A Plague on Both your Houses

"A plague on both your houses" - Romeo and Juliet : William Shakespeare

Both Labour and Conservative governments have upheld the Union at the expense of Scotland and Wales. Even now, in the present climate, they drag their feet on devolution and decry the cause of independence. They want to adopt Welshness by declaring that they are Welsh Labour and Welsh Conservative, but they are nothing of the sort. They are English (British) parties masquerading as Welsh, while at the same time proclaiming their "Britishness" and their belief in the Union, which has outlived its sell-by date. The Liberal Democrats, to their shame, are little better in their continued support for the Union, and their reluctance to join the popular movement towards independence. We have seen, more and more, Labour and Independent councillors in alliance, even Labourites and Conservatives in alliance, for the reason that they are both in support of the Union, and fear the tide which is leading us to the proclamation of an independent nation. Scotland leads the way, in popular support and distrust of Labour, and Wales is not far behind, as events will prove.

Salmond Welcomes Tycoon's Independence Call

Press Assoc. - 20 minutes ago

A call by Scotland's richest man for a referendum on independence has been welcomed by First Minister Alex Salmond. Sir Tom Hunter said a vote was needed to allow the nation to move on - either as an independent country or as part of the UK.

The billionaire tycoon and philanthropist said he wanted a "considered debate" followed by a referendum. In an article in Scotland on Sunday, Sir Tom accused Scotland's political parties of "posturing, positioning and pontificating" over attempts to reform the constitution. Despite this, his call for a referendum was welcomed by Mr Salmond. The First Minister said: "Opinion is coming down between those who believe in the right of the people to determine Scotland's future - a position carrying 80% support - and those who don't.

"The SNP's first choice is to have a for or against referendum on independence and that 2010 is the right sort of timescale." Sir Tom writes in the newspaper: "It is my firm belief that the Scottish people deserve the right to vote unequivocally on one key issue. Other issues follow, but there is only one vote - do you want Scotland to be independent or not? Yes or no?" He adds: "We need a majority of Scots to say 'yes' or 'no' to independence, end of story...a referendum is compelling because Scots want an answer to our future now so that we can invest in it, whatever we choose, for our collective future over the long term." Sir Tom, who declines to back either option, says it is Scotland's right as a nation to "determine our destiny".

His entry into the debate comes after Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives announced they planned to support an independent commission to examine more powers for Holyrood, but without full independence :-(.

How America Views Iraq - Illustrative Map

Support for Tywysog Madog Plaque in America

Lend your support by clicking on this web address:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?AWA0987

Plaid's Forward March to Independence for Wales

Plaid Cymru has just held its Spring Conference in Newport. The Party of Wales will continue to make a difference for the people of Wales, and set the scene for a Referendum on a Welsh Parliament leading to full independence. Unionist parties have shown that they cannot fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people of Wales. Only a true Party of Wales which is devoted to the best interests of Wales can achieve the changes which will transform the face of the nation forever. The enthusiasm of the delegates and speakers at the Conference speaks for itself. As we have seen, both Labour and Conservative governments have been disastrous for Wales, and now Plaid Cymru has come into its own, proud, confident and self-assured as it has come to maturity as the party for all the people of Wales, whatever their ethnicity, creed or colour, place of birth, or their ideological background. Cymru - Wales - is ready to unite to push forward the cause of independence.

