Monday, 25 January 2010

Transformational Politics in Wales

Welsh society, in company with British society as a whole, is in dire need of change, and not only change, but transformation. In Scotland the incidence of alcohol abuse is the highest in Britain. In England drug abuse is prevalent among the younger generation and teenage pregnancies are still on the rise. There is something drastically wrong with society; the malfunction begins in the home and in the schools. Education begins in the home and if the home is lacking in structure and guidance the effect will be reflected and magnified in society as a whole.

Education as it is today is not a preparation for life but a cramming institution for the purpose of acquiring qualifications and skills to gain employment. It does not devote sufficient time for relationship and communication skills, family responsibilities and social and community concerns, domestic management and home economics. The incidence of illiteracy is at an all-time high so that incorrect English finds its way into reputable newspapers and reports. A blatant example which is widespread is the confusion of "less" and "fewer", where fewer is rarely seen or heard, but is required for countable nouns, "less" being solely for uncountable nouns, yet it is used ubiquitously.

What is required is transformational politics, already in process in Scotland, which has the task of examining all aspects of society and the way it functions, identifying the areas which are problematic and creating radical solutions which can effect a real and lasting change. The present government has been ineffective and incompetent in these important matters, from the control of immigration to the prevention of drug smuggling and the prosecution of criminals. There needs to be a complete overhaul of the methods of dispensing justice, the role of the police and the management of immigration. Others matters deserve scrutiny, including the banking and financial systems, the infrastructure and the transport systems, public services - telephones, broadband and power supplies, housing and planning and flood prevention.

The imbalance between expenditure on the affluent South East and the impoverished areas in Wales and the North of England needs to be rectified and money directed to the places which are in greatest need. The cities which are run-down and desolate have been identified and these cities are in need of transformation, to bring them up to the standard of those which are vaunted as being pleasant and attractive and conducive to a good quality of life. Change is insufficient - only a radical and fundamental transformation will suffice. In Wales, the British parties do not have the vision - only a party that is true to the spirit of Wales can make a difference.

CLICK HERE

From RON DAVIES (surely you will remember him).............


I endorse Glyndwr one hundred percent
Unfortunately the Labour Party has turned its back on working people and the needs of our communities in Wales. It has squandered the rich potential of 13 years of rule and now serves only its own interests as seen from London.
Faced with a choice of Labour cuts or Tory cuts, we in Wales will have to unify and fight anew for democracy and social justice.
The fight will be led by passionate, articulate and committed patriots like Glyndwr Jones the Plaid Cymru candidate for Merthyr in the General Election to whom I offer my 100% endorsement.
Good luck Glyndwr.
Ron Davies

The Politics of "Change"


From Times Online
The Times Online

June 27, 2007

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, promises change



Opinion


This was 2007 - now is 2010, and yet Gordon Brown is still promising change. The only changes which have taken place over the past 12 years are superficial and negative. David Cameron also promises change because "it cannot go on like this". Barack Obama spoke about change when he became President of the United States. All politicians try to convince the electorate of the urgent need for change. Yes, change is necessary but what often happens is: no change but more of the same. In Britain the gap between the wealthy and the poor in society has not changed since the New Labour government came into power, despite the claims by the government that they have helped the worst off people in society. 


Mere reform is not the answer to the needs of society. The fundamental changes which society needs to meet the challenges of the present century amount to a "velvet revolution". The constitutional changes which are needed are outlined in the posting below (The Conservative Government Time-Bomb). This change needs to come from within, starting with a rejection of the anti-social values instigated by the present government without taking heed of public approval, and contributing to national debate on the best way to effect changes in society.


This national debate should take place in assemblies and parliaments across the British Isles as well as in grass-roots organisations and in the media. The quest is for a better quality of life based on eternal values which have stood the test of time. They should not be classed as religious or secular, but based on natural human values which are universal to mankind. They should range from the constitutional to the economic, from the social to the international, and should involve all those who care for the creation of a just and equitable society. "Change" is the political in-word of the pre-election period but to mean anything at all it must be realised and produce the results which the members of electorate wish for to make a difference in their day-to-day existence.




"More revealing still was the Labour leader’s view of what the election should be about. Not a referendum on the Government's past performance, he said, but an examination of two competing policies for the future. He accused Cameron of "flim flam, PR, and not really having changed"."
Adam Boulton -Sky News


Gordon Brown says that Bob Ainsworth was talking about the council elections on May 6th,
not the general election. Is he going on to the bitter end?
He asks people to forget the past - Labour's past performance (or lack of it) is not in question.
Isn't it? Does that mean that change is irrelevant?


