The Children's Commissioner for Wales isn't very happy about the fact that Westminster has stopped the National Assembly from outlawing the physical chastisement of children in Wales. Quite right too. Members elected by the people of Wales should be allowed to decide upon this issue. I can't understand the logic that says that politicians in Westminster are more competent to decide how hard Welsh children are thrashed than politicians in the Bay.
If the competence is passed down to the Assembly, members of all parties have agreed that physical chastisement should be abolished in Wales.
I understand the arguments against the physical punishment of children, but Helen Mary made a point on Question Time last night that makes me wonder if the arguments are as child friendly as they might appear.
In response to a question about the increase in the number of girls gaining criminal records, Helen suggested that girls' behaviour wasn't worse now than it had ever been, it is just that issues that might previously have been dealt with within schools are now being reported to the police.
Isn't this a direct result of teachers and parents being denied the ability to chastise children?
If I had hit a fellow pupil when I was in school, I would have been caned by the headmaster. If my son hits a classmate he will be charged with assault, taken to court and have a criminal record for the rest of his life. Whatever the rights or wrongs of corporal punishment, given the choice, I would prefer the cane!
I know from bitter experience that when Mr Evans (my headmaster) caned a boy he couldn't sit in comfort for a week and a half, but surely that is less cruel than being condemned as a criminal for the whole of ones life.
16/05/2008
15/05/2008
Click the Flag
I am not sure if it is strictly a blog or a web page. However, newly elected Councillor Owen Llywelyn (Plaid Cymru, Dyffryn Aeron) has a new "with feeds" presence on the internet.
The page has caused some controversy on the Welsh Language discussion board Maes-e
Cllr Llywelyn has a bilingual site. To read his pearls of wisdom in Welsh one clicks a Red Dragon Flag, to read them in English click the Union Jack.
To me this gives the message that only Welsh speakers are truly Welsh and that non Welsh speaking Welsh people are Brits.
I'm sure that this message is unintentional, perhaps I'm being petty. I would like to know what others feel, especially non Welsh speaking nationalists / supporters of Plaid.
The page has caused some controversy on the Welsh Language discussion board Maes-e
Cllr Llywelyn has a bilingual site. To read his pearls of wisdom in Welsh one clicks a Red Dragon Flag, to read them in English click the Union Jack.
To me this gives the message that only Welsh speakers are truly Welsh and that non Welsh speaking Welsh people are Brits.
I'm sure that this message is unintentional, perhaps I'm being petty. I would like to know what others feel, especially non Welsh speaking nationalists / supporters of Plaid.
14/05/2008
Plaid Poodles?
The latest offering from Paul Flynn MP mentions that his classic book Dragons Led by Poodles is, and always has been available on line. I didn't know that! Had I known, I wouldn't have bought the hard copy. However it was interesting to revisit the book and remember the good old days!
In one of my earliest posts on this blog I mentioned the anomaly of how Scotland has more powers but Wales appears to have more independence. The main reason for this is, of course, because of that London v Wales battle that Wales won so early on in the era of Devolution.
The Labour government in Scotland took its orders from London for 8 devolved years and became a puppet government, which is only know realising the strength of its position under a different party. London has taken a once bitten twice shy attitude towards Wales after Alun Michael was sacked, and has allowed Wales to follow its own agenda.
If one thinks about the mess in Scotland over Wendy Alexander's sort-of support for a referendum. She said Brown supported it, he said he agreed with what she said but what she said wasn't what others thought they heard, and she agreed with Brown but wasn't backing down on what she said because he said what she said so they both agree!
That couldn't happen in Wales, we all know that if Brown said NO, Rhodri would say “**** you“, and do as he pleased.
Its was called Clear Red Water and it worked.
But hold on – London Labour says no referendum in Wales before 2012. Why hasn't Rhodri given the Welsh Agincourt salute to London's NO, on this issue?
Could it be that the poodles have won the long game?
