Still on the subject of President Obama.
It's not often that I disagree with Damon Lord. It's not often that I agree with Rhodri Morgan either, but I think that Damon's condemnation of Mr Morgan as an ignorant, racist twat is unwarranted.
Rhodri has many failings, but being an ignorant, racist twat isn't one of them. I have known Rhodri for many years. I knew him before he ever became an elected politician and I know that his first hand experience of segregation in the USA, when he was a student there in the 1960's, has had a profound and influencing affect on him and his world view. Rhodri is not a racist and has never, ever, supported any racist view. To claim otherwise is very disingenuous!
As far as Rhodri's comments are concerned I tend to agree with him.
The first point to make is that Barack Obama is the Head of State of the USA, the equal to Her Majesty the Queen in the UK. If the monarchy survives, I can't see an heir apparent marrying a black person or a person of mixed race for at least another four generations. If the UK survives me, I will never see a black head of state. If the UK and its monarchy survive my great grandchildren the likelihood of them seeing a person of colour as head of state is minimal.
Electing a black Prime Minister is a lot more complex than electing a black president.
Four years ago Barack Obama was a newly elected junior senator. Regardless of age, gender, sexual preference or race, no newly elected British MP can become PM in 4 years, rarely is a PM selected before he or she has had 16 years of service as an MP under the belt (I know there have been odd exception). I don't see, at the moment, a "probable" Black or Asian PM amongst those in the Commons now, so it's down to the next tranch of MP's.
If he made a claim, Gordon Brown would be entitled to Disability Living Allowance, and could be noted as our first registered Disabled PM. Having a registered disabled person as Prime Minister would be such a boon and encouragement to the many young people who live with a disability and feel hindered. But Mr Brown chooses to hide his affliction rather than registering it - why? Because he is embarrassed by his disability and he doesn't think that Britain is ready to accept a disabled PM! - Prat!
I honestly don't think that a Black or Asian MP has any chance of being Prime Minister before 2025. If we have our first Labour female PM or the first openly Gay PM before then the black lad's chance will be indefinitely postponed! I can't see it happening in any legislature in these islands in the next 50 years.
I hope that I am wrong - but I doubt it!
So would you like to see the separation of powers come home to Wales, with the Senedd as our legislature and a directly-elected First Minister leading an executive separate from it?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Alwyn. Westminster is a tough ladder to climb and with so few minority ethnic MPs there is unlikely to be a Black PM in the near future.
ReplyDeleteAs for Wales, according to the demographics in the 2001 Census, which admittedly is quite old now, about 97 per cent of those living in Wales are white. Statistically the minority ethnic caucus is overrepresented in the Assembly even though there is only 1 out of 60 BME members.
Although, personally I prefer to look at people on merit rather than anything else.
brother tecwyn said...
ReplyDelete"Although, personally I prefer to look at people on merit rather than anything else."
Quite right too....However, this point seems to evade most people, or at least those who are making a lot of noise. We are now at a time when the economy is in melt-down, the politicians are pretty much clueless as to what to do.....and muppets like MOF only concern is that we have a black prime minister. I do believe that when such inconsequentials are uppermost in the minds of many people, then a dose of reality isn't far away.
When can we have a Prime-minister of Chinese descent?
Actually Mr Mupet I couldn't give a fiddler's fart about the race, religion, gender, sexually orientation, dexterity, baldness, penis size, blondness nor even the ability of an Unionist Prime Minister. I just want the "British" to take their finger out of my pie.
ReplyDeleteIf you read the post before criticising it you would have seen that it wasn't a concern that we have a British PM of any shape or form, but analysis of how likely it is that we will have a British "Head of State" of colour in the near future.
I would have been happier if Hilary Clinton had got the job, but the people spoke (the bastards) and Mr Obama, love him or loath him, is "the most powerful man in the world".
We can wish him well or hope he makes a complete balls up. Personally, I prefer the president of the USA to do well - regardless of political partisanship!
James D said...
ReplyDeleteSo would you like to see the separation of powers come home to Wales, with the Senedd as our legislature and a directly-elected First Minister leading an executive separate from it?
I would like to see Wales as an independent nation. I'm not sure that I would favour the idea of a First Minister "Directly Elected".
I prefer the idea of a "constitutional presidency" where the Head of State is elected with few, but, very strictly defined constitutional prerogatives. The problem with elected presidents with political power is that they can, too easily, become elected dictators.
An incompetent constitutional president can prove to be an embarrassment for a few years, an incompetent political president can prove to be a disaster!