True Wales?
True Wales? … No Wales at all
They’ve called it “True Wales”. As George Orwell might have put it, “the truth has become the lie.” We’re talking about the birth of the second anti-Wales movement. The second, because the first was the ill-fated “No” campaign of 1997. But the forces of reaction couldn’t leave it there. Oh no. We all knew, of course, that this one had to happen. It was just a question of when, who and how. This time the Wets are on the march again and there are very few surprises.
It was either going to be a shadowy ‘Sons-of-Albion’ style organisation along the lines of Carson’s Ulster Volunteer Force – set up to oppose Home Rule for Ireland in the early years of the last century, or something more tame and lame, better suited to this anodyne Age of Spin – but with the same sort of malevolent leadership and the same shaven-headed no-necks as camp-followers and enforcers. The overall aim is the same: to deny a people (this time us) its right to self-determination. This is, after all, what Britishness means these days.
The new Wet movement has appeared in the form of a clutch of some very dubious and unlikely bedfellows. A coterie of political mavericks and misfits has clustered around arch-reactionary and British unionist fanatic, Monmouth MP David Davies. Davies, incidentally, recently made the bizarre boast that he is a descendant of the one Welshman who set his heart on the establishment of an independent Welsh state and on breaking up the ‘United Kingdom’ for good – Owain Glyndwr. Oh dear, oh dear.
The group’s mouthpiece, Caerphilly Labour councillor David ‘Dave’ Rees, outlined his plans “to establish local cells in as many parts of Wales as possible.” One can only hope In these days of high security concerns that the UK’s Security Services will monitor the activities of a group prepared to such sinister vernacular very closely indeed. Wets they may be, but where might these people stop in their defence of the Union? Davies is, after all, an ex-Territorial Army soldier. Who knows what they might do?
The two Daves and their cronies seem perfectly happy to kick off their campaign based on evident lies, dissimulation and half-truths, tactics straight out of the handbook of spinmeister extraordinaire Dr Josef Goebbels. No doubt Dr G has been made True Wales’s spiritual mascot.
The first indication of flim-flammery and deceit appears in the use of the old and well-worn Labourite argument about ‘Schools-and-Hospitals’. This old chestnut very often appears clothed as a ‘Threat-to-Vital-Public-Services’ or similar, and is usually used to attack the Welsh language. According to Dave (Rees, that is, not Davies), “£2.5m of taxpayers’ money is being used to promote a Yes campaign for a Welsh Parliament…money that is supposed to be spent on schools and hospitals.” This is an out and out lie. There is no mention, incidentally, of any suggestion of spending less on rockets, bombs and bullets in Great Britain’s brutal, pointless and winless wars – it’s always the poor schools’n'hospitals, and sometimes bus-stops’n'public urinals that are going to suffer. (And then, of course, there’s the underlying notion that dares not speak its name, and goes something like this: ‘What a wonderful place this country would be if it wasn’t for those wretched Welsh people and their accursed language.’).
The two Daves employ another barefaced lie in portraying the promised referendum on extra powers for the Assembly as a ‘referendum on independence’. The referendum is quite clearly about …erm … extra powers.
But all this is highly appropriate for an unholy alliance of renegade Labourites, ultra right-wing Tories and British Nationalists (including the BNP). This proto-fascist cabal will hold a fatal fascination for all anti-Welsh oddballs, British nationalists, imperialist retards, hangers’n'floggers and other crackpots aiming to turn back the course of history, and condemning the Welsh people to yet more of what it has had to suffer as part of the magnificent British Union: exploitation, poverty and ridicule.
This time around, however, the ‘No to Wales’ lobby will have to find a new funder. In 1997 billionaire and George Thomas stooge the late Julian Hodge bankrolled the Wets to the hilt from his tax-exile home on the self-governing Channel Islands. Doubtless some other reactionary Wales-hating dinosaur will crawl out of the woodwork and take his place. We wait with anticipation.
And you can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be too long before Screwloose, Windfall Don, Baron Bedwellty and sundry other fellow-travellers and bigwigs of the Wales-hating Labour Party will be jumping on the bandwagon, swearing secret oaths in darkened rooms with the aim of halting the forward march of the Welsh nation.