Or could it be that the so called dragons in Labour have no intention of holding a referendum before 2012?
Why is Plaid still supporting Labour in the Assembly, on the basis of an agreement that said that the referendum would be held before 2010, if both poodles and dragons are opposed?
Could it be that Plaid likes the trappings of government, and has sold the nation for petty power?
Surely not!
What does Plaid want?
A referendum on extra powers within the next 16 months? Or an excuse to remain Labour's partner until 2015?
What does Labour want?
An excuse to hold Plaid over a barrel for three years? Or what's best for Wales?
We deserve to know the truth from both parties!
In one of my earliest posts on this blog I mentioned the anomaly of how Scotland has more powers but Wales appears to have more independence. The main reason for this is, of course, because of that London v Wales battle that Wales won so early on in the era of Devolution.
The Labour government in Scotland took its orders from London for 8 devolved years and became a puppet government, which is only know realising the strength of its position under a different party. London has taken a once bitten twice shy attitude towards Wales after Alun Michael was sacked, and has allowed Wales to follow its own agenda.
If one thinks about the mess in Scotland over Wendy Alexander's sort-of support for a referendum. She said Brown supported it, he said he agreed with what she said but what she said wasn't what others thought they heard, and she agreed with Brown but wasn't backing down on what she said because he said what she said so they both agree!
That couldn't happen in Wales, we all know that if Brown said NO, Rhodri would say “**** you“, and do as he pleased.
Its was called Clear Red Water and it worked.
But hold on – London Labour says no referendum in Wales before 2012. Why hasn't Rhodri given the Welsh Agincourt salute to London's NO, on this issue?
Could it be that the poodles have won the long game?
Or could it be that the so called dragons in Labour have no intention of holding a referendum before 2012?
Why is Plaid still supporting Labour in the Assembly, on the basis of an agreement that said that the referendum would be held before 2010, if both poodles and dragons are opposed?
Could it be that Plaid likes the trappings of government, and has sold the nation for petty power?
Surely not!
What does Plaid want?
A referendum on extra powers within the next 16 months? Or an excuse to remain Labour's partner until 2015?
What does Labour want?
An excuse to hold Plaid over a barrel for three years? Or what's best for Wales?
We deserve to know the truth from both parties!
09/05/2008
Boris' Welsh Voice-peace
I am dumbfounded. Ian Dale reports that a few months after leaving the Beeb for a job with communications company Fleishman Hillard Guto Harri has resigned, in order to become Boris Johnson's Director of Communications.
Apparently Guto and Boris were mates in Oxford University.
Apparently Guto and Boris were mates in Oxford University.
Pum Punt?
Amongst the organisations that Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas intends to bring under the Welsh Language Act are the Bank of England, about time too!
Services provided under the Act tend to be those that are most visible, signage, official documents etc. The most visible service provided by the Bank of England is issuing bank notes. Will including the bank under the terms of the act result in issuing bilingual bank notes. I do hope so!
Services provided under the Act tend to be those that are most visible, signage, official documents etc. The most visible service provided by the Bank of England is issuing bank notes. Will including the bank under the terms of the act result in issuing bilingual bank notes. I do hope so!
08/05/2008
Save my Kids - legalise drugs!
I have never taken an illegal drug in my life. When I was at the influential age drugs weren't a part of the culture of rural mid-Wales, so I didn't have the chance to use drugs as a teenager / young adult. But I fell for beer and fags without much of a fight - so I would, probably, have gone for other things had they been available.
When I see people who suffer from drug addiction I don't feel holier than thou, I feel there but for the grace of God go I!
I am the father of two boys who are approaching teenage years. I hope that neither of them ever touch a presently illegal drug, but statistics suggest that my hope will not be realised. I hope against hope that they will buck the trend and live drug free lives. But, if they become part of the statistics I want them to have the safest possible experience.
