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I ain't half getting lazy, just C&P stuff alunindyfed is sending out and about in email links from his blog posts but when he is usually on the spot and on time why not help spread his message. My only comments on the below is he's kind of up a creek regards re a Welsh Republican Army and as for Cymru X? However, much else he writes of, well if ones a Welsh nationalist one cannot fault what he has to say other than we need less blogging and face booking and more calls to get on to the street. Why? That should be obvious really, most of our people have no interest in Welsh News be it in a news paper, on TV or Radio, that was true in 1979 and it's true now in 2010 and will be as true in 2011. How many Western Mails & Daily Posts are on sale in News Agents compared to English papers, not least in Working Class districts? I was working in an hospital on Ist March 1979 day of that infamous referendum on Devolution, one of my first jobs that day was delivering news papers to the wards. Out of the dozens taken around about three were Western Mails and ordered by an older generation, most papers delivered were of course English tabloids. Get the point? So if Nats do not get on to the streets, around the doors and set up Political tables in shopping Malls then Nats are really not putting that much effort into winning elections or for that matter getting a good YES VOTE in the fourth coming referendum on more powers for the Assembly aka 'Sham Senedd' in Bae Caerdydd. So read below and then thinks! how can I be active for the cause asap?
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Election special Independence is the natural goal of any nationalist movement. Following the end of the Second World War and the end of the British Empire which became known as the British Commonwealth a number of countries declared their independence, and not only from British rule - India, Burma, Ghana etc. - but from German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese rule also. Other countries with smaller empires were Denmark, Belgium and the United States.Independence movements have used a variety of means to engage in their quest for freedom. They have, at different times, used armed rebellion (Ireland and the US), civil disobedience (India) and parliamentary representation (Wales, Scotland) with differing results.The Soviet empire disintegrated as a result of the spread of communications and the failure of the communist economic system. and following the aborted revolts in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In East Germany and North Korea the borders were sealed in an effort to prevent the escape of the citizens but in the end it is the will of the people that triumphs.In Wales, most nationalist movements have coalesced into a single political party, Plaid Cymru and its youth wing CymruX, as these days there is little support for the Welsh Republican Army. The events in northern Ireland have shown that violence begets violence, and government has come up with a new solution - devolution of powers.Plaid's political programme is basically socialist, radical, reformist and progressive but the Party of Wales welcomes members of every political hue, from right wing conservatives to left wing socialists, though it has no sympathy with anyone with extreme views, particularly British nationalists and the BNP. The closest fellow-travellers are deemed to be the Greens.The reality of the situation as it is today in Britain is as follows. At the Welsh Assembly, in the Northern Irish Assembly and at the Scottish Parliament there are nationalist parties - Plaid Cymru, the SNP, Sinn Fein and the SDLP, and then there are Unionist parties, the main ones being the Conservative/Unionist Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democratic Party. No unionist party, up to now, is willing to grant independence to Scotland and Wales or to unify Ireland. The most they are willing to do is to confer powers of devolution gradually, and at times reluctantly, to the various administrative institutions.Leaving political convictions aside, it seems to me that if independence is the cause and the eventual goal for the nations of Britain the voters at the coming election must ask a simple question:: "Am I a nationalist and do I desire national autonomy for my country or am I a unionist and support the present union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?" This view has been described as "simplistic", but let me explain.Any person who considers him/herself to be a nationalist may vote Plaid Cymru, SNP or Sinn Fein/SDLP. They all have their social and economic programmes, even free prescriptions and so on, and whether one agrees wholly or partially or disagrees with their policies wholly or partially one should pose the question: "Which is the most important issue? Is it freedom or subjection?" For subjection it is, when a democratically elected Assembly or Parliament is told what it is allowed to receive.It is something to consider when election day finally arrives. "Which is my country, what do I want for my country and which party will bring about real democratisation and representation for my country? Do I want to make a difference or am I content to take more of the same?" What it comes down to is this: " Am I in favour of an independent nation in Europe or dependent nation within a Unionist nation-state in Europe?" Leave aside the matter of right and left wing politics, come together and unite in the cause of independence.
