of belonging to the UK over the centuries, instead of thinking of ourselves as a self contained country.
A lot of lessons to be learnt from other young nations there, where everything is put in place – the main thing being a constitution. Then they progress to get their country recognised internationally. Israel is a good example, but there again Israel was founded by the Rothschilds, and when you own every country’s central bank it’s not a big step when you’re dealing in that league.
The point is, has the idea of writing a constitution actually been floated at any party’s annual conference? In any case, a political party’s job is to propose and promote the idea of a constitution, the writing up is usually left to the legal guys.
Perhaps we should take the initiative and form a group to hammer out the outline contents of a constitution? Across all NGOs and patriotically minded politicians across all parties (flash-backs to Grŵp Machynlleth here Jac!).
Plenty of modern examples to ‘borrow’ from. Interestingly Norway is one of the first modern constitution writers, having the insight and sense to do it back in 1814. Classic Scandinavian foresight and common sense.
Click HERE for a list of existing national constitutions by country, semi-recognized countries, and by codification.
On his Oggy website, Owen has done a lot of work and written several pretty good pieces on a written constitution. He now has a new site:
https://stateofwales.com/independence-index/
I have no personal interest in the plug, but I find his ideas can at least be analysed and used as a basis for future discussion. No point in reinventing the wheel.
Excellent web-site, a lot of thoughtful work has gone into that.
Owen would be a candidate as a founding recruit if we could get the project kick started.
It’s about splitting ideologies. Us Welsh see ourselves as different from English… but regardless of that difference most see themselves as British. It’s about making people question how British ideology truly fits with being Welsh… not making them feel forced but making them feel that British interests are not theirs. I think its about challenging the heart of that British ideology itself… putting them in a situation where they could not possibly be both British and Welsh.
As Alwyn said any other nationalist groups have eaten into Plaid’s voter base… but there is no reality where that will not happen. Any new movement is going to peak interest… and it will provide an alternative nationalist party… so the discontent nationalists will probably jump ship. I don’t think there’s room for more than one nationalist party.
Honestly… in the next 10 years we’re probably going to have an inauguration. I think that if William becomes Prince… its game over. If Plaid cannot mount a successful protest against it… then people will eventually just accept it like most have with Brexit and it’ll solidify Unionism in Wales.
Alwyn ap Huw may say, and believe, that for Plaid Cymru to succeed it must appeal to a broad range of people, which is what Ifan Morgan Jones is saying, but at least IMJ had the sense to realise that Plaid Cymru has worked itself into the position of being a ‘niche’ party with no appeal to most Welsh people.
If your final paragraph is referring to another Investiture then rest assured that Plaid Cymru will maintain an undignified silence. Apart from a few individuals – who might include Leanne Wood – the official line will be, as in 1969, not to get involved.
Exactly – which is the VERY reason I refer to them as the H.B.T.S. (hide behind the sofa) party.
http://jacothenorth.net/pics/behind_the_sofa.jpg
Yeah was. Could not think of the word. Never knew they didn’t make any noise over it. I assumed Plaid’s feelings – like those of the protesters outside on the day – were just excluded from convenient history. That is rather depressing – and rather disrespectful of the cause they claim to represent.
Such a wasted opportunity.
Myfanwy – your use of the phrase ‘I knew your father’ has prompted me to return to our discussion regarding the North Wales Child Abuse Scandal (above). You will be aware that Freemasonry among the police, the legal profession and the medical profession in north Wales was a key factor in why so few people were ever brought to trial. I found out yesterday that the leading Freemason in north Wales during the failed police investigations in the 90s, the Jillings investigation with which the North Wales Police refused to co-operate and the monumental cover-up that was the Waterhouse Inquiry was Ian Mackeson-Sandbach, a descendant of the 2nd Baron Penrhyn. He has a daughter – Antoinette Sandbach who until recently was a Tory AM in north Wales. Antoinette used to describe herself as a ‘farmer’s daughter’. Her family were huge land owners and she actually spent 12 years working as a criminal barrister in London. She entered politics in Wales by using her father’s network. She returned to Wales just as Edwina Hart, who was then Health Minister, made a serious attempt at tackling the terrible problems in the NHS in north Wales which stemmed from the people who had concealed the child abuse scandal twenty years previously. It worked – Edwina Hart was the only Minister who tried to take that lot on and she was removed from that role by Rhodri Morgan and replaced by Lesley Griffiths, a former Wrexham Councillor (Wrexham was the location of the two children’s homes where the abuse was at it’s worst) and medical secretary in Wrexham Maelor. Lesley is terrified of them and she backed off. The next Health Minister was Mark Drakeford, a former social worker himself. He certainly wasn’t going to take them on. The NHS in north Wales has now collapsed.
The ‘farmer’s daughter’ Sandbach legged it out of the Assembly at the first opportunity and is now in Westminster, the MP for a constituency in Cheshire.
Full details of the story are on my blog.
Have you seen the recent figures showing how many vulnerable children are still going missing in care in Wales, it’s shocking. Over 1,695 children went missing from Jan 2015 to May 2017, with 593 children in Newport and 385 children from Bridgend alone, some local authorities like Swansea couldn’t even produce ‘accurate’ figures. How can children just go missing, particularly when they are obviously vulnerable to child abuse? There is still something fundamentally wrong with the standard of care in Wales, which led to the North Wales child abuse scandal in the first place and is still obviously, completely inadequate today.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/shocking-figures-show-hundreds-wales-13369630
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Wales_child_abuse_scandal
PS The above link mentions the Pickford storage fire, which conveniently destroyed the evidence about the children from the Bryn Alyn Community, as you know, one of many fires that happened in connection to the scandal.
Plaid Cymru has not and cannot address the dissonance between being right (as in being correct), being right (as in being ‘right-wing’), and being right-on (as in pandering to what are described as ‘progressive views’). Ifan Morgan Jones’ analysis has the benefit of being the first of those without being either the second or the third.
Guardian readers and other soft and limp politicos might dislike the hard truth that you cannot win seats without getting the votes of those whose views you find offensive.
Offensive views, whether they come from the extreme left or extreme right, should be shouted down on all occasions.
The eternal problem is intransigence from centrists who do nothing until it’s too late.
I’m not sure ‘intransigence’ was the word you were seeking.
And who decides what’s ‘offensive’?
You’ve not noticed the stubbornness of the centrists or their failure to act unless personally affected?
Wave the Cross of St George and the Wort of St John, cheer at the launch of HMS Queen Elizabeth and weep at the silencing of Big Ben.
This looks like its got all the makings of another disaster from the Cynulliad’s “Let’s back winners” Department. £1.8 mill drawn by 3 directors before they have produced a fuckin’ drip out of their “pipeline” !
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/tv-bosses-funded-4m-welsh-13512250
TV bosses funded by £4m Welsh Govt loan pay themselves £1.8m
The producers are planning to adapt Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials in Wales but reported a £2.8m loss in their first 18 months
Shows how much potential is here. Not sure why they needed to pay themselves that… wondering if they bought themselves into the productions or something. Plus if they needed to change the studious to accommodate products that is fair enough too. I’ve tried to think positively about Bad Wolf… because looking at what GoT does for Northern Ireland I want the same to happen here. Though there is another article on tourism… but we already know that the WAG is pretty useless at marketing Wales – because both media and tourism need to be growing together. Oh and I cannot say it enough but we need a Puy du Fou instead of zip line parks.
Ken Skates hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
When backing a venture questions should be asked of its leadership team ( Directors ) when exploring financial forecasts and performance data – How much do you intend paying yourselves ? Why ? – justify in terms of actual performance against metrics, and, How will you be paid ( straight or dodgy ? )This should give an investor some insight and more importantly head off any nonsense later on.
No doubt these people have seen potential, but whether that is potential to develop a genuinely creative business or potential for mugging the public purse remains to be seen.
Totally off topic. Someone is asking if the rest of you get an e-mail from Avast when you post a comment.
Recommends Google Chrome quite prominently which made me think it’s yet another Google “service” but they already have Gmail.
Avast ! Testing, testing 1 2 3
Guessing what Leanne ‘meant’ and then putting words into quotation marks is pretty poor.
The terrorists who carried out the attacks in Barcelona are right-wing in outlook so, calling them right wing terrorists seems okay to me. The Red Army Faction who carried out bombings and killings were left wing so, calling them left wing terrorists seems okay to me.
As for Charlottesville, Trump regards it as a personal attack on him.
Off subject: Stuart Campbell, writer at Wings Over Scotland website, has been arrested and bailed over suspicion of harassment and malicious communications.
Calling ISIS “far right” is a cheap attempt to blacken those with whom Leanne Wood disagrees.
Seeing as ISIS is trying to damage if not bring down the West puts it on the extreme Left. But as they’re religious fanatics I’m not sure that European ideological labels can be applied.
So whichever way we look at it, she was wrong.
Calling those who carried out the attacks ‘religious fanatics’ is seen by some as a cheap attempt to blacken religion; Islam in particular.
There’s a very good scene in the Netflix film ‘War Machine’ where the General talks about insurgents: –
Let’s say you have ten insurgents.
Huh?
Now, let’s say you kill two of ’em.
Now, how many insurgents do you have left?