The reason that the Government wants to reclassify cannabis is because the cannabis on sale now is apparently stronger than it use to be. Today's joint may be 10 x stronger than the joint of a decade ago.
Many overdose deaths are caused because users think that they are taking the same amount of a drug as usual. Apparently the purity of some drugs depends on market forces. A dose of heroin may be as high as 100% purity or as low as 10% purity, so you don't know if you are drinking a pint of whisky or a pint of beer!
If my kids do go down the drugs road, I would prefer that road to be regulated by the Government rather than the Mafia. I would prefer them to be able to read strength and cutting ingredients on the package under trading standards rules, rather than to guess strength and hope that nothing toxic has been used in the cut.
Like every Tory MP and Daily Mail reader I would like to live in a society where recreational drugs don't exist or only exist amongst the criminally insane. Unfortunately that place is now called Cloud Cuckoo Land. Drug taking is part of our current social existence. Banning drugs has failed miserably. Legalising drugs under strict licence is the only sensible way of dealing with the problem, and the only way of ensuring the safety of our children as they grow up in a drug taking world.
When I see people who suffer from drug addiction I don't feel holier than thou, I feel there but for the grace of God go I!
I am the father of two boys who are approaching teenage years. I hope that neither of them ever touch a presently illegal drug, but statistics suggest that my hope will not be realised. I hope against hope that they will buck the trend and live drug free lives. But, if they become part of the statistics I want them to have the safest possible experience.
The reason that the Government wants to reclassify cannabis is because the cannabis on sale now is apparently stronger than it use to be. Today's joint may be 10 x stronger than the joint of a decade ago.
Many overdose deaths are caused because users think that they are taking the same amount of a drug as usual. Apparently the purity of some drugs depends on market forces. A dose of heroin may be as high as 100% purity or as low as 10% purity, so you don't know if you are drinking a pint of whisky or a pint of beer!
If my kids do go down the drugs road, I would prefer that road to be regulated by the Government rather than the Mafia. I would prefer them to be able to read strength and cutting ingredients on the package under trading standards rules, rather than to guess strength and hope that nothing toxic has been used in the cut.
Like every Tory MP and Daily Mail reader I would like to live in a society where recreational drugs don't exist or only exist amongst the criminally insane. Unfortunately that place is now called Cloud Cuckoo Land. Drug taking is part of our current social existence. Banning drugs has failed miserably. Legalising drugs under strict licence is the only sensible way of dealing with the problem, and the only way of ensuring the safety of our children as they grow up in a drug taking world.
06/05/2008
A Normal Referendum
I enjoy Normal Mouth's contributions to Golwg, they are generally better than his usual blog posts. I suspect that he tries to be less partisan in the magazine than he is on his blog, by doing so he gives an interesting view on Welsh politics.
As an aside Normal is obviously employed by Golwg as a blogger - he took over the column from Blamerbell - so why doesn't the magazine recognise this by publishing his and other Welsh blogger's URLs?
I was disappointed by Normal's latest offering in which he claims that those who want an early referendum on further powers for the Assembly are faking it and that all of us really truly support Peter Hain and Paul Murphy's policies of procrastination.
Normal's current article is full of inaccuracies.
Firstly he says:
There is a fourth option. some of us believe (for a variety of different reasons) that a referendum is not needed / undesirable and that it would be better if the Government of Wales Act was amended forthwith to get rid of the referendum clause.
Secondly Normal claims:
If a snap referendum was held tomorrow all the signs seem to suggest that it would be won by the YES side. The sediment in the clear spring water appears to be a fear that some Labour dinosaurs (naming no names) would do a Kinnock and campaign against Labour Party policy in a big way, scupering the referendum, as in 1979. This is a real problem. But I can't see that delay will solve it. Is there any guarantee that they will have changed their minds by 2012 or 2016? No!