Innov8 Launch / Lansiad Arloesi08

PlaidTV - English broadcast

The Disastrous Legacy of Labour Rule

It appears that the present Labour administration in Britain is out to change society, not for the better, but for the worse.
Here are just a few examples: the Labour government does not promote family life, pays family benefits to 30,000 Polish families in Poland while denying British families benefits when living overseas, and makes it very difficult and expensive for non-European spouses to obtain settlement in the UK. Anti-social behaviour, littering and vandalism are rife in Britain whereas other countries do not suffer these problems to such an extent. There has been a rise in violence among younger elements of society. Army recruiting drives are conducted to encourage youths from deprived areas who have little prospect of employment to join up and fight in foreign wars which have no relevance to the defence of the British Isles but are intended to enlarge American and British spheres of influence and economic penetration. Local democracy has been quashed by the overwhelming monetary power of big corporations and companies which have taking over the role of the councils, from running municipal and hospital car parks to maintaining houses for occupation by bailed criminal offenders.
Economic and political immigrant refugees are admitted to settle in the UK, and are then deported back to their countries of origin to suffer their fate in oppressive regimes. Millions of pounds are squandered on lavish and unnecessary projects, while much public money is siphoned off into excessive salary payouts and expenses. Social divisions are widening in Britain as Labour favours the wealthy and penalises the poor. The results of all this are plain to see : mass emigration from these shores, and a striving for independence for the people of Wales, Scotland and Cornwall to be free from government oppression and divisive policies, and the creation of a new and more equitable society in the respective nations.

The Voice of the People - Stifled in this 'Democracy'.

The question is :"where are we heading and what kind of society do we want? "
It is obvious to me at least that the kind of society we have today is not the kind of society which many of us want or feel comfortable with. We have become a Big Brother State/Nanny State in which the concerns of the individual are often ignored or overridden. This is reflected in the opinion polls and it is the reason for the growing lead of the Conservatives in England even though they do not have much to offer that is different or that constitutes real change.
There is great unease running through society and a fear of economic collapse, along with a distrust of government. The concerns are in affordable housing, services, health and hospitals, transportation, immigration, banking, council tax, child poverty and anti-social behaviour. The May elections will highlight the extent of public disaffection with the government's handling of these real issues.
Britain is fast becoming an authoritarian state in which the voice of the people is stifled. Society has already become highly materialistic in which money and power rule and dominate. The individual feels powerless to influence the world around him and sees that democracy in the present age is a word which has little meaning. This accounts for the huge numbers of people leaving Britain for a new life overseas, where laws and regulations are not so rigorous and discriminatory - it is not only the desire to live in a sunnier climate.

Yr Hen Iaith Fy Nhadau

Welsh (Cymraeg)

Welsh is a Celtic language spoken as a community language in Wales (Cymru) by about 659,000 people, and in the Welsh colony (Y Wladfa) in Patagonia, Argentina (yr Ariannin) by several hundred people. There are also Welsh speakers in England (Lloegr), Scotland (yr Alban), Canada, the USA (yr Unol Daleithiau), Australia (Awstralia) and New Zealand (Seland Newydd). Welsh is fairly closely related to Cornish and Breton, and more distantly related to Irish Gaelic, Manx Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic.

At the beginning of the 20th century about half of the population of Wales spoke Welsh as an everyday language. Towards the end of the century, the proportion of Welsh speakers had fallen to about 20%. According to the 2001 census 23% of the population, 659,301 people, can speak the language and a total of 797,717 people, 28% of the population, claim to have some knowledge it.

According to a survey carried out by S4C, the Welsh language TV channel, the number of Welsh speakers in Wales is around 750,000, and about 1.5 million people can 'understand' Welsh. In addition there are an estimated 133,000 Welsh-speakers living in England, about 50,000 of them in the Greater London area.

The earliest known examples of Welsh literature are the poems of Taliesin, which feature Urien of Rheged, a 6th century king in what is now southern Scotland, and Aneirin's Y Gododdin, a description of a battle between Celts and Northumbrians which occurred in about 600 AD. Nobody knows for sure when these works were composed or when they were first written down. Before then, whenever then was, all writing in Wales was in Latin.

Today there are radio stations and a TV channel, that broadcast entirely or mainly in Welsh. There are also weekly and monthly newspapers and magazines. About 500 books in Welsh are published annually, and there is a thriving Welsh language music scene. There are a number of Welsh language theatre groups, and regular eisteddfodau or cultural festivals are held throughout Wales.