Hmm? Hmm?
Well, you’d say eight, of course.
Eight. Right?
Right?
Wrong!
In this scenario, ten minus two equals 20.
Let’s say the two insurgents
you just killed, uh…
each had six friends or brothers
or some such,
who are hovering on the brink of…
of joining the insurgency.
They’re thinking
about this insurgency thing.
“Looks interesting. But, you know,
for one reason or other, not for me. ”
But… So, then you go
and kill their friend.
Now you’ve just made up
their minds for ’em.
Those hovering friends are now
full, paid-up members of the enemy.
Yeah.
And so, in the math of counterinsurgency,
ten minus two…
equals 20.
How would you describe them?
The Facebook and YouTube posts from Driss Oukabir, in which he writes about a Jewish conspiracy for world domination and shows Nazi imagery, have been removed from both sites.
The only link I can see between ISIS and the Far Right is their hatred for Jews; and that explains the adoration of the Nazis we see from many who support the Palestinians. But this doesn’t put non-white, Nazi-worshipping Jew-haters on the Far Right.
“Nazi-worshipping Jew-haters on the Far Right.” – Who support Israel.
That is not responding to what I said. Have you been on the Brasso again?
Oh dear. Jac, you need to separate the movers and shakers from the useful idiots. There is no such thing as a free market.
Here’s a chance for Leanne or one of her senior colleagues to show REAL concern about a social issue – that highlighted in your tweet column about Flintshire holding potential social housing claimants in Pontin’s Camp while the county discloses some 1600 on a waiting list. It would be interesting for Plaid to stick its nose in to this mess. How many claimants are longer term residents of the county ? Major causes of displacement, for example Poor quality private sector rental, growth in family size, relocation from other local authorities, if so which ? You can go on and on, but the plain truth is that they will moan like stink about lack of resources but let’s prove that the “demand” is local driven and not derived from the displacement activities of other authorities and organisations.
Over to the Plaid Team for action.
It was reported in last night’s Evening Post. The report said ‘the number of people waiting for a council home across the County since September has grown by a third’. A quote by Claire Burden followed which didn’t make any mention of the reason. She quoted the 1600 and how they use Pontin’s occasionally when needed.
I can’t imagine of a scenario whereby, all of a sudden, an extra 400 locals suddenly need housing within that timeframe.
Here’s the response just received from Flintshire council to the FoI I submitted. Just one of those temporarily housed at Pontins was living in Wales two years ago.
The big question now – following the answer given to my first question – is, by what route were they dumped in Flintshire.
Have now received a second response. It came out of office hours and not from the person who answered the FoI. It can only be in response to this comment or the tweet I put out. Very odd.
Royston, I hope I’m not “outing” you by using your name, but how many Swansea Jacks are there living in South Meirionnydd, who post pictures of themselves with the captions “Me and Cayo”? If you wanted anonymity you failed a long, long time ago.
I am as pissed off with Plaid as you are, but re-joined Plaid for practical reasons, it’s the only Welsh Nationalist Party we have. But what is the point of a new “anti Plaid” national party? Stealing a few votes that would have given Hywel Williams and Ben Lake’s seats to Unionists? How would that benefit the national cause?
It took Plaid 90+ years to gain 10% of Welsh constituency seats, we haven’t got another 90 years to build a “new party”. The only choice we have is to support what we have!
You might not like Plaid, Cymdeithas, YesWales, or Nation Cymru, but it would be best if you didn’t slag off the cause, but supported it. Contributed rather than disparaging.
For Fuck Sake, Royston, we have the whole of the British state opposing us, do we really need your opposition too?
I don’t recall ever posting a picture captioned ‘Me and Cayo’, perhaps you can direct me to it?
I have, however written about Plaid Cymru more than once, read what I’ve written and you’ll know why I oppose the party.
I don’t think I’ve criticised YesCymru. If you think I have, point me to it.
Evading the point, as ever Jac. There is no doubt that you posted pictures of yourself and Cayo on your Google blog, and no doubt that you haven’t hidden your identity since you started blogging.
Yes, I have read your diatribes against Plaid Cymru, but I don’t know why you use so much vitriol in attacking the only national party we have, rather than aiming it at the unionists. For all your claims to be to the right of Genghis Kahn, (despite being a Sunday school liberal, at heart) you behave very much like the Tankies v Trots leftists of the 1970s; opposing fellow nationalist rather than the hoards who are against us.
Slagging of Leanne because she opposes ISIS and Trump, seems like a bloody odd way of supporting the Welsh national cause to me!
I don’t even have a photo of me with Cayo. As for my true name, did I make an issue of you using it?
Most of my posts are against the Union, against Unionists and the colonial system; the Third Sector, housing associations and social dumping, the Planning Inspectorate, the Labour Party, local government, assorted forms of corruption. I doubt if I’ve devoted more than a dozen posts to Plaid Cymru out of a few hundred. I suggest you count them.
In fact, I deal with those issues such as colonisation that Plaid Cymru runs away from, which is one reason I criticise Plaid Cymru.
I haven’t heard Leanne Wood oppose ISIS (except to call them “far right”), and so I haven’t criticised her for doing so. I criticised Plaid, her, and certain other individuals for being more concerned with Trump, Brexit, and ‘Black Lives Matter’, than with Wales.
As I’ve said before, Plaid Cymru is the perfect ‘national party’ – from England’s perspective. That’s because it is no threat to the political, constitutional, social or economic status quo. It is a ‘dog in the manger’ party inhibiting the emergence of a movement or a party that could do so much more.
I came across this today whilst exploring Peter Lord’s The Tradition, A New History of Welsh Art 1400-1990.
John Berger in his seminal volume Ways of Seeing writes a ‘people….which is cut off from its own past is far less free to choose and to act as a people…..than one that has been able to situate itself in history.’
A real challenge to all of us to learn about the history of the nation we choose to live in!
I think it’s crucial that we acknowledge the work of the few English people who have moved here and made a huge contribution to the way we see Wales. Peter Lord is one such, and his work has literally let us see ourselves in, virtually single-handedly, arguing that Wales has a distinct visual tradition.
That Wales had it’s own visual tradition was something that was denied, certainly disputed until the 1990s and Peter Lord’s work broadened out perceptions of Welsh culture that included anything other that that involving words. Most didn’t subscribe to that horrendous, and rather racialist caricature that Wales was the ‘Land of Song’ where each one of us were somehow genetically pre-disposed to be able to sing, but stopped short of allowing us to lay claim to a visual tradition.
The perceived wisdom until at least the 90s was that Wales, being a poor country, didn’t have the wealth to be able to produce a significant visual tradition of it’s own, and what there was was seen as derivative of the British visual tradition.
This was also the interpretation of our national museum, though hopefully policy has changed on that, though there is still too much emphasis on French Impressionism, (which I think rightfully belongs in France) and not enough on a distinct Welsh visual tradition. But then our national museum, that was had been called, without issue, the National Museum of Wales, had it’s name changed in the noughties by some Welsh Labour apparatchik to National Museum Wales fearful of upsetting a few English people, (I might, almost superfluously, add that there was nary a murmur from Plaid Llymru) because it’s title was previously a little too ‘nationalistic’!
I think you hit the nail on the head when you quote John Berger about a people being less free because they don’t have access to their history. I would take issue with much of what many commenting here would present as history, (and they with my take on it) which is as it should be, but I think that Welsh people are more or less still denied access to their history, traditions and culture in both languages, with perhaps the greatest deficit to those whose history and traditions and culture are expressed in English.
You are right to take issue with the English versions of certain Institutions’ names. However in the Welsh form such as Amgueddfa Cymru, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol etc there is no such dilution or ambiguity.
As a Welsh speaker, I am aware of the dichotomy of meaning that exists between the languages, where originally there was no such ambiguity or dilution.
It’s just sad that a WAG government chose to introduce such an ambiguity and dilution where previously there was none.
My reality whether visual or otherwise is imbued by the individual stories I listen too or read about. How people make sense of their own lives and then take ‘political’ action. For some of us creating art is another aspect of this process.
As of today you hear people writing and talking about how their individual fates are influenced yes by the personal but also the actions of those in positional power. We can all see from studying history including the visual history how to become more influential and powerful. To challenge the erosion of identity and enhance a sense of place.
I rent a small studio in Llandudno, the Ladder Store Studios, it was where the Mostyn Estate stored their tall ladders. My paintings and other works are influenced by Wales how could they not be having lived here for so long. As you start a piece of work you are conscious of the landscape and the natural processes since history began and the influences of the global tribe on the landscape, always some representation of figures, because people are always in your head, heart and guts from your conversations and visual reality, you are also totally influenced by the canon of art history.
Sometime ago I did a series of paintings which I entitled Morfa Rhuddlan. They were influenced by the visual reality of this patch of land but the pictures that developed told a deeper reality. My original stance was somewhere near the end of the causeway that crossed Morfa Rhuddlan. It is told that the marsh of Rhuddlan or the sometimes described red marsh to the south east was where the Saxons and Welsh fought each other in the eighth century. Caradog, King of Gwynedd was defeated here abouts before his death sometime later in Snowdonia whilst fighting the invading Mercians of King Coeuwulf. At the same time the Vikings were raiding Ireland, Charlemayne had reached modern day Germany, the great mosque of Córdoba was being constructed by Abd arm Rahman 1 and the Emperor Muzong of Tang was beginning his life in China.