Since Davies is keen to make an appeal to history – however obtuse – he should perhaps ask his Hungarian wife to give him a basic history lesson or two. Hungary, he will find, won its independence in 1919 from another artificial ‘union’ not too dissimilar to today’s UK – the Austro-Hungarian Empire – a moribund and (to use Tory leader David Cameron’s words) a ‘broken society’. Hungarian schoolchildren learn by heart Janos Arany’s epic poem ‘A Walesi Bardok’ (The Bards of Wales), in which the English ‘conqueror’ of Wales, Edward Longshanks, massacres 500 Welsh bards who dare to speak out for Welsh freedom. Arany wrote the poem in defiance of Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef who was making a triumphal visit to Budapest after the failure of Hungary’s bid for independence in 1849, and saw in Welsh history a direct and moving parallel with that of his own country’s struggle for freedom. Davies should ask his good lady for a rendition*. He might learn something of the true Wales.
Europe has seen repugnant quasi-fascist movements before; many of which ended in post-1945 treason trials. The Norwegian collaborator Vidkun Quisling yearned for a ‘Greater Germany’ just as David Davies, Dave Rees et al. yearn to maintain a ‘Greater Britain’. They are his 21st century soulmates. Thankfully today’s European Union is democratic body of free nations, of which Wales, by her own will and in her own right, will become a member.
*For a fine translation of Arany’s poem visit: www.geocities.com/Paris/Gallery/4602/Arany.htm
see also… Miserable Old Fart
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What a disgusting and despicable piece of hate-filled propaganda. To compare anyone involved in this debate to the Nazis and Unionist militias is both libellous and deeply offensive.
I am a pro-devolutionist, but I this is the most objectionable piece of writing on Welsh devolution that I have ever read. You and your publication are an embarrassment all who support home rule.
Is this the same “Cuneglas” who Guildas once described as “Cuneglas the tyrant”.
Your “condemning the Welsh people to yet more of what it has had to suffer as part of the magnificent British Union: exploitation, poverty and ridicule.”
I just do not see it, the rhetoric needs more substance …..
in my short life I have never been exploited by the “British Union”, not reduced to poverty by the “British Union” and certainly never ridiculed, in my memory, by anybody, “British Union” or otherwise.
I am wondering to which of your labels I belong ……
renegade Labourites
ultra right-wing Tories
British Nationalists (including the BNP). anti-Welsh oddballs
imperialist retards
hangers’n’floggers
other crackpots
or could I be a Wales-hating dinosaur.
But in fact I am what I am, a Unionist because I believe the Union to be stronger, more comfortable, more certain.
I will vote “No” in the up and coming referendum, for no reason other than the WAG has not demonstrated its readiness for additional powers.
Not anti-Welsh.
I’m with Anonymous on this. . . .”What a disgusting and despicable piece of hate-filled propaganda.” I was about to say you and David Davies deserve each other but that would be unfair to DD. If this is to be the tone of your ‘yes’ campaign then DD is already the winner.
Go and take a lay down. All this headbanging is doing you no good.
Actually this is the THIRD anti-Welsh movement. Surely you remember the former Mr.Kinnock, Leo Abse and the rest of the “Gang of Six” in 1979?
“We’ll end up like Northern Ireland; if you can’t speak Welsh you won’t get a job; the English will all move their factories out…” etc. etc were the fear tactics they used back then.
Today it’s “Soviet style poverty” and the good old slogan … “Slippery slope to Separatism” that’s being used by ‘TRUE WALES’.
It seems some Welsh (?) people are still afraid of any real responsibility – in Joe Public’s term’s it’s like leaving the bloke next door take care of running your house and family. More responsibility and decision making – bring it on!!
As for Cuneglas (Gildas’s Cuneglassus) I quite like his colourful writing. He must have Lord Coe as a mentor – see today’s (2/10/08) news!!
What pathetic comments from ‘pro-devolutionist’ “Anonymous”, “Stonemason” and “Yes Man”. It just shows how appropriate the title ‘wets’ is. Cuneglas’s piece is a fine assessment of the sad bunch of losers lining up to prevent Wales from gaining her freedom. Excellent piece. Cuneglas! Don’t be put off by a bunch of whingeing Unionist creeps!
Why don’t these anti-Wales fools wind their necks in? “Hate-filled propaganda” indeed. That’s precisely the point – it’s the hate-filled propaganda of those holding Wales back that this guy is talking about – i.e. David Davies and his crew. Wise up you brainless goons.
As soon as one word is mentioned about more powers for Wales all the usual snakes crawl out from under their stones with the same venom and poison about we Welsh not being allowed to have more say in how wales should be governed. Whether we are Welsh speaking or English speaking we have to toe their line while they insist we must be good little children and listen what our superior betters in England tell us.
We are not England,we are Wales whether they can accept it or not, we are a seperate identity. that is why we are not called Walesshire.