Sunday, 24 January 2010

Joking in Britain will get you into Hot Water



thinking Man Who Twittered Hed Blow Up Doncaster Airport Arrested For Thought Crime PAUL Chambers has been arrested at Doncaster airport on terrorism charges for “joking” on Twitter that he would blow the place “sky high” if his flight was delayed.
On January 6, Mr Chambers makes his aside. He plans to travel to Ireland on January 15. and is worried that snow will alter his plans. He gets on Twitter:
“Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!”
Police are contacted. Says Mr Chambers:
“My first thought upon hearing it was the police was that perhaps a member of my family had been in an accident. Then they said I was being arrested under the Terrorism Act and produced a piece of paper. It was a print-out of my Twitter page. That was when it dawned on me.”
Mr Chambers was arrested under the Terrorism Act. He is questioned for seven hours.
“I had to explain Twitter to them in its entirety because they’d never heard of it. Then they asked all about my home life, and how work was going, and other personal things.”
Have you ever been a Muslim or been exposed to the cause of Islam, sir? Are you non-white? Do you support a united Ireland? Are you sure you have always been white?
“The lead investigator kept asking, ‘Do you understand why this is happening?’ and saying, ‘It is the world we live in’.”

And now Lionheart has fallen foul of the thought police.
He writes on his blog:
“I am currently out of the Country and on my return home to England I am going to be arrested by British detectives on suspicion of Stirring up Racial Hatred by displaying written material” contrary to sections 18(1) and 27(3) of the Public Order Act 1986.
This charge if found guilty carries a lengthy prison sentence, more than what most paedophiles and rapists receive, and all for writing words of truth about the barbarity that is living in the midst of our children, which threatens the very future of our Country.
The cultural weapon in the hands of the modern Jihad within Great Britain, silencing the opposition using our own laws against us - The Dumb Filthy Kaffir’s as the Moslem would say to his children behind closed doors.
What has become of my homeland, the land my forefathers fought and died for on the battlefields of the world when one of their children is forced into the position of facing years in prison for standing up for what is right and just within British society.
At least my words of truth have obviously now reached people’s eyes and ears, with the powers that be now intent on silencing me - Third World Tyranny in a supposed 21st Century democracy!
Is it right that people should be arrested for writing things and thinking things that the powers that be do not approve of? Is the UK now like Saudi Arabia?


POSTED: 18TH, JANUARY 2010 | IN: STRANGE BUT TRUE COMMENT | FOLLOW THE COMMENTS ON OUR RSS FEED: RSS 2.0 | TRACKBACK | PERMALINK

The Conservative Government Time-bomb


It appears that nobody has commented on the constitutional time-bomb that awaits the advent of a Conservative government in Britain. The fact is that the majority of voters in England will elect a Conservative government in May, but this is far from the case in Scotland and Wales.

In Scotland the Conservatives are in the minority, with Labour and SNP parties fighting for dominance. A peek into the video broadcasts (BBC Democracy Live - see sidebar) of the proceedings in the Scottish Parliament will soon provide evidence that the SNP is wiping the floor with the Labour opposition.

In Wales, traditionally socialist, in character and politics, the situation is rather different, with the Tories making headway but as yet far from making a serious impact on the political complexion of the country. The Liberals are in danger of losing their seats in Ceredigion and Montgomeryshire and it is Plaid Cymru and Labour which represent the radical and progressive nature of Welsh politics.

Moving over to northern Ireland, there are two Unionist parties, one of which is in government with Sinn Fein. David Cameron, the PM in waiting it may be presumed, has come out in support of the Unionist party and has even suggested a fusion with the Conservatives of Britain. This stance is ill-advised to say the least and ignores the trend of opinion in the nations in which politics takes a very different line from the politics of England.

The government in the north of Ireland is pushing for policing powers to be devolved yet is facing opposition and obstruction from unionist circles. Wales is hampered by the slow and unworkable system of LCOs which involve Westminster's approval before laws passed by the Welsh Assembly are ratified. In Scotland the parliament is focused on the need for more powers for Scotland, with no interference in Scottish Affairs from the government in London.

David Cameron will soon discover that he has inherited a Britain that is no longer as united as it was before 1997 when Labour came into power. In fact, by introducing devolution, Labour unwittingly encouraged the process together with the unravelling of the constitution. Scotland is well on the road to independence. Ireland is an unfinished project and must eventually be united. Wales will assert its individuality as a separate nation - Cymru - and Cornwall is agitating for a similar status. These are matters which a Conservative government will need to deal with, certainly within a ten-year period in office, as the direction of politics in the British Isles diverges and evolves.