There is a melancholic song Morfa Rhuddlan taken I think from the Relicks of the Welsh Bards, Edward Jones, 1784.
Now I suspect none of this is taught in the local schools but as an Englishman living in Wales my identity is greatly influenced by this sense of local space and as people have conversations about my paintings I hope we share a little more learning of the story of this place and the wider context.
By all means vist me on the Helfa Gelf Art Trail next month and chew the ‘cud’. You can also see some of my work which is pretty eclectic in the Art and Soul Community Craft Studio and the Bay Gallery both in Colwyn Bay and the Emporium in Llandudno Junction.
My personal responsibility for the erosion of Welsh culture and identity might be a little less than you think.
Alwyn: I disagree. Wales desperately needs a new nationalist party committed to Independence. My personal preference would be for a centre-right grouping, which could take advantage of a number of factors including:
*The fact that Wales needs a new direction after Brexit. ( I think PC’s blind commitment to the EU was a strategic mistake, and it was found out big-time at the referendum). In a way, the growing disquiet about LW’s leadership is partly down to the fact that she was such a cheerleader for the EU.
* Wales needs a national party unafraid to talk about how immigration is harming the cultural fabric of our nation. This issue has now been defused on an UK level following Brexit( at long last) and we have to take advantage of that.
* I think there’s an audience for a Christian Democrat type party which will stand up for traditional values and question this unthinking mantra that multi-culturalism is good for Wales. I sense there’s a growing feeling that Radical Islam will only be defeated if the West returns to its Christian heritage. Radical Islam hates the West because of its secularism and certainly secularism will be no defence against it. If you look at history, radical Islam has only been rowed back when Christianity stands up against it forcefully.
* LW’s fluffy and politically correct approach has turned off thousands and thousands of Welsh voters, who would like to see less claptrap like this. A new centre-right party could talk their language in both (welsh and english) .
* Finally: the Assembly Elections in 2021 will probably be on a STV basis, which means that every single vote will count. Yesterday’s report by the ERS which showed that a million votes were “wasted” in the recent election will further fuel that agenda. With STV, the Senedd will probably go up to 90 members- 30 multi-member constituencies voting for 3 members each. Under such a scenario, a new party could well do well in a way which need not necessarily be at the complete expense of PC. For instance, if Gwynedd( where I live) were to have 3 members, it is not inconceivable that a new centre-right party could win one of the seats, if it could come to some form of accomodation with the Welsh Conservative Party- i.e that party don’t put up candidates there.
We all know that Conservatism with a small “c” is a big factor in the north-west like many other areas in Wales: if you could ally that with a strong national sentiment you could be onto an electoral winner.
I have no problems with creating a new national party, in theory. The more organisations promoting the national cause the merrier! My difficulty with all proposed new national parties that I have come across in the past 50 years is that they all seem more intent on opposing Plaid Cymru and pinching a part of its rather meager vote share than in appealing to the 90% of Welsh people who have never voted Plaid.
If you create a new national party that will appeal to Labour, Liberal, Tory and non voters, I will consider supporting it. Alternative national parties like Llais Gwynedd & Siân Caiach’s People First, that enable unionists by dividing the national cause do more harm than good.
Sorry but…
and…
You say you have no problems with creating of a new national party then later slam the idea alternative national parties…
You do not believe Plaid to be divisive? The more identity politics its got the more it divides. The fact its franchised Welsh nationalism onto Socialism divides the Welsh people. You do get that right? The national cause is ONE people. Plaid, through political alignment does not represent that. Plaid through voter share does not represent that.
Do you know why new nationalist movements are a threat to Plaid? Because its not going anywhere. If its aims were true to its founding principles, it it was true to this national cause which has existed for centuries it’d have no worries about losing votes to rivals.
Might be wrong, but given her tweet, I wondered whether Leanne actually hoped it was a white far right attack, in order to have more ammunition to reflect from the fact that the overwhelming majority of terrorism at the moment is perpetrated by Islamic nutters
I wouldn’t think that about Leanne Wood, but there are people on the Left, in Antifa, for example, who’d welcome a “far right” outrage.
Not really on topic, but a good short read from Alex Heffron on the ‘Colonisation of the Welsh Psyche’, it deserves as wide an audience as it can get.
https://medium.com/@AlexHeffron88/on-the-colonisation-of-the-welsh-psyche-46fbde6be79f
As for debates about Plaid Cymru, they’re as pointless as the party itself, how many more times can the same things be said until we see any changes?
You’re right about Plaid and the pointlessness of it all, bur I think a lot of people are waiting for someone to make a move.
Cui Bono-for who’s benefit, has to be the question in any political situation? Who has actually benefited from Leanne’s statement on Twitter? The Primary role as leader of Plaid Cymru and the Party itself, should be clear, to be inclusive and unite the people of Wales, to focus on building a strong and independent Wales. Constantly focusing on left or right political dogma is divisive, it excludes and creates tension, which is exactly what the British establishment wants. In fact, it is not hard to visualise some of them, sitting back in amusement at the ‘Divide and Conquer’ rule being played out for them.
Of course it is important to speak out against atrocities, against racism, but as Jac mentioned earlier, with the attack in Bologna, things are not always as they first appear and words need to be very carefully considered in this context. This horrible attack has also set back the Catalan people’s efforts for their own independence, which had been progressing well. There are political atrocities, mentioned earlier, to the left and right, what distinguishes them?
Plaid Cymru need to get their own house in order first and start listening to and trying to represent all the people of Wales, such as the commentators on here with genuine worries about the future of Wales, not alienating people by trying to cherry pick what they think is politically correct for us all to think first. We are being tied up in knots about what is PC or not, I do not consider my self right wing at all and I don’t have any problem with the word ‘Nationalist’ in regards to Wales. In relation to Scotland, why is Nicola Sturgeon now expressing anxiety about a word which has been in common usage, which just allows her arch nemesis to jump at the first sign of weakness? The left,right divide is being used as a way of dividing us, not uniting us, it’s time we got over it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/20/no-nicola-sturgeon-nationalism-isnt-special-just-like-everyone/
Start listening to ! I’ve emailed PC a number of times asking why everything the party does is so ‘careful’, as if not wishing to cause problems, start arguments or whatever (keep the status quo as others have said ?).
I’ve not had a reply. If they won’t listen to a party member the rest of you have no chance.
Very good post by Jonathan Edwards earlier by the way (amongst many others).
Yet another example today of our politicians diverting attention away from matters of real concern. Big fuss now about Big Ben, just cos the bloody building is having a major refurb so they need to shut the clock down or risk deafening workmen operating near the old relic. The clock itself needs fixing anyway but you’d think from the bleats going off that the country will grind to a halt without Ben providing the background tempo. Evidence that UK (and Wales) is led by a shower of absolute nut jobs unfit to clean up dogshit.
Jac there is so much here to challenge one’s thoughts and feelings.
This may take two or three blogs!
First principles. No baby born of the global tribe feels hate, abuse, violence or the killing of another member of the global tribe. However, over time they hear stories from their parents and other members of the global tribe of the hard reality of what people have done to each other over the century. Some members, significant members want those conflict to continue.
I repeat nobody in life starts of hating somebody because of their nationality, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability etc
Some people want to perpetuate the endless disputes, others a significant group want to address the real grievances people feel, address them, resolve conflict and find reconciliation. I saw this first hand when I lived in Belfast as a young man, it was scary, really scary and it took enormous work from people on both sides Nationalist/Republican and Unionist/Loyalist before the abuse and violence was reduced. It required people to talk and listen to the men, it was largely men,though the women often led the conflict resolution, who wanted to annihilate the other men.It is still there but some deep seated grievances have started to be addressed.
Part of my upbringing was infused by a Marxist story. I do not blame anyone it was part of the narrative in the sixties and seventies. I was too young to make sense of the fifties. An aspect of that was the dispute between Stalinists and Trotskyists. Though it was a Russian dispute initially it was fought by many nationalities. Some people continue the dispute with a vengeance others see it as part of an historical story that maybe has some things for learning as all history does but most of today’s generation see it has tragedies and comedies. However, the reality was many people were killed and suffered on both sides of the ideological argument.
I give these two little stories to provide context.
So this week apart from what has been going on in Spain and America. We have had statements from both Nicola Sturgeon and Leanne Wood. I commend both for their leadership in not bucking the issue.
Nicola Sturgeon has said she wishes she could change her party’s name because of the “hugely , hugely problematic connotations of the word nationalism around the world”.
“What those of us who do support Scottish Independence are all about could not be further removed from some of what you would recognise as nationalism in other parts of the world. If Scotland is your home, and you live here and you feel you have a stake in the country, you are Scottish and you have as much a say over the future of the country as I do. And that is civic, open inclusive view ot the world that is so far removed from what you would rightly fear. Secondly, one of the great motivators for those of us who support Scottish Independence is wanting to have a bigger voice in the world, it’s about being outward looking and internationalist not insular looking and insular. Scottish Independence is about self-government, it’s about running your own affairs and making your mark in the world”.
