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Educate, Organise, Agitate For Liberation.
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Mike Cronin De Monfort University, Leicester UK In introduction to his essay Ignoring Post colonialism: states: As the calendar has moved ever closer to the end of the twentieth century, a fierce debate has developed in Ireland that seeks to locate the nation in a contextual framework. Each of the three main perspectives that have emerged within the debate provides the nation one of three prefixes. Ireland is either constructed or understood as:
Mike Cronin De Monfort University, Leicester UK In introduction to his essay Ignoring Post colonialism: states: As the calendar has moved ever closer to the end of the twentieth century, a fierce debate has developed in Ireland that seeks to locate the nation in a contextual framework. Each of the three main perspectives that have emerged within the debate provides the nation one of three prefixes. Ireland is either constructed or understood as:
1. Modern (Waters, 1997)
2. Post nationalist (Kearney, 1997)
3. Post colonial (Graham, 1994).
NB: After Colonialism, (& Neo - ) not mentioned but consider too.
So Why is there no intellectual thinking in Cymru on matters regards Nationalist Theory & Philosophy, especially with in the ranks of the so called “Alternative Nationalist Movement” Well lets not blame the English as it’s mostly down to the fact that those who edit & manage our greatly grant funded “Welsh publications”, in both languages either navel gaze perpetually on matters re “Bourgeoisie” or “Cultural Nationalism” or prefer to steer well clear of controversial nationalist subjects that may stir things up? That could mean their grants are with drawn but then there is another reason and that is the level of “political thought” regards the philosophy & theory of nationalism in Cymru has always been frowned on, discouraged, ignored & avoided that’s why 'Welsh Nationalism' is always in the doldrums & 'Welsh Republicanism' so under nourished, ending up as mutterings about the 'Gododdin' and a mythical “Celtic Valhalla” at the Tafarn Llywelyn, Cilmeri, This folks is “Welsh Republicanism”, unfortunately worsted by the “Romantic Garibaldism” of Harri Web and perpetuated by likes of so called contemporary renegade ''Welsh Republican'' Gareth ap Sion co-founder with Neil ap Siencyn of WRM II.
The “Republican Grail” today now lays in the clutches of an organisation calling itself ‘Cymru Rydd’ (that’s a good name for a Republican Organisation, for starters) which as all other so called examples of “Welsh Republicanism” actually in reality preach or rather regurgitates no more than “radical militant nationalism” that as more to do with their own W.R.A. and FWA of the 'sixties'. In the advent of ‘Cymru Rydd’ we see up front the reality – “Riff Raff Republicanism” However, worse is the fact that 'Alternative Welsh Nationalism' ends up with the “Debris of To Dream of Freedom” of the Cilmeri “Good Ole Boys” and the joke known as “Mudiad Rhyddhad Cymru” and the “Supapatriots of their Parti Lliw”.
I focus above on so called “Welsh Republicanisms” because of all “Peripheral Patriotisms” this had chance of going somewhere, especially when “Welsh Republicanism” moved to the left in form of the Welsh Socialist Republican Movement but no it failed as did other expressions of “Peripheral Patriotism” for example ‘Y Cyfamodwyr’ & ‘Welsh Independence Party’. In reflection one sees that only the WSRM & Cymru Goch I & II being the only bodies attempting to make any demand on a “Revolutionary Intellect” to produce some kind of original thought on the Philosophy & theory” of a “Welsh Republican Socialism” as motivation & vechile for ‘National Liberation Struggle’. All else has been posture & posing knee jerk patriotism, that does little to seriously advance a Dewi Day parade in Caerdydd.
What of main stream “Official Welsh Nationalism” , initially starting off in the late 20’s as your typical “bog standard” general purpose Nationalist Party, but still much better than what followed. The party soon became dominated by an hybrid mixture of Catholic Mysticism & Language Revivalism under the sway of Saunders Lewis et al, later they give ground in late 30’s to the rise of a largely “Pacifist Cultural Nationalism” as preached by Gwynfor Evans. Largely a response to WWII this “PCN” was to grow successfully in the 60’s as the post war largely “Plant Crachach” student generation filled the ranks of the 'Y Blaid' & swayed towards a more “Radical Cultural Nationalism” that also established an “Extra – Parliamentary Wing of “Language Activists” known as ‘Cymdeithas yr Iaith Cymraeg’. Their largely “Bourgeoisie Cultural Revolution” was over 30 odd years to advance largely cultural right class ends that today has led to the existence of what can only be described as ‘Y Crachach Newydd' – England’s Client Tribe in Cymru’.