There have been pro and anti home rule wings in Labour since its inception 100 years ago and if the anti's are appeased they will continue for another 100 years. The Labour opponents of enhanced devolution need to be taken by the horns and fought with now. Delaying the fight won't make the fight less bloody, won't make the outcome more secure and wont make victory smell sweeter of defeat smell less bitter.
Those who believe in enhanced devolution, in all parties, should campaign for it and aim for it now - there is nothing to be gained by procrastination!
Thirdly Normal claims that:
I disagree. On three counts:
No new powers will be given to the Assembly by a Yes vote. The powers are already there in the Act. A Yes vote just makes gaining the powers simpler. Loosing the vote will be an administrative rather than a political problem.
Win or loose the nationalist cause (with or without Plaid, but probably with) will be enabled to go on to the next step in the evolution of devolution.
In other countries (Quebec for example) losing a referendum on autonomy has strengthened the national party. Their most extreme proposal is put off for a generation, which makes them stronger "regional" representatives within the status quo. A raging nationalist bull may not be electable, but emasculate it by referendum and it may be given the chance to govern, as a tame bullock, until its cahones reappear!
The worst failing in Normal's article is this statement:
There has only ever been one UK wide referendum, the EU one in 197?. The purpose then was to get a yes vote. In Wales we have had many more referendums. The Sunday drinking referendums were introduced specifically to enable a no vote, in order to reverse an act perceived by both Labour and Conservative politicians as passed as an appeasement to north Wales, Welsh speaking, chapel-going, Liberals. The 1979 devolution referendums which included the if you are dead you have voted no clause was hardly geared to the yes side. Most calls for UK referenda, the Euro, Mastricht, Lisbon etc, of recent years have been called for, specifically, in order to gain a no vote.
All in all, it is those who are opposed to Wales, those who have a NO attitude to Wales, who insist on a referendum for Wales to be treated as a grown up country and who also insist that such a referendum should be delayed forever and a day.
As an aside Normal is obviously employed by Golwg as a blogger - he took over the column from Blamerbell - so why doesn't the magazine recognise this by publishing his and other Welsh blogger's URLs?
I was disappointed by Normal's latest offering in which he claims that those who want an early referendum on further powers for the Assembly are faking it and that all of us really truly support Peter Hain and Paul Murphy's policies of procrastination.
Normal's current article is full of inaccuracies.
Firstly he says:
The Welsh political elite currently divides into three camps: those who say they want primary powers via an earlier referendum, those who say they want primary powers via a later referendum and those who don’t want primary powers at all.
There is a fourth option. some of us believe (for a variety of different reasons) that a referendum is not needed / undesirable and that it would be better if the Government of Wales Act was amended forthwith to get rid of the referendum clause.
Secondly Normal claims:
Few politicians genuinely seem to want an early referendum. Labour has claimed credit for the Convention idea, a device that at least punts decision time into the future. Some, however, credit Plaid as the true authors of this deft delaying tactic.
If a snap referendum was held tomorrow all the signs seem to suggest that it would be won by the YES side. The sediment in the clear spring water appears to be a fear that some Labour dinosaurs (naming no names) would do a Kinnock and campaign against Labour Party policy in a big way, scupering the referendum, as in 1979. This is a real problem. But I can't see that delay will solve it. Is there any guarantee that they will have changed their minds by 2012 or 2016? No!
There have been pro and anti home rule wings in Labour since its inception 100 years ago and if the anti's are appeased they will continue for another 100 years. The Labour opponents of enhanced devolution need to be taken by the horns and fought with now. Delaying the fight won't make the fight less bloody, won't make the outcome more secure and wont make victory smell sweeter of defeat smell less bitter.
Those who believe in enhanced devolution, in all parties, should campaign for it and aim for it now - there is nothing to be gained by procrastination!
Thirdly Normal claims that:
The consequences of a “no” vote would be catastrophic, for devolution and for Plaid.