So there it is clear and simple, I cannot find exception to one word.
Leanne Wood asserted that the Barcelona attack was “far right” terrorism. “She said she was staggered by the reaction to the point that ISIS and white Supremacists both have far right ideologies driving them. Both see their group as superior to others. Both see people who are not in their group fair targets for abuse, violence and even death. Both hate minorities and consider women to be less than men. Both believe in using extreme violence to repress people with different views. The far right/fascism ideology. How can it not be?”
So there it is clear and simple, I cannot find exception to one word.
That does not mean that I do not have disagreements with Nicola and Leanne about other things they say and do.
Fortunately we have few ISIS followers in Wales and few White Supremacists. However the few we do genuinely hate other Welsh citizens and want to do them harm. They genuinely believe they have the right to annihilate their fellow citizen because of their difference.
I really do not understand why anybody on the centre right or right has a problem. I have spent a lifetime speaking and listening to people on the right. They have said some crass things as have I over the years but I genuinely never felt fearful they wanted to annihilate me or another fellow citizen.
Nicola Sturgeon may have a problem with the word ‘National’ (and, by extension, ‘nationalist’) but I suggest that may have something to do with the media’s invention of the term ‘white nationalists’, which I’d never heard until quite recently. And it’s an absurd term because white people are a racial or ethnic group not a nation.
As for Leanne Wood’s desperation in trying to justify her disgusting comment on Barcelona, I can see why she would want to draw parallels but she says “Both hate minorities and consider women to be less than men”. Now that second part certainly applies to ISIS, but does it apply to her “far right”? If it did, then we wouldn’t have heard of Marine le Pen.
She goes on to say, “Both believe in using extreme violence to repress people with different views”. That certainly applies to ISIS, but equally it could apply to the far left. Let’s remember that Joe Stain was the biggest butcher of the twentieth century. And then there was Pol Pot.
In trying to justify her original bollocks she produces more bollocks.
Are you (in the final paragraph) saying that you believe there are people on the right who want to “annihilate” you? Who are these people? Where are they?
I said the complete opposite. I have never felt anyone on the right wanted to annihilate me.
I need new glasses.
You are misunderstanding the context of Nicola Sturgeon”s speech. She was speaking to a Turkish journalist fearful of Erdogan’s Turkish Nationalism. You and I would probably be in the same prison in Turkey for articulating our thoughts in Turkey.
It was not about white Nationalism but about the adverse impact of Nationalism. You mention Russian Nationalism and Cambodian Nationalism but there are many others sharing a hatred of the other. Russian Nationalism continues to cause death in many countries beyond its own borders.
We also have situations like in South Africa where from 1948 to 1994 we had the killing machine of white Afrikaner Nationalism followed by Black Nationalism in the form of the ANC which Mandela influenced greatly by actively working for reconciliation and drawing in white South Africans. We also have Chinese nationalism that grew up following the Japanese defeat of the Russians in the early twentieth century which led on to Japanese Nationalism and all that that involved.
Nationalism has often been a dark force but there have been positives as well.
I had no way of knowing the context of Sturgeon’s lament, but it did sound like a rejection of nationalism per se.
White Flight is a term sometimes used on these pages. It is a source of grievance to some and accepted by others. It’s impact on communities in Wales is poorly researched, a sociologist could probably obtain a good PhD by attempting to get to the bottom of White Flight to Wales. The Welsh Government shows little interest and it is not a topic raised often in the Senedd by AMs.
The Huffington Post in 2013 reported “White Flight is the explanation favoured by some of the nationalist right, who see this as a sign of white distaste for diversity, as well as on the New Left – for whom white flight represents a prime example of the new ‘covert’ or aversive racism. The free market right and neo- Marxist left prefer to speak of counterurbanisation, in which the hidden hand of economic factors of material self interest is at work”.
The context is of course wider. White Flight as Wikipedia explores in great detail has many facets, these few sentences provide a factual story that builds on the theorising.
“A term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large scale migration of people of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogenous suburban or exurban regions. The term has more recently been applied to other migrations by whites, from older, inner suburbs to rural areas, as well as from the U.S. Northeast and Midwest to the milder climate in the Southeast and Southwest. The term has also been used for large scale post-colonial emigration of whites from Africa, or parts of that continent, driven by levels of violent crime and anti-colonial state policies”.
I tend to take the view that these movements of people are quite individual and complex. I also realise that when an independent Welsh Nation exists some anti-colonial state policies will probably cause some outward migration as well, flight the other way!
I feel the individual stories are the more important and shed most light on the real truth. So I share mine to enhance the complexity. The catalyst for our young family in 1989 to move from Liverpool was the sudden death of my father in law and our desire to support my mother in law who lived in North Wales this was coupled with wanting an easy transition to primary school for children who were one and four. As a disqualified and surcharged Liverpool City Councillor,for delaying the setting of a rate as part of the campaign against Thatcher’s policy of the ‘managed’ decline of Liverpool, I was also genuinely fearful that I would end up in prison because of being active in the Poll Tax campaign, some resolute non-payers I knew did serve longish sentences for their civil disobedience. I also really wanted to be nearer the mountains which I had walked and climbed since a teenager.
So my move was definitely self interest! Some writers to this blog might feel I am exactly the sort of person they could do without in North Wales. However, we contributed our taxes and still do in retirement and to our local community in many ways, this is the best I can say about my ‘flight’.
No doubt there are various reasons for white flight around the world, but here in Wales it’s quite simple: people leave England’s towns and cities because they don’t like the demographic changes that have taken place.
I know this because I’ve heard it said, many times, by English people who have moved to Wales. I suppose it first struck home about 25 years ago when I was in the Corbett Hotel in Tywyn having an afternoon drink. In the comfortable lounge were six or seven men, all bar one English and definitely not your EDL types. These were respectable men of business, the Rotarian-Masonic variety. I was sat on my own reading a ‘paper.
The conversation was about ‘immigrants’ and given the period it had to have been about immigration from the Caribbean and the Indian sub-continent. I was struck by two things: how crudely racist the conversation was, and how these men never saw themselves as immigrants to my country.
I remember sending my observations to a magazine running at the time called Black Sheep. And I used the term ‘white flight’ because of what I knew of the phenomenon in the USA. Maybe someone out there has a copy.
All this groping around for different labels to describe processes or events that aren’t all that different in reality is quite tiresome and distracting. White flighters, goodlifers, academic careerists, societal rejects – all contribute to the erosion of identity in the lands they now occupy. Only a small minority make the effort to integrate or co-exist with the native people and culture. The vast majority bring their junk Anglo American Brit values and media and expect the native to adapt to the newcomer. Classic colonising attitudes that have changed little since 1282 other than very few people have been killed off in the last 100 years or so. But lots of young natives have been bumped off the housing market and their language bumped into a secondary subservient role. Just a newer way of killing off a nation 20th-21st century style.
I am grateful that you judge my 28 years living in Wales has made a very marginal erosion to your identity. My modest contribution may only of been voting twice yes in the Welsh referendums and being a small part in the ongoing political discourse.
If 1282 was the zenith of Welsh identity before colonialism took place it begs the question why their have been so few uprisings in the following centuries.
There must be thousands maybe tens of thousands who feel the despair of erosion of identity in Wales. Why then are people not out in their thousands campaigning?
What I learnt in Liverpool was it was the ordinary people who steeled the leaders to fight for what they wanted. They believed in the right of their cause whether it was challenging Thatcher’s policies, in support of the miners or Hillsborough or just building houses for those most in need, they were going to hang in there when things became tough.
Let me say also there were many “Welsh Scouse” part of those campaigns. To this day their are many hundreds of residents of the city whose Welshness takes priority but they know an injustice when they see and experience one. They rise up.
“If 1282 was the zenith of Welsh identity before colonialism took place it begs the question why their have been so few uprisings in the following centuries.”
For a start, in didn’t end in 1282, Llywelyn’s brother Dafydd carried on the fight until he was taken after the fall of Castell y Bere the following year. Next came the national rising of Madog ap Llywelyn in the middle of the following decade. Then you manage overlook Owain Glyndwr’s Rising 1400 – 1415, again, national in scale.
When Harri Tudur – the family originated at Penmynydd on Anglesey – won the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 to become Henry VII, with a largely Welsh army, many Welsh interpreted that as the reconquest of England. The Welsh aristocracy and gentry was bought off with English titles and estates, leaving the people leaderless. A good example would be the famous Cecil family, original name Seisyllt.
‘Resistance’ then took the form of initially remaining Catholic to resist the Reformation before finally breaking with the Church of England by embracing Nonconformism. There were various examples of rural rebelliousness such the Rebecca ‘Riots’, Tithe Wars and other disturbances, complemented in industrial regions by the Merthyr Rising, the Chartist march on Newport (one of the aims of which was the establishment of a ‘Silurian Republic’), Scotch Cattle, countless strikes and disturbances resulting in death and injury, imprisonment and deportation.
All before my time, of course, but I came on the stage in the 1960s, when Wales woke up again. People have been trying to get us back to sleep since then, and they’ve largely succeeded. Which is why I write how I write and say what I say.
The next chapter has yet to be written, but God willing I hope to make my contribution.
Great contribution suitably humbled!
