Kernow - A Nation Once Again

The future of Europe is a patchwork of historic and (what Marxists used to call) 'non-historic' nations - England, Estonia, Montenegro, Germany, Flanders and Cornwall. The more nation states the greater democracy.

The more nation-states the greater we educate one another about different cultures and languages. Those who wish to see a Europe of a dozen or so large countries are the ones who belong to the past, or to the rectangular states of the American Mid-West. Europe's strength is its diversity.

In this new Europe we wish well to our English neighbours in their quest for independence, but ask them to respect the Cornish identity. An amazing blossoming has happened in this small corner of Europe.

A national consciousness re-born in the last few decades. With the re-launch of the Cornish Constitutional Convention, now is the time that we recognise its constitutional aspiration. Cornwall's population is onlyslightly less than Montenegro - who only a few weeks ago regained her independence.

The results from the 2001 UK census show that over thirty seven thousand people claimed Cornish identity instead of choosing English or British. On this census to claim Cornish identity you had to deny being British, by crossing out the British option, and then write Cornish in the others box. Additionally the decision to collect information on Cornish identity was extremely badly publicised.

How many more would have described themselves as Cornish if there had been a Cornish tick box? How many people knew that it was an option? How many ticked British but feel themselves Cornish British? Cornwall Council's Feb 2003 MORI Poll showed 55% in favour of a democratically elected, fully devolved regional assembly for Cornwall, (this was an increase from 46% in favour in a 2002 poll).

Labour's typical Brit Nat response has been to ignore the overwhelming public support for a Cornish Assembly. Instead, it has constructed a network of bogus unelected and unaccountable bodies such as the South West Regional Assembly and the South West Regional Development Agency, which have taken control over areas such as economic development, housing and strategic planning, further and further away from the communities of Cornwall. It's about time the Brit Nat Labour government organised a referendum in Cornwall for a devolved Cornish assembly and stopped pushing the South West boil-in-the-bag region on the Cornish.

All right-minded nationalists should sign this petition calling on the UK Government to hold a referendum in Cornwall on the question of establishing a Cornish Assembly.

'We Were Wrong' - Labour

Yes, Labour finally admit they were wrong about the whole 'nationalism is Nazism' crap we Welsh nationalists have had to put up with since, well, since before Nazism was even invented!

Labour thinkers finally come out of the closet and admit that nationalism can be a good thing. Shock horror! The article that comes clean is one by David Goodhart, author of Progressive Nationalism: Citizenship and the Left, published by Demos and featured in the Guardian.

There's a typical Labour caveat, 'progressive nationalism', just in case we thought Labour was for ethnic cleansing and genocide - which it isn't of course, but this doesn't stop them implying that Welsh nationalists are.

We're glad that the Labour Party is discussing this. We'll be very glad (and surprised) when we see Labour include Plaid Cymru as being 'progressive nationalists' - we don't hold our breath - their whole being in Wales depends on being anti-Welsh nationalist and so can't give any credibility to it's position.

Of course, Labour being Labour, are still talking about British Nationalism. If Britain is a nation, what are Wales, England, and Scotland, and what is Cornwall? Is Britain some 'uber-nation' maybe?

There's the usual patronising stuff too about members of ethnic minorities feeling safer with British as opposed to English nationalism - which is both insulting to the ethnic minorities who'll be supporting England in the forthcoming World Cup and an insult to white English people by implying they're incapable or unwilling (i.e. racist) to creating an English civic/progressive nationalism.

Goodhart - welcome to the club, you've realised nationalism is a more respectable being than patriotism because nationalism is built on a political theory which is to create a vehicle for a defined political means. Patriotism is emotion - a dangerous emotion that can be used by politicians.

Welsh nationalism is a vehicle to protect and promote the Welsh language and the concept of Welsh cultural, political and economic priorities. It was created to de-normalise the political vehicle of British nationalism that has decimated our language and denied our identity. Nationalism is a political vehicle not an end unto itself. People aren't Welsh nationalists because they think Wales is better than any were else (it patently isn't!).

Where Goodhart's thesis falls down is with his turgid adherence to British nationalism. The English are disengaging from Britain it will soon be a minority sport supported by the Brit Nat left wing and the egos of politicians.

Goodhart, forget Britian and do something exciting and honest - go create a vibrant civic left wing English nationalism. Now that WOULD be revolutionary.

Football of the future

It was great to watch Wales's football match against the Basque Country on Sunday. Wales were playing against a country which fully deserves to have its own football team and which in comparison to Wales, is in many ways more developed as a nation.

It is a lucky historical fluke that Wales (along with England and Scotland) has it's own football team. It's a great source of joy, and would be even more so if we actually made our way to the final rounds sometimes! Never mind, better a national team that doesn't win world cups than no national team at all. It's with commiseration then that we see that our Basque brothers don't even have the right to try and qualify for the World Cup Finals.

The joys of having a national team are many. Not only are people across the world more likely to know about Wales - which is good for self esteem and the tourist industry - but there's also the great away trips.

But one fact that is rarely mentioned is the importance of a national football team in creating a civic identity. For a stateless nation Wales has a surprisingly advanced civic identity. This is to be welcomed (as long as it's not used to demote the centrality and rights of the Welsh language, as is sometimes done by Labour Brit Nats).

