Monday, February 13, 2006

What’s in a Name 3?

The other interesting point is old Leighton Andrews's reds under the beds scare about 'Senedd' being a name given by the 'Welsh establishment' (read Welsh-speakers). Run that past me again? Welsh establishment? That would be the Labour Party in Wales surely. You know, the party which as mismanaged most of Wales for most of the last hundred years, and then blames everyone else when their constituents have crap facilities.

It seems for Andrews and other British nationalists, they should never be in a situation where they'd have to learn a few words of Welsh. Andrews doesn't mind Welsh-speakers as long as they know their place, don't 'push' Welsh on other Welsh people, and keep their language to themselves. The almost racist paranoia of a 'Welsh-speaking establishment' is a constant part of the British nationalists black propaganda strategy.

But, there is one striking omission from this paranoia. That is the person who embodies the Welsh-speaking establishment par excellence, one Rhodri Morgan AM and First Minister, son of a Professor of Welsh and brother of respected, softly-Welsh-spoken emeritus professor of history.

But, then maybe, this 'Welsh-speaking establishment' business is really Andrews and Huw (in the interest of not pushing Welsh names where there are English ones, surely, shouldn't he be 'Hugh'?) Lewis AM's sneaky way of attacking Rhodri Morgan?

For British nationalist Labour AMs and MPs it's simple. They should never be in a situation where they have to learn to say a new Welsh word. They can't be so honest any more, so they insist that everything should be 'bilingual' - two languages for Welsh speakers, and one for English speakers!

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