Lets not forget the likes of Rhys ap Meredudd of Deheubarth in the late 1280s and of course Llywelyn Bren of Senghenydd in the early 1300s. Bit too much northern bias in your post!
Never heard of a Silurian Republic before… though it’d been quite interesting with a mad hatter like William Price in his Neo-Druidic garb leading I’m sure.
A Silurian Republic was one of the demands made by the Chartists who marched on Newport in 1839.
Paul you have to decide for yourself whether you should be judged for that “marginal erosion” or are you part of that …..
…. small minority make the effort to integrate or co-exist with the native people and culture.
Dafis, I have thought long and hard about your contribution about white flighters, goodlifers, academic careerists and social rejects.
You and I are out canvassing in the independent referendum for a Yes vote and we knock on a door and the voter says to us when we have our own Welsh Nation how are you going to keep out those White flighters, goodlifers, academic careerists and social rejects that are eroding my Welsh identity and culture?
So what do we say well there will be border crossing points, maybe a wall or border fence which the Welsh Border force will patrol, the incomers will have to there papers in order, a visa or something similar and if they want to reside here for more than three months they will have to attend Welsh Language and Welsh citizenship classes.
And how will they obtain Welsh Residency or Citizenship?
Well after five years employment and passing the Welsh Language and Welsh Citizenship test they can have residency.
Now I know in politics you sometimes have to think through the unthinkable but even in an independent Welsh Nation State, I struggle to see a majority for such a policy or one similar?
I pose the question because any credible political party or independence movement is going to have to answer such questions on the doorstep, through social media and on the radio and television.
I am not saying what you propose could not be a manifesto commitment but it would be difficult to grow people’s need to vote for it.
I am glad I do not tick the boxes racist, Mason or Rotarian!
One of your many points on the above pages is your telling point about the comfortable politicians and professionals.
We had the Welsh General Election, the BREXIT Referendum and then the UK General Election and though it is complicated there is a settled status quo today, many of these people are content, earning a good living this is why they are not out their campaigning for the issues that are really problematic for citizens.
Whatever you think of Jeremy Corbyn he has been out and about this weekend in North Wales? You would think the other parties would at least get off the bench!
I have stated more than a few times via social media that Plaid under Leanne Woods are just an alternative socialist movement [independence is the last thing they are interested in achieving] hiding under the guise of a Welsh National movement.This was brought starkly into focus while i was involved with the campaign to try to persuade the Welsh Government to purchase Garth Celyn in Abergwyngregin, Gwynedd. Garth Celyn had been described by Plaids late President, Gwynfor Evans as, “a place which holds the soul of a Nation”. This is a place widely considered by Historians and Archeologists [but strangely not Cadw or Gwynedd Archeological Trust,] [this is another story and not to be explored here] as the most important place, historically and culturally in the whole of Wales, it was from Garth Celyn that Llewelyn ap Gruffydd refused to give up Wales to Edward the first[Longshanks][letters exist signed by Archbishop Peckham to Llewelyn at Garth Kelyn] in exchange for a large estate in England and a generous annual allowance in exchange for handing over the Welsh Nation and there after become just another corner of the English Nation and Welsh identity would have died there and then. Instead LLewelyn chose his Country before all and he and his family paid the ultimate price, but in doing so he ensured that Wales would survive.So the Garth Celyn campaign would have seemed to be the perfect job for Plaid Cymru to support and give their full backing – not a bit of it. Every Plaid Representative approached either did not respond or threw out a line that they had other important things to consider. Bethan Meave Jenkins was the only Plaid Rep.to get involved though strangely in the final hearing which included Ken Skates [LAB] then Minister for Culture.Ms Jenkins was unavailable to attend ?? and instead Alun Ffred Jones [brother to Dafydd Iwan] took her seat and basically mislead the proceedings by telling the commission that he knew all about Garth Celyn and how he had been involved, when in actual fact he had not put a foot in the place even though he had, together with Ms Wood been invited on numerous occasions.Finally Mr Jones announced, much to the glee of the anti Welsh independence Ken Skates that “the best Evidence ?” did not go anywhere near to proving Garth Celyn was nothing more than an old farm house !.This more than confirmed my previous suspicions that Plaid was not a red white and green Party but only a thoroughly vivid Red Party.
Series of comments posted yesterday under previous Jac’s earlier post on various topics – more relevant to this exchange going on under this current post.
Dafis
Jac off topic but connecting to your tweet re AltLeft and ISIS – While the recent violence of Charlotteville is rightly deplored, with high profile participation by some of the old guard KKK, Johnny Reb, New Confederacy, and other extreme white supremacist types with very “exotic” agendas, I find it difficult to justify the latest fashion among self proclaimed Lefties in tearing down statues like that of Robert E Lee, a fine Virginian who was tempted to take the C in C post offered by Abe Lincoln but declined out of a sense of loyalty to his native state. Now much has been said about Lee in an attempt to denigrate and lessen the man. Sure he owned slaves but like many other owners he looked after them unlike some other so called heroes of American history. Take James Bowie allegedly a hero at the Alamo who had spent part of his career buying and selling stolen slaves in New Orleans, or the mythic Crockett who owned slaves at one time and had a very ambiguous view of the native Americans, and those natives themselves who owned slaves in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma and elsewhere. Will the noble souls now promoting their revisionist view of history march on Tejas and demand that it gets handed to Mexico ? or better still the entire Louisiana Purchase and the later annexation of California and other territories west of the Continental Divide. Not fuckin’ likely.
Like our conflicting rabid groups here in UK and EU the 2 sides of the debate in the US are highly fragmented and fluid. Causes can be of fleeting relevance to large numbers of these people like fashion items. Today it’s nasty rebel Generals, next week back to Trump but they will never get to grips with the real issues that divide their country because too many of them are wealthy in their own right and are spending time on these “ishoos” as though they form part of some perverse leisure interest. Reminds me a bit of something nearer home – remember Bryn Fon’s “Rebel Weekend” it kind of chimes with a lot of these jerks.
Reply
19/08/2017 17:51
Jac
Author
Jac
Falsely interpreting history is one thing, but I suspect that many of those making up the Alt-Left are simply fucking ignorant.
You mention Lee, and the fact that he was offered command of the Union armies, but what the example of Lee tells us is that in a huge new country like the USA, with poor communications, most men’s loyalty was to their state, and that’s why Lee waited until Virginia seceded. Had Virginia not seceded then Lee might have taken up the command offered and the American Civil War would have been a brief affair.
While Lincoln, more favourably reviewed by the Alt-Left, is on record as saying that if he could have maintained the Union without freeing a single slave then he would have done so. And when he issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation it only applied to territory still under Confederate control, not slave states that had stayed in the Union. Which meant that in areas stripped of able-bodied white men he was hoping to provoke a slave rebellion against women and children.
But then, these are inconvenient facts, which is why the Alt-Left prefers to re-write history to accord with its own agenda and prejudices.
Reply
19/08/2017 18:31
Sibrydionmawr
Guest
Sibrydionmawr
The ‘Alt-Left’ simply doesn’t exist, except in the minds of people like Trump and apologists for neo-nazis like those in Charlottesville.
To be discussing slavery in the context of the removal of statues of Confederate leaders is to miss the point. A little research would reveal that most of these statues were erected in the 1920s when there was an upsurge in the implementation of ‘Jim Crow’ laws and a resurgance in white supremacy. The statues are being removed because they are symbols of present day white supremacist ideas, and not because of their associations with slavery.
There is, of course, an argument against the removal of the statues, but that is only as relevant as the removal of statues dedicated to the stalwarts of socialism/communism after the collapse of communism, or indeed, the removal of statuary dedicated to British imperialists in India. However, all of these arguments only really have validity if there is an attempt to destroy these monuments,thus attempting to erase history, instead of moving them to less conspicuous locations, where they can still be readily seen, but are no longer dominating public spaces.
Your final comment is a little strange, as all historians write history according to their own agendas and prejudices, especially right-wing historians, such as David Irving. The point to remember when it comes to history, as well as newspapers, is to remember that they are all written from a biased perspective, even left-wing histories.
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19/08/2017 20:53
Jac
Author
Jac
The statue of a Confederate soldier we saw in Durham was destroyed, not removed. And it was an ordinary soldier, not a general or a slave-owner. I believe the inscription was a dedication to the ‘Boys who wore gray’, which would outrage anyone.
These people are now so emboldened by the irresponsible support they’re getting from the Democrats and the mainstream media that the USA could be heading for dark days.
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19/08/2017 21:09
Apologies to Jac and all readers for the absolute mess I made of lifting that exchange of comments from the previous post to this one. My cut&paste device obviously needs sharpening ! Still, being that “good” at making a mess of things should guarantee me a job at some level of government – EU,UK or the Bay !
Robert E Lee was offered command of the union armies but waited until his home state – Virginia, declared. Because it declared confederate, his loyalty to his state (more important then than to the country) dictated that he join the Confederate Army.
Some other interesting facts that Alt-Left ignore:
At the outbreak of secession, not all states in the Union were slave free and not all states in the Confederacy had slaves. Slavery was not an issue until the second half of the civil war.
Lincoln stated that if he could have held the union together without banning slavery he would have done.