I disagree. On three counts:
The worst failing in Normal's article is this statement:
It is hard to argue for a referendum so that people can vote no
There has only ever been one UK wide referendum, the EU one in 197?. The purpose then was to get a yes vote. In Wales we have had many more referendums. The Sunday drinking referendums were introduced specifically to enable a no vote, in order to reverse an act perceived by both Labour and Conservative politicians as passed as an appeasement to north Wales, Welsh speaking, chapel-going, Liberals. The 1979 devolution referendums which included the if you are dead you have voted no clause was hardly geared to the yes side. Most calls for UK referenda, the Euro, Mastricht, Lisbon etc, of recent years have been called for, specifically, in order to gain a no vote.
All in all, it is those who are opposed to Wales, those who have a NO attitude to Wales, who insist on a referendum for Wales to be treated as a grown up country and who also insist that such a referendum should be delayed forever and a day.
Election Thoughts
This is a late post on my thoughts about the council elections, but inspired by The Prof's latest post.
Dylan thinks that there will be a Plaid Cymru / Llais Gwynedd coalition in Gwynedd!
I think that it is unlikely that Plaid and Llais will kiss and make up. If Llais was to co-operate with Plaid, having stood an election on a basically anti-Plaid ticket, they would look like real prats!
However, I suspect that the reason he might think that they are close is because they are both nationalist parties. Meaning that nationalists made a net gain of eight seats in Gwynedd last week. A bad night for Plaid, maybe, - but a good night for Welsh nationalism? Having nationalists in both government and opposition in Gwynedd will be interesting - will a nationalist debate enhance the cause or will a nationalist split wound it?
Dylan says that the Tories should exclude Plaid Cymru in Conwy as there is no political benefit whatsoever to the Conservatives to have them sitting in the cabinet.
Plaid and the Conservatives have served together in Conwy over the past four years. The fact that the Tories will want to exclude them this time has got nothing to do with sob stories in Gogarth. With Labour hemorrhaging votes and the most Labour part of Conwy having been swapped for a more Plaidish area in the new seat, the next Westminster election is going to be Tory v Plaid in Aberconwy. So it is probably not in either party's best interest for them to work together. However the Plaid group decided that they would not serve in a Tory led council - they have NOT been excluded by the Conservatives!
Looking at the wider picture Plaid has more county councillors today than it has ever had and gained more seats in Wales than the Lib Dems gained in both England and Wales. Interestingly half of the Lib Dems' total gains came from Wales. A good result for both Welsh parties on the whole.
BUT!
When people protest against Labour in Wales either Plaid and or / the Liberal Democrats should be making hay. Neither party (separately or jointly) made the sorts of gains they should have made in the wake of a Labour meltdown!
Next years Euro-elections might be a better indicator of the way the party winds are blowing, when the independents and the localistics won’t muddy the waters as much. However if the natural benefactors of protest votes don’t up the ante during the next twelve months, then the others the Greens, UKIP, the BNP, The Monster Raving Loonies etc might attract sufficient votes to allow Labour to retain its spare Welsh euro-seat.
Dylan thinks that there will be a Plaid Cymru / Llais Gwynedd coalition in Gwynedd!
I think that it is unlikely that Plaid and Llais will kiss and make up. If Llais was to co-operate with Plaid, having stood an election on a basically anti-Plaid ticket, they would look like real prats!
However, I suspect that the reason he might think that they are close is because they are both nationalist parties. Meaning that nationalists made a net gain of eight seats in Gwynedd last week. A bad night for Plaid, maybe, - but a good night for Welsh nationalism? Having nationalists in both government and opposition in Gwynedd will be interesting - will a nationalist debate enhance the cause or will a nationalist split wound it?
Dylan says that the Tories should exclude Plaid Cymru in Conwy as there is no political benefit whatsoever to the Conservatives to have them sitting in the cabinet.