An Anthem to Outshine all Others


Saturday, 23 January 2010

Crisis for Devolution - Ireland Awaits


Sinn Fein seeks resolution of N.Irish justice talks

Sinn Fein will return to talks with its Northern Irish power-sharing partners to try to set a date for transferring police and justice powers from London to Belfast, the party's president said on Saturday.Skip related content
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams was meant to attend talks with The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on Thursday but left the negotiating table, the first time he was known to have done so since discussions began months ago.
The dispute over when to take on responsibility for policing and justice have brought ties between Sinn Fein and the DUP to the breaking point, threatening to upset the delicate balance in the power-sharing executive in Belfast.
Sinn Fein wants the transfer of powers as soon as possible and has accused the DUP of stalling.
A deal would give Northern Ireland its first justice minister and mark one of the biggest steps since a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of violence that killed 3,600 people there. Adams said the province's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Sinn Fein's representative at the head of Northern Ireland's executive, would urgently seek a meeting with DUP leader Peter Robinson.
"This will be a critical and defining engagement," Adams told reporters after a meeting of his party's national executive in Dublin. "Our negotiating team has been given a very specific brief by the Ard Comhairle (national executive) and hopefully, hopefully it will resolve matters."
Robinson, who has temporarily stood aside as first minister but is still leading negotiations, had said on Friday that he hoped to continue talks on Monday. Adams said Sinn Fein had since spoken to the British and Irish governments, signatories of the 1998 peace deal, and urged them to set a date for the transfer of justice powers.
"If that (the transfer of justice powers) is not possible then no self respecting public representative or political party would want to be part of what would be nothing less than a charade," Adams added.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Noah Barkin)

Comment


If devolution of powers to northern Ireland are obstructed those who believe the Ireland should be united will again be frustrated and may seek other means to achieve their aim to reunite the country.

St Dwynwen's Day is for Friends and Lovers




.


St Dwynwen's Day

Illustration: Margaret Jones
Illustration: Margaret Jones

St Dwynwen's day is celebrated in Wales on 25 January and commemorates the patron saint of friendship and love.
Dwynwen lived during the 5th century and was, by all accounts, one of the prettiest of Brychan Brycheiniog's 24 daughters. The story goes that Dwynwen fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else. Maelon was so outraged that he raped Dwynwen and left her.
In her grief Dwynwen fled to the woods, where she begged God to make her forget Maelon. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice.
God then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. First she wished that Maelon be thawed, second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers and third that she should never marry. All three were fulfilled, and as a mark of her thanks, Dwynwen devoted herself to God's service for the rest of her life.
Remains of Dwynwen's church can be seen today on the island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey. During the 14th century, on visiting the island, the poet Dafydd ap Gwilym witnessed a golden image of Dwynwen inside the church, and was bold enough to request her help as a messenger between himself and Morfudd, the girl he hoped to win — despite the fact that Morfudd was already married!
Also situated on the island is Dwynwen's well, where, allegedly, a sacred fish swims, whose movements predict the future fortunes and relationships of various couples. Visitors to the well believe that if the water boils while they are present, then love and good luck will surely follow.
The popularity and celebration of St Dwynwen's day has increased considerably in recent years, with special events, such as concerts and parties, often held and greetings cards printed. Although still not as popular as St Valentine's Day in February, St Dwynwen is certainly becoming better-known among today's population of Wales.

Friday, 22 January 2010

Poll Results - Is Britain a Bastion of Free Speech?




The poll results are in and as expected they show a substantial majority of readers do not believe that Britain is still a bastion of Free Speech. They would probably show a similar result if the poll were conducted across the whole of Britain.
70% voted NO
17% voted YES
5% voted NOT SURE
and 5% had no idea what free speech means.


These figures indicate that the majority of people feel that they are not able to express themselves in this "democracy". If and when the Conservatives come into office they should roll back some of the Labour legislation which has brought about this disturbing state of affairs and reduce some of the punitive aspects and powers  of government. They should carry out an investigation of the role of the Police and the conduct of Social Welfare services. Furthermore they should establish a strict code of conduct for the County and Local Councils. 

