You Can't Eat a Flag!

Sad really, at one time Labour MPs like Betty Williams would patronise Welsh nationalists who were raising concerns about the Welsh language with the pathetic put-down like, 'you can't eat a flag'. Now it seems Labour MPs just want us all to have a belly-full of the Union Jack.

Ian Lucas, well-known British Nationalists (Labour of course) wants us to have a Welsh dimension to the Union Jack. If Lucas knew his history he'd know that Wales is included in the Union Jack, we're represented by the Cross of St George, because under the Act of Union/Incorporation 1536 - Wales is a 'part of the Realm of England'. As Lucas is vociferously in favour of keeping Wales a part of this realm then I'd have thought he'd be happy that Wales was part of his mother country.

And in any case, hasn't this man got anything better to do? Nobody flies the Union Jack in Wales, it's not our flag, nobody gives a toss Lucas. We've got a good flag, the English and Scots have also got their own classy flags, why the hell would we want to mess about with the Union Jack? As Labour have patronised Welsh nationalists over the decades, people aren't interested in identity politics and flags Lucas, they want to talk about "schools'n'hospitals"... or are the British Nationalists now worried that the tide of history is against them?

You know where you can stick your Union Jack, Lucas... oh, and get a life! British Nationalists, what are they good for?

Rally in Support of United Belgium

Still on Belgium. Saw this piece about a pro-Belgian rally in Wallonia. 35,000 people, mostly Francophone in Francophied Brussels, join a rally to support the Belgian state.

Now 35,000 is a lot of people. But two things. French-speakers identify with the Belgian state - and only a small minority of the people were Flemish. So it's a bit like those mass rallies in Madrid a few years ago against ETA and Basque Independence - they would say that wouldn't they. It's a bit like a rally in London against Northern Ireland joining the Republic. It doesn't really say anything. Belgium was built in the image of a French state and it's natural then that French-speakers are very happy with Belgium.

The state has changed a lot since WWI when Flemish conscripts were sent to fight by French-speaking officers not understanding a word which was said to them (bit like Wales really) but every concession the Flemish movement and Dutch language has won is that, a concession, from a Francophone state. Seeing french-speakers marching for Belgium is like seeing Russians marching to keep the USSR or Turks marching to keep a united Turkey against an independent Kurdistan.

They want to keep a state which gives their language prestige over a larger territory - of course they want to support that. And of course, this is all done in the name of warm words like 'unity' and 'diversity'. No doubt, the Flemish would be flying Belgian flags if Belgian had been created in the image of a Dutch-speaking state and people able to speak Dutch in Wallonia and Dutch taking over towns in French-speaking Wallonia too.

There's also the ubiquitous 'why don't politicians discuss schools/hospitals/work' which the rally organiser complains about. Conceit is a funny thing. No doubt if parts of Wallonia became Dutch-speaking, or dare I say Brussels - which was a majority Dutch-speaking city until the Second World War, then the Francophones would be up in arms.

The other interesting development is Belgian flag-waving. Funny how the Belgian nationalists are now flying flags, no doubt after years of patronising Flemish patriots as 'flag-waving nationalists'. Funny how Brit Nats now want us to fly their flag too in the name of 'unity' and 'diversity' after years of implying that Welsh nationalists were extremist flag wavers.

What's the point of Belgium?

Over 150 days without a central government (there are another 5 or 6 levels of government depending where you live) and Belgium still stutters on.

Quite a balanced piece in the Guardian on Tuesday by Jon Henley. Although it fails to ask how would the British Nats (yes, the Labour government) react if, say, the commuter belt of London became French-speaking because French people couldn't be arsed to learn English?

Forget the usual bunk about 'diversity'. The Brit Nats supported the Falklands War because they weren't ready to see a part of British territory change from being an English-speaking community to being a Spanish one... and, yes, that it the bottom line in yet another British 'ethnic' war.

The Flemings aren't sending in troops, but Britain's different. It was more than ready to kill and die because it was unwilling to become French-speaking which is why she fought an ethnic war against Napoleon or German-speaking which is why she fought an ethnic war with the Germans (twice).

There are no millions dead on the account of Flemish nationalism - unlike British nationalism! Flemings are no more (probably even less) nationalistic than your average Brit Nat Labour voter or Minister.

The Wallon minister in the piece, Pique, says that the demise of Belgium would be 'a victory for selfishness' - yes he's right, the selfishness of French-speakers to think they musn't stoop so low as to learn Dutch if they live in Flanders.