Plaid and the Conservatives have served together in Conwy over the past four years. The fact that the Tories will want to exclude them this time has got nothing to do with sob stories in Gogarth. With Labour hemorrhaging votes and the most Labour part of Conwy having been swapped for a more Plaidish area in the new seat, the next Westminster election is going to be Tory v Plaid in Aberconwy. So it is probably not in either party's best interest for them to work together. However the Plaid group decided that they would not serve in a Tory led council - they have NOT been excluded by the Conservatives!
Looking at the wider picture Plaid has more county councillors today than it has ever had and gained more seats in Wales than the Lib Dems gained in both England and Wales. Interestingly half of the Lib Dems' total gains came from Wales. A good result for both Welsh parties on the whole.
BUT!
When people protest against Labour in Wales either Plaid and or / the Liberal Democrats should be making hay. Neither party (separately or jointly) made the sorts of gains they should have made in the wake of a Labour meltdown!
Next years Euro-elections might be a better indicator of the way the party winds are blowing, when the independents and the localistics won’t muddy the waters as much. However if the natural benefactors of protest votes don’t up the ante during the next twelve months, then the others the Greens, UKIP, the BNP, The Monster Raving Loonies etc might attract sufficient votes to allow Labour to retain its spare Welsh euro-seat.
Silly Old Fart!
A few of the next posts are going to be rather late, in that they are things that I could have and should have said over the weekend. I could make the excuse that it was because of the bank holiday and family duties etc. Unfortunately the reason for my late comments are a bit more stupid.
Having stopped up to watch the election results all night last Thursday / Friday and, as one does, drinking a can in toast at every good result and throwing a can at the telly for every bad result, I came across an interesting story on the BBC that said that computer keyboards are full of germs. To cut a long story short here is a warning for computer buffs:
Don’t try to clean your keyboard with bleach when you're drunk, it buggers up the keyboard!
I bought a new keyboard today so I can post a few late thoughts now.
Having stopped up to watch the election results all night last Thursday / Friday and, as one does, drinking a can in toast at every good result and throwing a can at the telly for every bad result, I came across an interesting story on the BBC that said that computer keyboards are full of germs. To cut a long story short here is a warning for computer buffs:
Don’t try to clean your keyboard with bleach when you're drunk, it buggers up the keyboard!
I bought a new keyboard today so I can post a few late thoughts now.
02/05/2008
Dafydd Iwan Out?
Although not confirmed yet, apparently Dafydd Iwan, Plaid's President and Richard Parry the leader of Plaid on Gwynedd council have both lost their seats on Gwynedd council haven being beaten by Llais Gwynedd candidates.
Congratulations Gethin
A quick note to congratulate my nephew Gethin Williams, who I hear has won the Dolgellau rural seat for Llais Gwynedd. Gwilym Euros has also made a gain for Llais Gwynedd in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area, Llais have also won another seat in Meironnydd but I don't know which yet
01/05/2008
The Welsh Lobbyist
Another blogger has joined the Welsh Politics Club : The Welsh Lobbyist. Welcome.
Open Primaries and Democracy
Since my own favoured candidate dropped out of the race and was replaced by a candidate who I had doubts about (and who has also now fallen by the wayside) I have lost interest in the London Mayoral election.
However there is a post on the Our Kingdom site which I found interesting, not because of its implications for London, but because of a move by the Conservative Party that might have implications on a wider scale.
OK asked supporters of four of the candidates to present a “democratic” case for their mayoral candidate. Amongst the claims made by the Tory's supporter was this claim:
I understand that Glyn Davies was selected as the PPC for Montgomeryshire in a similar fashion.
This trend worries me. The number of people voting in British elections has declined as the influence of US election practices has increased on these shores. One of the worst examples has been for parties to decide policy based on the views of focus groups rather than on the views of party activists. This has resulted in the main parties having almost indistinguishable manifestos because all their policies are based on the views of focus groups constituted by the same social profiles. It has also devalued the roll of the party activist. If the activist no longer has a voice in party policy, s/he is no longer enthused to do the donkey work needed to get the paarty candidate elected – canvassing, leafleting, licking envelopes, postering, knocking up etc.