The Union’s Act of Emancipation only applied to Confederate states. It was specifically designed to cause unrest amongst the souths slaves at a time when most of the plantations were being run by women because the men were away at war.
George Washington kept slaves.
Jim Bowie made his money dealing on the black market in stolen slaves.
Davie Crockett had slaves.
The American Indians also kept slaves as part of their culture and continued to do so openly way after the civil war finished.
Don’t confuse them, Andy. They’re much more comfortable with their black/white interpretation of the American Civil War and the Confederacy.
Leading up to the Brexit referendum Leanne Wood clearly stated her position as pro-EU justifying it in a radio debate by exclaiming ‘that’s what Big Business wants’. Post-referendum she has displayed her contempt for democracy by supporting the Establishment in trying to soften, if not overturn, the majority democratic mandate in both Wales and the UK.
Plaid Cymru is now part of a minority ‘progressive’ mosaic. This mosaic is a very vocal and self-righteous minority, often violent (antifa). It supports state censorship, punishment of dissenters, mass-surveillance, political correctness gone mad, and multiculturalism that first undermines and then eliminates national identity. Their latest craze in the US is erasing the past by destruction of statues mimicking the Taliban and Islamic State. Coming to the UK soon , no doubt.
It’s main weapon against the comparatively silent majority is slander. Anyone who opposes their ‘progressive’ agenda is ‘far-right’ which is shorthand for racists, bigots, fascists, nazis, etc. If you don’t want to be branded with one of those labels either you keep quiet or pretend to support their agenda.
Leanne uses this technique at almost any opportunity. The terrorist attack in Barcelona being the latest. I think she has overplayed her hand this time.
I think Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales has gone too far down that illiberal rabbit hole to recover. What the future holds no one knows, but there has never been a better opportunity for a genuine Welsh national movement to get off the ground.
Of course it would be branded as ‘populist’, a derogatory term for anything that represents the concerns and interests of the people, i.e. too democratic.
Such is the terrain we tread. Welcome to the 21st century.
Let’s face it, Plaid Cymru are cowards. They are too craven to raise the issue of immigration into Wales and do not care about Welsh people becoming a minority in our own country.
They’ve been bought off and allow the Brit Left narrative to dominate their thought. As long as the British state funds a few thousand well paid Welsh-speaking jobs, bilingual documents and a few dozen Welsh-medium schools (the UK government more than happy to do this) then all is fine. You cannot build a national movement on the back of teachers, tv producers and translators.
Then we have the Mewnlifiad. I don’t hate these newcomers and I don’t blame them for leaving their shitholes in the English Midlands / Greater London. Most English immigrants are decent and nice enough but they are now the majority and ‘formative’ element in many areas of Wales meaning that Welsh children born today will assimilate into an English culture.
I just want my grandchildren to be like me and be proud of our sense of identity, culture, traditions, humour, aesthetics and of course to speak Cymraeg / English with an undiluted Welsh accent.
I fear that we are on the brink of extinction. The Welsh language will survive (kept alive by middle class English hobbyists in leafy Cardiff suburbs no doubt) but we Welsh will no longer exist as a people. We are on a path to undignified Cornwallisation yet Plaid Cymru, YesCymru etc don’t give a damn.
Great piece, Jac. I support Nation.Cymru and YesCymru for the reasons you give. And I remain a member of Plaid too, but only on the basis that the change you mention happens fairly soon. If it doesn’t, I’ll be off.
So much mention of Trump. So thoughts on Trump from someone who follows this cloesely, wife in North Carolina you see. People forget he is American. They measure him as though he is European, therefore bound by the standards of the BBC. Yes, Londoners really do think like this.
Being American means two things
(1) You are part of a society in which law-breaking is on a fantastic scale and often unpunished. Immigration is (in practice) hardly controlled at all. And corruption is on an industrial scale: think the Clintons, the US Healthcare industry. A lot of people, Democrats, like it the way it is. And so it is as I say.Plus the large media organisations are amazingly one-sided, all on the same Democrat side, with only Fox News going the other way. The US contains other oddities, for a European.They “do God”, and guns, many many of them. Even Bernie does guns, for heavens sake. As I say, the US is not the UK or the EU.
(2) Trump is clumsy and inarticulate in dealing with things, but again the centre-right is NOT like the British centre-right, or UKIP. There is no read-across. Trump is on the money in a number of ways. This is the US, not Europe. The articulate US centre-right (black, white and Hispanic) are very hot and sincere on “All men are created equal” and are NOT NOT racist. They all sign up to, and can recite, their Constitution. Many many are first or second generation immigrants, and are not anti-immigration. They are good on the First Amendment. (Constitutional right to free speech, dream on Brits) which means they will take on political correctness, toe-to-toe. So every one can pursue life, liberty and happiness. Freely. To them, there is such a thing as a country, what theirs is based on, and what they will defend.
The lesson for Wales is this. Decide, are we a country? I say “Yes”. You must then define Wales. Let the people do this and write it down. In a Welsh Constitution like every other country except the UK. You cannot preach “Wales” or defend Wales or improve Wales until you have got this agreed baseline. Will this Wales be the self-protecting Plaid-left Wales, or one one reflecting the actual wider opinions of everyone in Wales? Yes, including the English-speaking working class in Wales being heard, and not only through Labour either. Call the meetings, hold the votes, let all the Welsh decide which way it goes. Who will start this: Nation.Cymru, YesCymru, Plaid or Jac? Threat – if noone else does it, JONATHAN WILL
The worst outcome might be to raise people’s hopes by removing Leanne Wood and then replace her with someone not a lot different. As you yourself know, due to the decision-making process it’s very difficult to bring about radical change in the party.
But as I say in the post, I’m past caring because Plaid is past saving. Something new is needed. So go for it!
I don’t think its just about defining Wales – but defining an identity to which all Welsh people can subscribe. A cultural movement first and foremost. Plaid will always be lumbered with the “Welsh speakers party” label… and now with being a progressive political party with to many causes. A Welsh nationalist movement cannot be attached to such baggage if it is to succeed – proof being that Plaid isn’t going anywhere.
As you point out about the US and UK being nothing alike… I don’t think Wales and England are as alike as many may think. We are not an intolerant nor racist people – not saying England is – but there is clearly a feel for the need for progressive politics in the UK… and I don’t feel its in Wales. I think we’re quite an outgoing people who see and relate to the struggle of others. Look at the difference with football fans Euro 2016… should say it all. Look at the Cyfraith Hywel… far beyond its time. Welsh nationalism with naturally tow those things… and it should not feel progressiveness is towing nationalism as it does now.
Last two points… serving the wider opinions of everyone in Wales will get you no where. Serve Welsh identity. YesCymru is also before its time… people are not willing to listen to the argument yet. A strong nationalist voice is required that can appeal to all that identify as Welsh.
It is often assumed that ‘racism’ and ‘far right’ is synonymous. Not true.
Some of the worst examples of racism that developed into genocide were from the left. Examples include the Tartar cleansing from Crimea and the systematic starvation of Ukrainians by the Bolsheviks. More recently, we saw the massacres in Bosnia and Croatia committed by the Social Democrats of Serbia. Racism and Genocide is not the sole preserve of the ‘far-right’, and we don’t have to leave Wales to see the racism of the ‘left’.
Which begs the question, why did the Jews run away from Brynmawr? Here is an explanation…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zsCBtsXQ1I
So when Polly Liz Manning calls you a ‘white bloke’ she is expressing a form of racism. The colour of your skin does not define your heritage, religion, language, class, or national identity. A form of racism, which the Labour movement in Wales has tried to bury, to eradicate in a re-write of history, and to deny their own role. Most will regard what Polly is expressing as ignorance. I disagree; she is manifesting the worst form of bigotry.
I suggest both Katie Price AND Polly Manning walk the cemeteries of South Wales and ask why did those Jews first sought refuge in (then Welsh speaking) communities why was their presence subsequently wiped away. They were indeed, as Polly says – ‘white blokes’. I agree with Leanne’s tweet about Barcelona. Question is, had twitter been invented at the time, would she have referred to the Bologna or Katyn massacres as ‘far-left’ terrorists?
The fundamental hypocrisy of the hard left when it focuses on ‘racism’ is that it does so pretending to unite us yet in fact it introduces the divisions of racial politics from which it hopes to profit. There is little racism in Wales, but they have to pretend otherwise.
But this is how the Left operates in exploiting issues, and where there are no issues, no divisions, no victims to be defended, then they must be invented or exaggerated.
Thanks for the link to the film about the Jews in the Valleys. Though I got the impression from it that the Jews of Brynmwawr were protected, it was the Jews in other towns who were attacked. Sad to hear the allegation that many of the rioters were “respectable colliers” singing Welsh hymns. (Though how true that is is another matter.)
You mention the bombing at Bologna railway station that killed some 80 people and attributed it to the Left, which is what was done at the time. But the bombing was in fact carried out by fascists working with the Italian security services to blacken the reputation of the Red Brigades. There were a lot of dirty things going on at that time in Italy, things that we over here became aware of through incidents like Roberto Calvi being found hanged in London under Greyfriars Bridge.