Thursday, 21 January 2010

Britain's Society is Imploding & Chilcott

Chilcott Enquiry - Requesting Support

Please ask your friends to join over 8,000 people already supporting tough questions for Blair - forward this email and ask them to get involved here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/ask-blair-tough-questions-next-friday <http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c05f7f/2d457470/58c3514f/4674e562/4161670544/VEsE/>    


Thanks for getting involved,

Hannah, David, Nina, Johnny, and the 38 Degrees Team



PS: You can see exactly how many people have signed up at any point by visiting this page: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/ask-blair-tough-questions-next-friday <http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c05f7f/2d457470/58c3514f/4674e562/4161670544/VEsF/>    


NOTES [1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/blair-demanded-hold-iraq-inquiry-in-secret-1711549.html




According to this article from Socyberty  Britain is a broken society
Social-Engineering,  Positive discrimination and Political Correctness, are the three horses of the Apocalypse, that are destroying our society from within.
Decent parents are now too afraid to discipline their own children, for fear of been hauled before the courts, and labelled child-abusers. While the real child-abusers are ignored by social workers, to afraid to step in in case they are accused of discrimination or racism. The Police Force, (the Police Service as New Labour likes us to call them), are little more than Labour's politically correct enforcers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3641158/Can-our-broken-society-be-fixed.html


In 1997 John Major handed over to Tony Blair arguably the most benevolent set of economic statistics any incoming government had ever inherited. But as Ken Clarke acknowledged ‘we are set to take over the biggest mess that a Conservative party has ever inherited from a Labour government’ and that does not just mean a country with the worst set of economic circumstances in the G20 but one with the worst social problems.  The term ‘Broken Britain’ is one David Cameron has used regularly since becoming  leader nearly four years ago. In the whole of Western Europe we come last on most aspects of child welfare whether that be poverty levels or how kids rate their lives. This is wholly unacceptable for a country of our tradition, resources and potential and we have to raise the question why Britain finds itself in such a position.

 I firmly believe that a strong family lays the foundation to equip us with the fundamental skills we are able to use in life.  However in recent years the family seems to be spiralling downwards and we now have many ‘dysfunctional families’ which include the fragmented (seperated or divorced couples) and the fatherless. Although this affects every group across the social spectrum, this decline now seems to be more common with the groups who are less advantaged in society. As a consequence children are now likely to feel neglected and grow up without that strong starting base, a situation which can be compared to a house built upon sand. As a result family breakdown is strongly correlated with issues such as high levels of teenage pregnancy and crime. The latter is a serious problem. Two years ago, Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her daughter because they were victims of anti social behaviour caused by groups of people who come from families i have just described. Many families and individuals across the country face similar abuse on a regular basis at the hands of these groups.

As David Cameron has made clear, we can only tackle this problem by addressing the problems of family breakdown. But what can a government actually do? One proposal is to recognise marriage and the importance of interdependence between family members through the tax system by rewarding these groups. Another is to instead of focusing on funding for teenagers to prevent crime and anti social behaviour,  perhaps we should target children when they are much younger as part of a more positively focused effort to radically improve their life chances. Whatever approach is implemented there is no doubting the challenge ahead in fixing ‘Broken Britain’.
Amil Khan

Comment


If you don't believe it look around you or visit other European countries and see the difference.


(alanindyfed)

Being One of an Ethnic Minority




Now white Welsh people are an ethnic minority
Aug 7 2007 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

Click on the link:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/tm_headline=now-white-welsh-people-are-an-ethnic-minority&method=full&objectid=19582496&siteid=50082-name_page.html

Debate


Is Welsh identity a matter of ethnicity, heredity, place of birth, nationality, or allegiance?

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Watch Out, Lib, Lab and Con, there's a Dragon about!



One day, three rather fractious brothers. Lib, Lab and Con were out enjoying a rare spell of sunshine in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons when a dragon alighted a short distance away.
"Siw mae bechgyn?" the dragon called out to them, flapping its enormous wings and twirling its tail vigorously. It looked resplendent as it pawed the green grass of the valley floor. "Croeso i Gymru", he continued, "Is there anything I can do for you?" The brothers shook their heads and turned away but the dragon was not in the mood to be ignored. "I have returned to my native land," he roared, "in order to reclaim my birthright and restore to the people their pride and confidence in their nation. Are you with me or against me?"

Now continue the story.......

Fly the Flag Campaign




         DROS GYMRU - FLY THE FLAG FOR WALES
2010 is a propitious year for Wales and an opportunity to stimulate and raise the national consciousness.
Not for nothing do countries such as the United States and the Philippines hold flag raising ceremonies. Not for nothing does Wales have its own national anthem, shared by the nation of Brittany. Several years ago it was difficult to spot the Cornish flag in the Cornish landscape fluttering in the breeze but now it is to be seen more and more as people are motivated to assert their identity. Similarly in Wales the Red Dragon is flown outside public buildings and across the countryside. It is often accompanied by the flag of Glyndwr and the flag of Saint David.