By their reasoning, because we are attached to England we are a part of it. France is attached to Spain are they a part of Spain.
Castro ….. if you are not with him you are afraid of any real responsibility.
Paul Williams ….. if you are not with him you become pathetic.
Cefin Powell ….. if you are not with him you are anti-Wales fools.
roger ….. if you are not with him it’s snakes and venom.
This cabal presents one very good reason for voting “No”, the invective language used against opposition, or is that against democracy?
Good article – what the hell is ‘anonymous’ on about ?
Stonemason. Is it surprising we get angry about
the vitriolic attacks we get for wanting to be responsible for ourselves and being able to govern our own country. Even if we make mistakes at least they will be our mistakes and not be deliberately held back by a system that is getting more and more obsolete and corrupt as every year goes by. As for the invective language used against those in opposition to Wales having more power, we had excelent teachers with the likes of that wonderful Christian Lord George, His socialist Lordship Kinnock, Abse and their cabal who used extremist language and lies, as is also being used today, the type of which if any Welsh patriot had spoken they would have been arrested for. I also notice you say nothing of the similar and sometimes worse invective language used against those of us who want more power for Wales. You think the Union is strong, The Victorians thought their Union was strong and invincable with their British Empire and supreme control, look what happened to that. The artificial UK Union is only based around the South of England. Do you actually think THEY realy care about the rest of the country. If you do you are all living up in the clouds, as they are, looking down on us and laughing from their ivory towers. All you are doing is keeping a corrupt feudal system in existance. If that is your preference them carry on by all means
Roger ……
I must be guilty of such Unionist “vitriol”, although I have never felt bitterness or malice, possibly frustration with the ongoing debate.
I don’t recognise some of the terms you use, feudal for example, I do recognise the history of the British Empire as you describe, political “extremist language and lies” that’s a tricky one as one persons sweet is another persons sour.
I recognise “wanting to be responsible”, and I am on record supporting regional devolution, coupled with far less central government. I am yet to be convinced that the structures are in place to take the WAG forward, frankly its a mess.
You took out “strong” from my “I believe the Union to be stronger, more comfortable, more certain.”
The other side of the coin is, as I see it, the current chaos of the WAG. It comes across as a college debating chamber rather than a place of governance. Earlier I wrote “regional devolution”, the WAG could be a model for this democratising of the UK, unfortunately the WAG has become a battle ground for ideologies, not good governance.
I was reminded by John Dixon recently that …..
“Some ‘nationalists’ respond to ‘unionists’ on the basis of what they assume them to believe rather than what they actually say; and some ‘unionists’ respond to ‘nationalists’ on the same basis as well. It’s unfortunate, and prevents rather than facilitates debate.”
This Unionist finds “True Wales? … No Wales at all” to be the antithesis of John Dixon’s words, and very disturbing.
Roger
It’s amazing that you attack the “extremist language” of the No brigade, while staying silent about an article that variously accuses those people of being fascistic, suggests that they might resort to paramilitary action, accuses them of being guided by Joseph Goebbels and condemns them as something akin to Nazi collaborators. Have some guts; acknowledge that this is way, way OTT – and can only help those it purports to attack.
This article isn’t reasoned argument. It’s a tirade. It’s the gutter politics of smear (about which, without apparent irony, the article complains). You say there are good arguments for increasing the powers of the Assembly. Then make them. Going down the route of this tawdry, vile line of attack will only drown out those arguments.
I’m sorry to say that many of the supportive contributors to this thread are the ones who come across as extremist and intolerant – and in so doing ironically make the No lot look more reasonable they they are or deserve to be viewed. If you can’t see the difference between disagreeing passionately with someone and accusing them of being a mass murderer then I feel rather sorry for you.
At least I am not afraid to put my name to the blog
I have no problem with a NO campaign, as it concentrates the minds of people wanting a Parliament not to take a yes vote for granted.
As someone who will be voting yes, I particularly welcome David Davies taking the lead on the NO campaign.
What is missing in this discussion is the economics of independence. Has it been costed? For generations, Welsh people have moved to England for better opportunities. They are taxpayers! Many adults (according to the Welsh NHS) have chronic illnesses. Wales has the third highest proportion of elderly people of any EU country. After 50 years of work and taxpaying, they expect to be looked after. There is also the highest proportion of unwed mothers of any West European country. All this takes money!
What is the Senedd doing to arrest the loss of taxpayers, let alone trying to get Welsh emigrants to return? Wales funds their schooling-England benefits! Wales trains some in trades and professions-England benefits. How many more will quit Wales if independence results in higher taxes? How much more taxation will be foisted on taxpayers still there-to drive how many more to England?