One of the principals in the Bologna bombing was Roberto Fiore, who turned up in England. Soon he was helping Nick Griffin and a few others clean up the National Front by curbing its more thuggish elements and introducing a more cerebral form of fascism. The strange thing was that despite being wanted in Italy the UK authorities made no attempt to arrest and deport him.
I always suspected that, given his knowledge of how spooks could use the extreme right, Fiore was in fact helping MI5 to use the NF for low-level propaganda, misinformation, etc. One example, one I saw myself, was the front page of NF News supporting Meibion Glyndwr. This was of course bollocks, and done on somebody’s instructions to damage MG and lose it support.
Fiore eventually went back to Italy – there may have been an amnesty – and entered politics. He died earlier this year in Naples.
Yes, Jac, you are right about Roberto Fiore. While this areshole was wanted in Italy, he was provided with refugee status in Britain. It was granted by Thatcher’s government in the 1980s. It’s rather ironic given the photo you have on your blog post for Polly Manning (above) is one of her holding the Croeso i Refugees placard outside Cardiff City hall. Few would disagree with my suggestion that Fiore, having already been indicted should never have been ‘protected’ in England. The question arises as to what arrangements are made to ensure protection of citizens from ISIS terrorists today? Organised and nuanced policy is required. It would be wrong to assume the statement by Viktor Orban should automatically be condemned as ‘right wing’, moreover, It tends to support the sentiment in Leanne’s tweet. The ‘left’ should not be allowing right wing terrorist into Wales. That’s what the Tories do.
The Alt-Left or Antifa syllogism runs: To oppose unregulated immigration is fascism; Viktor Orban opposes unregulated immigration; therefore Viktor Orban is a fascist.
Indeed. The left wing of the Labour Party is riddled with accusations of anti-semitism.
Having defended Leanne’s right to make that famous tweet last week despite the clumsy choice of words. I understood what she was trying to get at. However she now needs to prod fatso Jones and his cohorts to get excited about this story ( link below ) as there is a glib assumption that Wales is low to nonexistent on the ISIS radar.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/isis-uses-companies-in-wales-to-finance-terrorist-attacks-against-the-west-spq0r2x33?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_101&utm_medium=email&utm_content=101_August%2020,%202017&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_2179974_101
If this is fake news then rip a fresh one for the journo responsible, but in the event of it being true someone in a position of responsibility needs to reassure communities that these types of ops don’t get to flourish. You never now, a nasty KKK operative living near Cricieth might be tempted to burn down a cottage somewhere ……
I too defend her right to say what she said, and my right to criticise her.
But as I explain, how we view what she meant depends on what she means by “far right”. My fear is that she’s not just talking of the KKK and others but also law-abiding, non-racists who just happen to disagree with her. Ergo all her opponents are ‘far right’.
The Left has form when it comes to giving words and phrases entirely different meanings. Without any hint of sarcasm the Soviets would appeal to ‘freedom-loving peoples’ to join them (and lose their freedom). One of Stalin’s butchers could be a ‘Friend of the People’.
This is the alternative reality that George Orwell understood and wrote about. And he wasn’t alone.
Regarding Leanne’s now notorious tweet. As the correspondents to this post have made very clear, Leanne’s grasp on political theory and indeed history is not too strong. However the reaction to her tweet from Janet Finch-Suanders (Cons, Aberconwy) and UKIP, (a generic UKIP tweet and Neil Hamilton’s extraordinary rant) was ironic. Finch-Saunders called Leanne ‘morally depraved’. A member of Finch-Saunders’ party, Sir Peter Morrison the former MP for Chester, was known to have been abusing under-aged boys, including boys from children’s homes in north Wales. There was a high level cover-up concerning the paedophile ring that Morrison was part of (the notorious North Wales paedophile ring that operated in children’s homes in north Wales in the 70s, 80s and 90s) which culminated in the laughable Waterhouse Inquiry. A number of witnesses brave enough to give evidence or interviews about that paedophile gang were later found dead. That is ‘moral depravity’. As for UKIP and Hamilton – Hamilton was formerly the MP for Tatton in Cheshire. His constituency bordered on Morrison’s Chester constituency and there was a lot of socialising between the Hamiltons and Morrison. Morrison was one of the MPs who, along with Hamilton, was receiving money in return for lobbying re the Ian Greer Associates/Cash for Questions scandal.
I have been researching the cover-up of the North Wales child abuse scandal for the last year and blogging about it. I discovered the Hamiltons’ association with Morrison a few days ago when I read Gyles Brandreth’s autobiography – Brandreth took over as the MP for Chester after Morrison stood down. Constituents openly told Brandreth that they knew that Morrison was abusing young boys. The City of Chester Conservative Association openly gossiped about it. Who was the President of that Association at the time? Gerald Cavendish, the Duke of Westminster – one of Prince Charles’s closet friends.
Brandreth wrote that book recently. He was MP for Chester whilst the Waterhouse Inquiry was taking place. Not one of those worms came forward to give evidence to that Inquiry. Thus Ronald Waterhouse was able to announce that the only people who abused the children in Clwyd and Gwyneddd were staff of the children’s homes. No, Peter Morrison did as well and it was an open secret in the Tory Party. I also have a list of other high profile Tories who also abused children, many of those kids being trafficked from north Wales – I have circumstantial evidence against them and contacts in London have given me their names, but I’m trying to find witnesses with first hand accounts before I name them.
Leanne sent out a politically inaccurate tweet. That is nothing compared to what some of those who are those demanding her resignation have been involved with.
The three who took the ‘cash for questions’ besides the Peter Morrison (Chester) the child abuser were….Michael Brown (Brigg and Cleethorpes), Neil Hamilton (Tatton), and Michael Grylls (Chertsey) who took commission payments. Of course, Grylls senior, bore a son. His name is Bear Grylls, who’s activities are well documented on this blog. Bear Grylls, has since shown his own ‘unique approach’ to dealing with children in North Wales..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11793839/Bear-Grylls-criticised-by-RNLI-after-he-leaves-own-son-stranded-on-island-rocks.html
What is it with toffs?
It’s even more galling for Janet Finch-Saunders AM to call Leanne ‘morally depraved’. Perhaps she should look at her own party before making such statements.
Glad that you mentioned the pretentious git Bear – I knew who he was and I know of his idiocies in north Wales but I didn’t want to bang on too much on Jac’s blog. Yes, Janet’s party really didn’t cover themselves in glory over Peter Morrison and his activities and Morrison was by no means the only Tory close to Thatcher who was involved. And very many more of them knew what was going on but did nothing to stop it. I’ve just finished reading Ken Clarke’s autobiography and it’s a real treasure trove for those of us who are interested in finding out exactly how Thatcher’s and Major’s Gov’ts shafted Wales – and my God they really did shaft Wales – and will be blogging about it soon.
By the way, Morrison died suddenly and unexpectedly when he was relatively young after word got around that his activities were just too embarrassing to be tolerated any longer. I did wonder if someone decided to bump him off in the way that some of those kids in care who gave statements about the paedophile ring were undoubtedly murdered – I note that Gyles Brandreth’s autobiography (Brandreth took over as MP for Chester after Morrison stood down) also notes Morrisons untimely and mysterious death. Brandreth says that Morrison was found dead in his house at the bottom of the stairs after having fallen and wonders if Morrison threw himself down the stairs. I can’t help wondering if he was pushed. The North Wales Paedophile Ring was part of some very serious organised crime – there corrupt police officers, lawyers, doctors, businessmen and financiers involved – the North Wales arm seems to have been part of a major international prostition/porn/drugs empire. Morrison was of course Deputy Chairman of the Tory Party and Thatchers PPS. She was told what he was up to but appointed him Deputy Chairman anyway. But then she lobbied for Savile to be awarded a knighthood. Not much of a judge of character was old Maggie…
As one for a bit of a gossip, Edwina Currie also substantiated the allegations, that Peter Morrison was a child abuser, in her ‘Diaries 1987-1992:
“One appointment in the recent reshuffle has attracted a lot of gossip and could be very dangerous: Peter Morrison has become the PM’s PPS [Parliamentary Private Secretary]. Now he’s what they call a ‘noted pederast’, with a liking for young boys; he admitted as much to [Conservative Party chairman] Norman Tebbit when he became deputy chairman of the party but added’ ‘However, I’m very discreet’ – and he must be! She [Thatcher] either knows and is taking a chance, or doesn’t; either way, it’s a really dumb move.
[Conservative MP] Teresa Gorman told me this evening (in a taxi coming back from a drinks party at the BBC) that she inherited Morrison’s (woman) agent, who claimed to have been offered money to keep quiet about his activities. It scares me as all the press know, and as we get closer to the election someone is going to make trouble, very close to her indeed.”
https://books.google.dk/books?id=l_atAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT166&lpg=PT166&dq=edwina+Currie+the+pederast+Peter+Morrison&source=bl&
Morrison was a blatant ‘pederast’ and the Tories still managed to cover it up all these years, he was definitely not the only one.