All school pupils in Wales study Welsh as a first or second language for 12 years, from the ages 5 to 16. The first school to use Welsh as the medium of instruction was set up in Aberystwyth in 1939. There are currently about 448 primary schools and 53 secondary schools in Wales that teach entirely or mainly throught the medium of Welsh. There is also a Welsh-medium school in London. Some courses at Welsh universities and colleges are taught through Welsh, and there are numerous Welsh courses for adults throughout Wales.
The Welsh alphabet (Yr Wyddor Gymraeg) A a B b C c Ch ch D d Dd dd E e F f Ff ff G g
a bi ec èch di èdd e èf èff èg
Ng ng H h I i L l Ll ll M m N n O o P p
èng aets i èl èll em èn o pi
Ph ph R r Rh rh S s T t Th th U u W w Y y
ffi/yff èr rhi ès ti èth u w y

What are the "Three Poisons"?

Find out by clicking on the link. Then watch the video.

http://www.metacafe.com/w/509775/

Government Strategy in a 'Free' Democracy

In order to invite suggestions from the local communities on proposed Planning Decisions a suggestion box has been provided. Please place your suggestion in the Comments section and I will endeavour to forward it to the relevant authorities.
Do not anticipate any reply to your esteemed suggestion.
Have a nice day.

Representation is Grossly Overdone

In Wales and Scotland we have our own governments (of sorts) and our own representation through A.Ms and M.S.Ps. Therefore there is no need for additional representation in the Westminster Parliament. By cutting down the numbers of M.Ps in Westminster we are not only saving on expenses but are also removing members who appear to have a conflict of interests in their voting patterns or are unsure about their true allegiances.

How America Misled Britain and the World

From a lecture by Harold Pinter....click HERE

The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law. The invasion was an arbitrary military action inspired by a series of lies upon lies and gross manipulation of the media and therefore of the public; an act intended to consolidate American military and economic control of the Middle East masquerading - as a last resort - all other justifications having failed to justify themselves - as liberation. A formidable assertion of military force responsible for the death and mutilation of thousands and thousands of innocent people.

We have brought torture, cluster bombs, depleted uranium, innumerable acts of random murder, misery, degradation and death to the Iraqi people and call it 'bringing freedom and democracy to the Middle East'.

How many people do you have to kill before you qualify to be described as a mass murderer and a war criminal? One hundred thousand? More than enough, I would have thought. Therefore it is just that Bush and Blair be arraigned before the International Criminal Court of Justice. But Bush has been clever. He has not ratified the International Criminal Court of Justice. Therefore if any American soldier or for that matter politician finds himself in the dock Bush has warned that he will send in the marines. But Tony Blair has ratified the Court and is therefore available for prosecution. We can let the Court have his address if they're interested. It is Number 10, Downing Street, London (now moved, to take on a number of lucrative assignments. But his accomplice is at the same address).

Death in this context is irrelevant. Both Bush and Blair place death well away on the back burner. At least 100,000 Iraqis were killed by American bombs and missiles before the Iraq insurgency began. These people are of no moment. Their deaths don't exist. They are blank. They are not even recorded as being dead. 'We don't do body counts,' said the American general Tommy Franks.

Early in the invasion there was a photograph published on the front page of British newspapers of Tony Blair kissing the cheek of a little Iraqi boy. 'A grateful child,' said the caption. A few days later there was a story and photograph, on an inside page, of another four-year-old boy with no arms. His family had been blown up by a missile. He was the only survivor. 'When do I get my arms back?' he asked. The story was dropped. Well, Tony Blair wasn't holding him in his arms, nor the body of any other mutilated child, nor the body of any bloody corpse. Blood is dirty. It dirties your shirt and tie when you're making a sincere speech on television.

The 2,000 (now 4,000) American dead are an embarrassment. They are transported to their graves in the dark. Funerals are unobtrusive, out of harm's way. The mutilated rot in their beds, some for the rest of their lives. So the dead and the mutilated both rot, in different kinds of graves.

Remember Tibet - a Once Proud Nation

The Dalai Lama is living in exile in the West.
The Panchen Lama is imprisoned in China.
China is trying to establish Tibet as a secular province.
How many years will it take till we know that too many people have died?
Close on to 1.2 million....

CLICK HERE.....