Nationalists are often accused of being “separatist”. We are told that they will create divisions between their neighbours and themselves, in this case England and Wales. They claim that nationalists will establish borders and cut themselves off from the rest of the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nationalists – Plaid Cymru in Wales, the SNP in Scotland – are outward-looking, seeking to heal the divisions and create an open society with links with its neighbouring nations and the rest of the world. Plaid would like Wales to be a nation within the European Union and a member of the United Nations. This was the vision of Gwynfor Evans, that Wales would be a free and independent nation among nations as Ireland is today. Independence has little to do with “separation” and more to do with “inclusion” and interdependence. All countries in the world today are interdependent, without which they could not survive. Nations depend on trading with one another, the sharing of energy sources and mutual security concerns. It is a fallacy to think that Wales cannot survive as an independent nation, and it is a fallacy that Wales would separate from the rest of the world. Wales, along with its neighbours has become a multi-ethnic nation. Everyone would be welcomed in an independent Wales and the Welsh Nation would make its own great and unique contribution to the world at large.
Would your 'Separatism' still include the defence of Wales by "armoury's (sic) set up around Wales and operated by "gun clubs", as you have previously suggested.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you have subsequently denied making the posting re: "armoury's".
Unfortunately for you, the posting still appears to be in your Blog history.
The posting in question was made on Saturday 4th. August 2007 and the pertinent paragraph is appended below:
"Defence
The nations defence could be based on the Suisse institution somewhere between a militia and a regular army. National armoury’s providing a safe environment for local gun clubs to meet.".
An honest response would be helpful.
Your protagonistic pal.
johnny.
JF : that was not my comment or my article. If you look carefully it was reprinted from Gwyn Hopkins' contribution, and I am not responsible for his writings, only my own.
ReplyDeleteI do not necessarily agree with other peoples' remarks.
As you published the proposal one would naturally assume that it had your support.
ReplyDeleteYou actually denied posting the armoury's (sic) posting, but I accept your explanation. Thank you.
Your patrial pal.
johnny.
Alan, I think that you are confusing the terms Separatist and Isolationist.
ReplyDeleteI make no apologies for being a Separatist - I want to see Wales separate from the UK and take its rightful place as an independent nation.
But I am not an Isolationist - I envisage an indpendent Wales as being within the EU, possibly in Nato, and certainly cooperating with England and our other neghbours.
I have done that for a purpose Penddu.
ReplyDelete"Separatist" is an emotive word in the vocabulary of the anti-independence brigade, so I will not use it to describe breaking from the union. They see separatist in the context of isolationist.
I would rather stress the idea of expanding into the membership of Europe and the UN.