English nationalists (not to be confused with the BNP) would LOVE Welsh independence. They would like subsidies to Wales (and Scotland) curtailed. It wouldn’t make the English rich but, hey, nationalists like what makes them feel good. LOSS of the subsidies would be felt in Wales, with its small population. With no Welsh and Scottish MPs, Westminster becomes a free-of-cost English Parliament, and no horrendous cost overruns suffered by Wales and Scotland. There’ll even be spare seats in the Lower House.
Then the English can replace the Welsh Anglican leader with an Englishman and celebrate Welsh and Scottish independence clearing out Welsh and Scottish MPs from Westminster, so they can have an ENGLISH government.
Being familiar with the slightly odd Cambria magazine before, this article is not surprising in its simplistic viciousness. If the anti-devolutionists have to stoop to conjuring up the spectre of Soviet-style poverty, why must cambria seek to balance this out with comparisons with Carson and Goebbels?
Why not try and debate the issues properly?
You’re going to have ‘Soviet-style’ poverty without anyone ’stooping’ to conjure it up! It’s gong to happen with or without Welsh independence…it depends whetehr you want it to be adminstered by the Brits or by us ourselves. Time to get real. You’re the oddball – Cambria is our national magazine and we love it. You’re on Cambriapolitico, in case you hadn’t noticed, which isn’t the same thing as the mag…it’s erm… a blog. D’oh. Sorry, let’s debate these issues properly, you pompous prat.
It is interesting that people can have a civilised debate about general economic/social/foreign policy issues,however once we get on to welsh nationalism/devolution the “tempers”of people rapidly descend to the gutter. The UK for all its faults has provided a governmental system that has allowed personal freedom within the law and its people have been in world economic terms generally well off. The idea that Wales should become independant and create its own governmental structure with its own economic/social/foreign policy with a population of 3 million spread over a wide geographical area is clearly a nonsense. However it is this issue that causes so much concern and anxiety and the belief that the nationalist agenda in all its forms is permeated throughout BBC Wales and the “opinion “forming classes.No body in their right mind can be against democratically elected people to supervise public policy,however what gets up my nose is the role of PC in the “GOVERNMENT” in Cardiff. Their having their cake and eating it by 1)claiming all expenditure on schemes as being down to their expertise and then2) when there isnt enough money to fund everything they blame the English for not giving them enough money. I suppose if Wales did get independance its only an hours drive to the Bridge over the Severn or in North Wales an hour to the border.
Very strange to have so many supposedly profound arguments with such bad grammar and spelling. I’ve read all of George Orwell’s writings and to listen to him there’s an English political State with an English army who fought off the Nazis’ and theoretically would or could have fought off the Russians. The French refer to the ‘Battle of England’ and Great Britain is always sub-titled ‘England’ in French films. There was not a lot of polemic in your arguments, you were mainly attacking one another. In the French L’arrousse dictionary it states, translated, “England, the largest part of Great Britain, limited by Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. What is so wrong in realizing this politically especially now that interdependance is the norm?, we all need each other economically.Only the historical States want to keep a semblance of independance; France is under attack from the United Nations because it does not allow for its minority cultures. Admittedly Professor Gwyn Alf Williams asked “When was Wales” but the fact is that Wales exists and democracy should apply.
Regarding The True Wales No Campaign. Since thier defeat in the last referendum and like bad losers they constantly snipe fron the sidelines. No doubt they will bring out the Anti wales brigade big guns with the next campaign for a powers with bigots and hypocrites like LLEW Smith , Neil Kinnock , Tim Williams & others pouring out their bilge in the no Campaign. I think people now realise how how a small slither of Devolution has improved Wales and now realise that Wales is under the thumb of westminster even with the limited powers the assembly has and that most of the Tory & Labour Welsh MP’s ( He says with a smurk on his face. Welsh yeh right!) are pro England , fat Cats who are quite content for Wales to continue to be the invisable nation of Britain so long as they can get there freebies on the Tax payers expense and to retain their ability to enjoy the delights of soho and the London night life to bother with Wales and It’s Democracy. I urge everybody who gives a dam about Wales , It’s People & History to vote for a parliament because if you don’t we will continue to be treated like a sub province of England whatever political party in power in London I:E Labour & Tories. So forget all the scare stories , The , Mis information by the no Campaign to frighten the voting public against voting Yes , because if you really care about the well being of Wales you will vote yes as a sign of confidence in yourslelf and country .