Posted by alanindyfed at 08:32 0 comments Links to this post
Election special Independence is the natural goal of any nationalist movement. Following the end of the Second World War and the end of the British Empire which became known as the British Commonwealth a number of countries declared their independence, and not only from British rule - India, Burma, Ghana etc. - but from German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese rule also. Other countries with smaller empires were Denmark, Belgium and the United States.Independence movements have used a variety of means to engage in their quest for freedom. They have, at different times, used armed rebellion (Ireland and the US), civil disobedience (India) and parliamentary representation (Wales, Scotland) with differing results.The Soviet empire disintegrated as a result of the spread of communications and the failure of the communist economic system. and following the aborted revolts in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In East Germany and North Korea the borders were sealed in an effort to prevent the escape of the citizens but in the end it is the will of the people that triumphs.In Wales, most nationalist movements have coalesced into a single political party, Plaid Cymru and its youth wing CymruX, as these days there is little support for the Welsh Republican Army. The events in northern Ireland have shown that violence begets violence, and government has come up with a new solution - devolution of powers.Plaid's political programme is basically socialist, radical, reformist and progressive but the Party of Wales welcomes members of every political hue, from right wing conservatives to left wing socialists, though it has no sympathy with anyone with extreme views, particularly British nationalists and the BNP. The closest fellow-travellers are deemed to be the Greens.The reality of the situation as it is today in Britain is as follows. At the Welsh Assembly, in the Northern Irish Assembly and at the Scottish Parliament there are nationalist parties - Plaid Cymru, the SNP, Sinn Fein and the SDLP, and then there are Unionist parties, the main ones being the Conservative/Unionist Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democratic Party. No unionist party, up to now, is willing to grant independence to Scotland and Wales or to unify Ireland. The most they are willing to do is to confer powers of devolution gradually, and at times reluctantly, to the various administrative institutions.Leaving political convictions aside, it seems to me that if independence is the cause and the eventual goal for the nations of Britain the voters at the coming election must ask a simple question:: "Am I a nationalist and do I desire national autonomy for my country or am I a unionist and support the present union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?" This view has been described as "simplistic", but let me explain.Any person who considers him/herself to be a nationalist may vote Plaid Cymru, SNP or Sinn Fein/SDLP. They all have their social and economic programmes, even free prescriptions and so on, and whether one agrees wholly or partially or disagrees with their policies wholly or partially one should pose the question: "Which is the most important issue? Is it freedom or subjection?" For subjection it is, when a democratically elected Assembly or Parliament is told what it is allowed to receive.It is something to consider when election day finally arrives. "Which is my country, what do I want for my country and which party will bring about real democratisation and representation for my country? Do I want to make a difference or am I content to take more of the same?" What it comes down to is this: " Am I in favour of an independent nation in Europe or dependent nation within a Unionist nation-state in Europe?" Leave aside the matter of right and left wing politics, come together and unite in the cause of independence.
Posted by alanindyfed at 08:32 0 comments Links to this post
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A final comment from me, I am not all that of favourable mind re any politicians these days. Neither do i feel all that much of a Welsh Nationalist really, in fact I am more of an Inter - nationalist frame of mind with an almost anarchistical political sentiment. However, I have been a Welsh Nationalist/Republican/Socialist all my adult life and, a pro - Independence Patriot and thus although I have much unfavourable thoughts re PLAID CYMRU, come the 2010 BGE I just got to call for all to support they. However, before I do same re the 2011 Assembly elections, I would like to see PC make it absolutely clear that they would never go into a coalition with the Tories to run the Assembly. If I thought such was on the cards, I would call upon people to vote Labour or maybe abstain - DON'T VOTE! Personally, I am of the opinion that if the Tories win a BGE and make good advance in Wales, then the next step should be the Plaid, Liberal and Labour Progressive left establishing a national Welsh POPULAR FRONT against Conservative rule, maybe even consider setting up a - PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY of WALES.
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Gethin Gruffydd.