Henley comes out with the usual line at the end of the piece about the Belgians may 'be missing their country'. But Belgium isn't a country, it's a state. How many people miss states? - how many Czechs or Slovaks 'miss' Czechoslovakia and apart from Russian nationalists, how many 'miss' the USSR?

States aren't important - countries and languages are! The moral reason for a state is to protect and promote a language and culture. There is no Belgian language so there is no moral reason for that state. The moral reason for the creation of the Belgian state was partly Catholic culture and French-speaking nationalism by the upper-class who didn't want to live in a Dutch-speaking state (although that state gave them wide linguistic rights).

That French-speaking moral reason for Belgium is gone. We've no reason to mourn the death of Belgium any more than mourn the death of Burgundy, the Spanish Netherlands or Napoleon's Batavian Republic - or the UK. They are just states.

Get Dafydd Iwan in the charts for Ray Gravell

From Facebook Group:

Dafydd Iwan was Grav's favourite singer and it's well known that before games he would sing Dafydd Iwan songs emotionally.

It's a bit of a wild idea but I thought i'd try to get as many people as I could to buy 'Yma o hyd' online from itunes or another online store. Maybe we'll outsell Leona Lewis! Singles only cost 79p, the price of a bottle of Coke. Let's see what happens!

Only join the group if you have bought or are intending to buy the song. Click on the link below to buy the single from Itunes:

iTunes Store - Dafydd Iwan ac Ar Log -iTunes Store - Dafydd Iwan ac Ar Log - Yma o Hyd - Yma O Hyd

Petition the WRU - Ray Gravell Cup

PETITION THE WELSH RUGBY UNION TO RENAME

The ‘Prince William Cup’

THE

RAY GRAVELL CUP!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION NOW

In memory of a great Welshman and rugby hero. Er serchus cof.

Sponsored by Cambria Magazine.

Get in touch with the WRU - Cwpan Ray Gravell

I posted earlier my thoughts about the late Ray Gravell. About his humanity, humility and undying passion for the Welsh language and Wales. I ended the post by commenting that 'Cwpan Ray Gravell' would be a much better name for future games between Wales and South Africa than 'Prince William Cup'. I said:

If the WRU has any self-respect for Wales as a nation and one of Wales and Welsh rugby's best ambassadors then the forthcoming game (and all future matches) between Wales and South Africa will be re-named "Cwpan Ray Gravell".

This, surely, is the chance for the WRU to show their true colour - ditch the cringe, sycophantic Prince William Cup, forget about their little OBE's and knighthoods, and remember and celebrate the life of a man who gave so much to Welsh rugby and Welsh life and was a better Ambassador for Wales than Prince William will ever be - the Prince William Cup is an affront to us as a nation.

Since making that post, I have received a steady stream of messages supporting the idea, with many stating that they had already contacted the WRU calling for this change of name.

If you also agree, please email the WRU - info@wru.co.uk - urging them to change the name of the Cup to 'Cwpan Ray Gravell' as soon as possible. You can also telephone them on 0870 013 8600 or write to Welsh Rugby Union, 101 Golate House, St Mary Street, City Centre, Cardiff, CF10 1GE.

If you are a member of facebook, you can join a group calling for the same thing here...

GRAV AM BYTH!

If anyone deserves a state funeral with draped flag on the coffin and piper to lead the procession (which will be hundreds strong) then Ray Gravell is that man.

His untimely death is truly a sad day for Wales. His humanity, humility and undying passion for the Welsh language and Wales was an inspiration to thousands.

His unflinching belief in Wales and the Welsh language was so very different to the grey, servile, sycophantic tradition, which permeates through parts of Welsh rugby.

In him, Wales truly was one - a man who felt at home in the cultures of the Welsh language as well as the cultures of the English language in Wales. The Labour-Plaid pact, Cymru'n Un / One Wales almost sums up what Ray Gravell was - Cymru'n Un.

If the WRU has any self-respect for Wales as a nation and one of Wales and Welsh rugby's best ambassadors then the forthcoming game (and all future matches) between Wales and South Africa will be re-named "Cwpan Ray Gravell".


This, surely, is the chance for the WRU to show their true colour - ditch the cringe, sycophantic Prince William Cup, forget about their little OBE's and knighthoods, and remember and celebrate the life of a man who gave so much to Welsh rugby and Welsh life and was a better Ambassador for Wales than Prince William will ever be - the Prince William Cup is an affront to us as a nation.

Ray Gravell was a man for us to be proud of.

Pay your Tribute to Ray Gravell:
On the BBC News Website
On the BBC Five Live Website