What of main stream “Official Welsh Nationalism” , initially starting off in the late 20’s as your typical “bog standard” general purpose Nationalist Party, but still much better than what followed. The party soon became dominated by an hybrid mixture of Catholic Mysticism & Language Revivalism under the sway of Saunders Lewis et al, later they give ground in late 30’s to the rise of a largely “Pacifist Cultural Nationalism” as preached by Gwynfor Evans. Largely a response to WWII this “PCN” was to grow successfully in the 60’s as the post war largely “Plant Crachach” student generation filled the ranks of the 'Y Blaid' & swayed towards a more “Radical Cultural Nationalism” that also established an “Extra – Parliamentary Wing of “Language Activists” known as ‘Cymdeithas yr Iaith Cymraeg’. Their largely “Bourgeoisie Cultural Revolution” was over 30 odd years to advance largely cultural right class ends that today has led to the existence of what can only be described as ‘Y Crachach Newydd' – England’s Client Tribe in Cymru’.
Through out the 70’s into the 8o’s Plaid Cymru became a contentious battle ground of Left & Right Wing Factions but by the 90’s these “Ideologies” tended to resolve their difference as Plaid Cymru moved into the era of Devolution and eventually Assembly Politics. However, recent Election failures have once more led to the Party becoming a battle ground for the old “Ideological Factions” both of whom as previous factions have their roots in “Ideologies that are not particularly rooted in a Philosophy & Theory of Welsh Nationalism but rather are borrowings from British Ideologies of Left & Right. Mean while a Rural Conservative “Bourgeoisie Cultural Nationalism” (Native Rural conservitism) still holds sway over much of the party as symbolised by it’s president Dafydd Iwan.
There is also rumours of the establishment of a Plaid Glyndwr – Cymric Sovereignty Party that seeks for it’s aspirations the pre 1930’s Welsh Nationalist Party but inspiration politically comes from contemporary Baltic Nationalists particularly that of Lithuanian Nationalism & Struggle. So where is all this going? No where unless Welsh Nationalists & Republicans & Socialists determine to ‘Educate to Be Free’ & truly advance their 'Political Thought' in domain of Philosophy & Theory, radically bringing up to date as the following will guide:
STUDIES IN IMPERIALISM & NATIONALISM: Post & After Colonialism, Irish Examples as I am not aware of any Welsh thought or writings on such subjects. Hopefully the above and below will stimulate such, leading to some exciting& stimulating Discussion & Debate which the journal as ‘Ein Glad’ may organise and could referee? How exciting could that get?
1. Missing the compelling question by Liam O’Ruairc, First published in Forthight magazine Oct 2003. IRELAND AND POST-COLONIAL THEORYEdited by Clare CARROLL and Patricia KING, with an afterword by Edward SAIDCork University Press, 2003Hardback edition - 2003Price: Euro 57.00 ( £35.00* $57.00* )Printed Pages: 256ppSize: 234 x 156mmISBN: 1859183506 Postcolonial theory has recently emerged as one of the most influential modes of socio-cultural analysis currently shaping Irish studies. It is a school of thought inspired largely by the work of Edward Said, Frantz Fanon, and Indian Subaltern Studies.
The “post” means “since colonialism began” rather than “after colonialism ended”. Postcolonial theory in the Irish context is not strictly speaking the study of the economic, political and cultural effects of British colonial rule in Ireland. More specifically, it is about how Ireland has not only been a geographical entity dominated by the British state, but also a history, geography, culture and population written and represented by what the British said about them. The main object of postcolonial theory is that colonial system of representations. This collection of twelve essays is a representative sample of this kind of analysis influenced by the postcolonial paradigm. One of the strengths of postcolonial theory is that it widens the interpretive perspective, because it argues that the proper contextual frame for Irish studies is the wider historical and geographical span of colonial capitalism. As Joe Cleary puts it in his essay included in this collection, postcolonial theory effectively “dislocates” Irish studies.
2. Roy Johnston reviews Ireland and Postcolonial Theory, Clare Carroll & Patricia King (eds), University of Notre Dame Press, hbk Published in an issue of the Irish Democrat 2004. THIS BOOK is a collection of essays on the theme, with an afterword by Edward Said, the Palestinian guru of the domain who is based in Columbia University, New York (CUNY). It is ground-breaking, in that it provides a serious academic source for comparative study of the Irish colonial to post-colonial transition in the global context, as an alternative to the European.
In the latter context some historians have tended to overlook the colonial aspect of the Irish experience. This book addresses that subject.
3. Theories in Post Coloniality: Edward W. Said and W.B. Yeats. See on Web.
(Citations from Said’s essay “Yeats and Decolonization” as published by Bay Press, not the Field Day pamphlet) Post-colonial theory, a mode of thought which accepts European Imperialism as a historical fact and attempts to address nations touched by colonial enterprises, has as yet failed to adequately consider Ireland as a post-colonial nation. Undoubtedly, Ireland is a post-colonial nation (where ‘post-’colonial refers to any consequence of colonial contact) with a body of literary work that may be read productively as post-colonial.
Above are just three examples of useful Political educational material to be found on the web, so go to it ’Educate To Be Free’, Do search for: Imperialism & Nationalism also Cultural & Green Imperialism plus of course Internal, Post & Neo (or After) Colonialism. Inc Multi – Cultural Colonialism. (BLAIRS BIG TENT)
Gethin Gruffydd.