Edwina Currie and Ken Clarke effectively gave Jimmy Savile the keys to Broadmoor, “by making him head of a taskforce at Broadmoor high security psychiatric hospital where victims say they were abused.” They must have known about his sick proclivities, he was a prolific child abuser and a necrophiliac and he was not in any way qualified to be let near vulnerable, mentally ill patients. These are the sick people that govern over us and yes they have shafted Wales!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/jimmy-savile/9623780/Edwina-Currie-I-have-nothing-to-hide-over-Jimmy-Savile.html
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/26/edwina-currie-shocked-jimmy-savile-role
Tell me about it Myfanwy – I’ve been ploughing my way though the political diaries of many who served under Thatcher and you bet they knew about it. I’m working on a blog post about Ken Clarke right now, I’ll be posting it up by tomorrow morning. Thanks for quoting from Edwina’s book for me – that one I haven’t read yet, but I did know that there was an admission in there about Morrison and the many people who knew.
Ken Clarke was Home Secretary and in his autobiography he regrets that he wasn’t able to do more to combat organised crime involving professional people and he admits that this led to London being the choice for people who wanted to launder money. He is frank enough to admit that money laundering provides a big part of the profits for the banking and financial services sector.
Well Ken it all began on your watch. Alison Taylor and I told your ministers and your MPs that dreadful things were happening in north Wales – it was organised crime. Not only did you ignore us but your Gov’t actively concealed what was going on. Alison and I both lost our careers because your Gov’t was determined to ensure that no-one would listen to what we were saying. Alison and I lost careers – a lot of other people died.
My only regret is that I didn’t have possession of the documents that I now have whilst Thatcher was still alive – I wasn’t able to blog about it until I received those documents. The north Wales paedophile scandal goes straight to the door of Margaret Thatcher. I only wish the old cow had lived long enough to read the expose of what she and her acolytes got up to. I accept that all politicians make mistakes and I understand that they might not be able to effect the changes that they want once they achieve office. But what the Thatcher and then the Major administrations got away with was in another league. People really should have gone to prison – a lot of them.
Labour are just as bad. Look at the cover-ups that went on to try and gloss over things like Rotherham.
Then there’s that fool of an anti-semite MP of theirs and key Corbyn supporter Naz Shah who is now under massive pressure to resign after re-tweeting a Twitter post which told Rotherham sex abuse victims to “shut their mouths for the good of diversity”. She also ‘liked’ it.
As for cash-for-questions and things of that nature, Jack Straw anyone? And as for Dnaczuk.
So don’t get too focused on the antics of some tories. Perving with kids and dipping the till are not the preserve of just the Conservative Party.
Yes, you are right, all the political parties are tainted by allegations of corruption, child abuse and self serving greed, many have acted above the law and if it wasn’t for brave Whistle blowers, like Liz Maclean, Meirion Jones and Dr Sally, none of us would be any the wiser. The only way we can change our corrupt political system, that is supposed to be there to serve us, is by whistleblowers with their own personal experiences, holding dodgy MPs and Peers to account.
PS. Just read my comment above – there’s a crucial typo. The biggest problem with sexual abuse of children in care was in the 80s – that is why it has led to such problems politically. The generation of politicians who covered it up are now grandees and the generation of councillors who ran those children’s homes have stepped down from being part of the New Labour administrations and are now in the Lords. It is absolutely shameful.
Yes, I do know that the Tories are not the only ones to have disgraced themselves. Many Labour politicians – and indeed members of the Lords – are deeply implicated because of their previous roles as Councillors running dysfunctional London boroughs in the 70s and 90s who sent children in their care to ‘placements’ in north Wales to establishments pervaded by paedophiles. Of course Islington and Lambeth’s children’s homes also had a huge problems with paedophile gangs in their children’s homes. People like Margaret Hodge, Jack Straw, Tessa Jowell, Paul Boateng’s wife Janet were all involved in it. Diane Abbot was PR and Press Officer for Lambeth when it was all going on.
A lot of the ‘radical human rights lawyers’ associated with the Labour Party knew about it and kept quiet – for example Lady Patricia Scotland and a lot of those in Cherie’s circle.
Myfanwy and I mentioned the Tories because some of those close to Thatcher were actually doing the molesting themselves and the cover-up at Gov’t level was on the part of the Tories. But you are correct, all parties were involved and all kept quiet. It’s why NO inquiries or investigations into the sexual abuse of children in the 70s, 80s and 90s ever get anywhere.
“The lesson most observers drew from Brexit and the election of Donald Trump was that a majority of voters on both sides of the Atlantic reject the views held by Leanne Wood and her cohorts. But they can’t accept that.”
So are you saying that a party with minority support should either shut up shop or abandon its agenda and principles? If so, we wouldn’t have any opposition parties or any political change really, since surely almost all movements for change begin as minorities?
“Seeking to rationalise or explain away these defeats has led many to persuade themselves that Brexit and Trump were victories for racists and fascists.”
If not, then to whom or what exactly do you attribute these results?
As chance would have it, I just read this quotation on another blog :
“I sometimes fear that
people think that fascism arrives in fancy dress
worn by grotesques and monsters
as played out in endless re-runs of the Nazis.
Fascism arrives as your friend.
It will restore your honour,
make you feel proud,
protect your house,
give you a job,
clean up the neighbourhood,
remind you of how great you once were,
clear out the venal and the corrupt,
remove anything you feel is unlike you …
It doesn’t walk in saying,
‘Our programme means militias, mass imprisonments, transportations, war and persecution.’ ” – Michael Rosen.
So does the cap fit? “Remove anything you feel is unlike you” ? As you say, we can’t be held responsible for our skin colour, blame the parents! But neither can we be blamed for where we were born, we were all rather young at the time 😉
Hopefully that cap doesn’t fit, but point me to an explanation of what positive goals you do seek, os gwellwch yn dda.
“Seeking to rationalise or explain away these defeats has led many to persuade themselves that Brexit and Trump were victories for racists and fascists.”
If not, then to whom or what exactly do you attribute these results?
Implicit in that question is a belief that all those who voted for Brexit and Trump are racists. Which is exactly what I condemn in the article.
Be careful how you frame any response.
I took it to be anti-establishment. The Tories represent the kind of Britishness that has always wanted rid of us. David Cameron wanted to stay in the EU… so Wales gives him the finger.
I think Labour harnessed that sentiment by being a natural adversary to the Tories – because that anti-establishment thing goes all the way back to Henry II I imagine – they provided a focal point when there wasn’t really another (that and early Plaid was too focused on language). Plaid just got there too late to capitalise… it should however have been capitalising now… if it had gone against David Cameron we’d be seeing a different story now. I want to say Plaid don’t get it… but their continued support for Remaining shows they do – because Tories and Labour are both going through with it… so the anti-establishment sentiment could swing the other way towards staying.
Brexit in Wales was reactionary anti-establishment behaviour – nothing deep and sinister – I don’t think people who voted out of the EU are racists – and usage of the terminology – much like fascist and Leanne using far right is more used to manipulate the voter with words with negative connotations that they’d never have associated with themselves.
Bit of that going on in the nation.cymru comments section. Noticed “Leigh Richards” discussing what some dude puts on his twitter (not you) in some attempt at character assassination:
… just seemed more interested in using the guys identity and things he maybe linked with to discredit him than actual debate. He was onto me to find out who I was a few days ago as well… like it’d make some difference to my critique of him slamming people he didn’t agree with as right wing.
Probably all the same guy.
Erswell is a supporter of british fascists, like the English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson. An individual who while leader of the EDL formed alliances with groups linked to loyalist paramilitaries in the north of ireland and the orange order in Scotland. Evidently a supporter of british fascists is no friend of those of us who seek self government for wales. And it is telling that after i publicly challenged him over this Erswell deleted the tweets.
With regards to your “probably all the same guy” jibe well i post under my real name – unlike yourself ‘CambroUiDunlainge’.
Maybe that’s something else I could have mentioned.
The far right in England always links with extreme Loyalists over the water, often via Orange Lodges and Glasgow Rangers supporters clubs. There is a crew in Swansea that used to call themselves Swansea Loyals.
But our Welsh Left seems oblivious to this, preferring to focus on things far away. And the further the better.
By focussing on far away “enemies” they don’t have to physically confront anything,just attend the next rally and chant the latest variant of the usual bollocks that sustains them! Confronting so called Nazis in UK is quite an easy gig because only a few dozen skinheads and other louts turn up with normally a police presence to stop any serious violence ever happening. So it’s all a bit like playtime – playing at politics,posturing, chanting slogans – all “good” ingredients for imaginative leadership in a free independent society.
P.S If you think it’s more relevant to this post and its responses maybe you could lift my comment of 17.51 yesterday and the couple of responses linked to it and slot them in under this post.
Not sure I can.
Or rather, I can transfer your comments but then they’d look as if I was making them.
If you were to copy and paste I think that might do it.
will do shortly _ if it works !!!!
…did you know that before you googled him? Because his comment betrayed nothing which would suggest he held such allegiances. If you already knew… fair enough. If you you went out of your way to google because you did not like what he had to say… that is a pretty grim way of of stifling debate you do not like. Thats the impression I get… from your other posts… some kind of foot soldier for Leanne Wood. What was it you said “put up or shut up”?
Anyway was not my intention to bring this here. Just seemed like a bit of a correlation between what Jac mentioned and some one who seemed rather overly focused on peoples identity. If i was mistaken that is fair enough my apologies. I’m sure you can understand why i linked the two considering your zealous support of Plaid.