In Scotland the saltire of Saint Andrew is ubiquitous. It is often flown there in preference to the Union flag which is rapidly losing its lustre and appeal. The Saltire represents the aspiration of the Scottish people to take charge of their own affairs and progress towards full independence. The union flag is not representative in any case and emphasises the fact that Wales virtually ceased to exist after the Act of Incorporation 1536 when it was annexed and subsumed into England. It represents the colonisation by England of its neighbours. This flag  has no relevance to Wales. However, "Y Ddraig Goch" flies for Cymru.

In the Republic of Ireland you would have to search far and wide to find a union flag anywhere in the land. It is never flown and for good reason. Only in the north of the country is it to be seen, where Irish unionists continue to believe that their future is best served by the British state. There is another point of view and that is that it is only a matter of time before the country of Ireland is united. This possibility is fiercely resisted by the Orangemen and women, but the Irish flag represents the Green and the Orange parties and already symbolises the unity which Ireland needs to fully realise the dreams of the heroes of the revolution.

DROS GYMRU - 
FLY THE FLAG AND NOTHING BUT THE FLAG

We are in an Election Year and flying the flag will help to make the difference.



A Big Red Meltdown, here and here

Dros Rhyddid Collasant Eu Gwaed


Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Labour Government's Sensible Proposals versus Barmy Ideas

List of Sensible Proposals:

1
2
3
4
5


List of Barmy Ideas :

1 bswjvwkvkd l; v;lel;k hqsjcjskckksm njbjihpjopjoj kml nn ffsaxjjoasooaojjlxjx;lja;'ljlj
2 uxuohqsioqjsjcqksckqknhhjcko]soqoco]sw[cpscslx;s;s;;sfaxfxys8iikdkkkqcxlhsucua
3 jhsjocpwskocoi9y8 cvbclncxxc;skcllccll'l; d'd'  'd'l'wl'l'll'l qyggxsuc#'q#cshcftysqqqct
4 hugsuigugquhyiuouciiyct78t8ci-owjwcuigciojamnsnkndcmlbqyqyycrrcr6tc8-qkqlcjhh
5 sjojckjcpkipkscsdlcsd'lck;'sdcl;sdkckcsdcllc'lcl'cl'dlc'sdclc gwgyqyciokccscqr67r6q

Come clean - are you Scots/English/Welsh, or British?


Question
What is wrong with reinforcing a sense of Scottish identity?


Salmond under fire for 'Scottish' census split




ALEX Salmond has been accused of hijacking the next census for political ends by forcing people to choose whether they are Scottish or British.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk/Salmond-under-fire-for-39Scottish39.5988902.jp

Under proposals yet to be approved by Holyrood, the SNP government wants to include a question asking respondents their "ethnic group" and whether they are Scottish, English, Welsh or British. Only one answer is allowed under the rules of the census to be held next year.

But a confidential government memo reveals that Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MSPs are furious about the attempt to split up British and Scottish as options.

They want the government to adopt a version which combines all the options into a single ethnic group with only "Other" as a choice. They have made it clear that they will force a vote on the census – normally a non-partisan issue – and change its content if ministers do not drop their insistence on separating out identities.

They believe the SNP wanted the census question framed in this way to reinforce a sense of Scottish identity among respondents in support of its independence agenda.

One senior opposition member said: "The trouble is that Scottish is not a separate ethnicity so we will reject any solution that puts it that way. This is clearly an attempt by the Nationalists to hijack the census for their own narrow purposes, effectively politicising it."

The behind-the-scenes row has been revealed in a memorandum – obtained by Scotland on Sunday – written last week for senior ministers by enterprise minister Jim Mather, who is responsible for the census.

In the memo, Mather says Scotland's new official ethnicity classification, for Scottish official statistics and recommended for the 2011 census, was agreed by the Cabinet in May 2008.

A separate question on national "identity" would ask respondents whether they felt Scottish, English, Welsh or British.


Comments pls: what do you say? Does your ethnic identity depend on nationality, national residence or state citizenship? Is Scottish a separate ethnicity?


More news from the SNP


SNP MSP Kenny Gibson said: "In the song there are only ten lords a leaping during Christmas but Gordon Brown has appointed 15. We all know that the London government is effectively run by Lord Mandelson but the number of lords a leaping through Downing Street these days is shocking.

"For a party supposed to represent the people and a party that is supposed to support abolition of the Lords, to use it as the main source of government ministers is a disgrace."