Our civic national identity is down, in no small way, to our national football and rugby sides and is an important unifying expression for all people who live in Wales. This is something that the Spanish Nationalists wish to deny the Basques. And isn't it funny, that those who whish to deny a national football team for the Basques, Catalans or Bretons would never get rid of their own Spanish or French teams.

Maybe had the Basques had their own football team in the 1960s then ETA's violence would have finished earlier and the Basques would have developed a stronger civic nationalism.

We look forward to playing the Basques again - but next time in UEFA's European Cup! Gora Eskadi - Cymru am Byth.

Brit Left - Brit Nats!

The Brit Left are increasingly coming out of the cupboard as Brit Nats. Nothing new there - any Welsh nationalist knew that British nationalism was the one defining thing that held the Labour vote together. All talk of socialism and internationalism was just dressed up class jingoism to give some legitimacy for instinctively being hostile to any Welsh identity which went further than the rugby field and semi-racist nonsense that Welsh people and communities were friendlier than any where else.

Labour was built on cultural nationalism; a British, white colony, English-language nationalism ... a point which their most intelligent AMs like Leighton Andrews understands - hence the Kulturkampf over the leadership of the Arts Council and appointment of the Dai Welsh-isn't-good-enough-for-me-to speak Smith.

This article in the Fabian Review gives an interesting argument laying out justification for the Labour's latest instalment of British nationalism.

But, hell, why don't they just give it a rest and treat the Welsh, English and Scots like grown-ups? There is no need for Britain. In an interdependent world, apart from wage war, what can Britain do which none of its constituent countries couldn't? We understand that Scottish and Welsh Labour MPs want to keep Britain for the glory of their own personal egos, but, please, give it a rest.

UK RIP? Yes. It wouldn't be the 'Balkanisation of Britain' as Kim commie-cum-capitalist Howells famously said, but the 'Scandinavianisation of Britain'!

Congratulations Montenegro - Llongyfarchiadau!

Congratulations to Montenegro on becoming the latest member of the international community. This beautiful country - the last constituent republic of Yugoslavia - voted to restore her independence after 90 years of waiting.

Of course, there's the usual unsubstantiated rubbish that Montenegro is 'too small' (around 600,00 inhabitants – 20% of the Welsh population) to become independent and won't survive 'by itself'.

Why do those against independence for smaller nations always say this? Does the UK 'survive by itself' - does the UK grow its own bananas and build all her own cars and TV sets?

No doubt when the US citizens were fighting for their independence there were unionist and Brits saying the US 'couldn't survive without Britain'.

Take a look at the facts boys, the small 'uneconomic' nations of Europe are doing quite well - Luxembourg, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia... - you get the point. It's just cod-economic and prejudice that says Wales or Scotland wouldn't do well too.

The Montenegrins over came the EU's gerrymandering 55% threshold too, which made every vote for independence worth less than one against. The independence vote got 20% more than Labour got at the last election. People, well Brit Nats and French Nats, may complain about 'too many countries' in Europe. What's the problem?

A diversity of nation states shows a healthy diversity of respect for different language and cultures. It's a sign of Europe's strength and democracy that so many states exist. Brits may patronise the 'Balkans' and their 'ethnic wars' but what was the First and Second World War?

Ethnic boundaries? Isn't every boundary in Europe an 'ethnic border' created by war? North and Southern Ireland, Germany and France, Germany and Denmark, France and Italy etc. And for all their talk about 'ethnic hatred' there isn't one East European language which is facing extinction such as Breton under the French state and Scots Gaelic and Welsh in the UK.

Good on Montenegro - an example to us all. Can't wait to see the tourist brochures - looks like a beautiful country.

Stop poaching in Wales EDP!

What's this business then? As Welsh nationalists we're supportive of English nationalist aspirations. Historically it is Britishness that is a threat to Welsh and Wales not Englishness.

It's in the name of Britishness that the British nationalists of the Labour Party made sure that you could be a Welshman and not speak Welsh but not be a Welshman and not speak English.

It's Britishness (which is again being stuffed down our throats by the Brit Nats Labour Party and their latest 'British Culture and traditions' indoctrination lessons in school) that deletes Wales and Welshness.

We can live and get along quite happily with English nationalism. So what's this stunt all about? We already speak your language what more do you want?

Start winning seats in England, recognise Cornwall's aspirations to nationhood, and sort your own country out, but stop poaching in Wales!

Welsh Language Act Festival

Please support this Festival.

Simultaneous translation available during main speeches. If you'd like to place a banner similar to the one at the top of this blog (in English or Welsh) on yours, you can get the code form this thread on maes-e.

To book a place on a bus to the event, contact Angharad for buses from the south and Dewi for buses from the north.

Owen Smith

Which elite governs Wales then? What's this drugs firm? Ah well, at least he's principled enough not to speak Welsh. Talking of principles, what happened to the principle of the women's only list?

"A FORMER TV producer who now is a senior lobbyist for the drugs firm that produces Viagra will be standing for Labour in the Blaenau Gwent parliamentary by-election caused by the death of Peter Law. Owen Smith - whose father Professor Dai Smith is the interim chairman of the Arts Council of Wales - defeated six other hopefuls in a selection ballot held in Ebbw Vale last night."

What's the point of Britain?

We haven't mentioned Scotland for a long time. Here's an interesting piece from the Scottish perspective. Basically, except for being Labour voting fodder, what's the point of Britain?