If party activists can't even select their own candidates, if candidates are selected by open to all meetings then there will be even less difference between candidates than there is now and even less reason for people to get involved in party politics, or even to vote in elections.
If I can vote in an open primary I'm going to vote for a conservative Welsh nationalist to stand for Plaid, Labour, Conservative, Green and even UKIP in this constituency! But if six political clones stand in a general election, is there any reason to go out and vote?
If focus groups and primaries decide who stands for my party, your party, his and her party - why on earth should we waste money on party membership, never mind waste time on party work?
However there is a post on the Our Kingdom site which I found interesting, not because of its implications for London, but because of a move by the Conservative Party that might have implications on a wider scale.
OK asked supporters of four of the candidates to present a “democratic” case for their mayoral candidate. Amongst the claims made by the Tory's supporter was this claim:
Boris was selected to be the Conservative candidate by open primary. This means that every Londoner was able to help decide that he should be the Conservative candidate - and shows that Boris is more than merely the candidate for one party, but for all Londoners. The current U.S. presidential election campaign has demonstrated how open primaries can transform the democratic process. We believe that all those standing for public office should be selected in this way .
I understand that Glyn Davies was selected as the PPC for Montgomeryshire in a similar fashion.
This trend worries me. The number of people voting in British elections has declined as the influence of US election practices has increased on these shores. One of the worst examples has been for parties to decide policy based on the views of focus groups rather than on the views of party activists. This has resulted in the main parties having almost indistinguishable manifestos because all their policies are based on the views of focus groups constituted by the same social profiles. It has also devalued the roll of the party activist. If the activist no longer has a voice in party policy, s/he is no longer enthused to do the donkey work needed to get the paarty candidate elected – canvassing, leafleting, licking envelopes, postering, knocking up etc.
If party activists can't even select their own candidates, if candidates are selected by open to all meetings then there will be even less difference between candidates than there is now and even less reason for people to get involved in party politics, or even to vote in elections.
If I can vote in an open primary I'm going to vote for a conservative Welsh nationalist to stand for Plaid, Labour, Conservative, Green and even UKIP in this constituency! But if six political clones stand in a general election, is there any reason to go out and vote?
If focus groups and primaries decide who stands for my party, your party, his and her party - why on earth should we waste money on party membership, never mind waste time on party work?
27/04/2008
Cambriapolitico
I have only just realised that the high priest of Welsh political reporting, Clive Betts, has been blogging for the past fortnight. His blog Cambriapolitico can be found here.
22/04/2008
Is the USA it's own Worst enemy?
I am not a big fan of American novels. I have never been to the USA, so many of the cultural references are alien to me, I don't know what a condo is, or a clam bake and if I was asked if I understood my Miranda rights I would have to answer No!.
However, I bought a few John Grisham books in a charitable car boot sale (an Americanism that seems to have killed the native jumble sale) a few weeks ago. John Grisham is one of the most popular novelists in and from the USA, he writes books about the American legal system. The legal system portrayed is totally corrupt!
Juries are vetted by multi million dollar experts, not in order to create balance, but in order to insure bias for the highest bidder. Guilt and innocence is decided, not by justice, but by money. Policemen, lawyers, judges and witnesses are routinely murdered in order to pervert the course of justice, and when that fails jury members and judges are bought or threatened in order to secure a favorable outcome for the wrongdoer.
Its not just Mr Grisham's books that portray the US in such a poor light. I don't know how many films that I have seen where people have been found innocent by a court but are perceived to be guilty and are then executed by a hero in the name of justice!
I have a Playstation game, thrown in as a bundle when the machine was bought. Liberty City Stories has, amongst the missions in the game, murdering the mayor in order to create a by election; installing a candidate favorable to a drug dealing gang; killing canvassers for the opposing candidate and destroying ballot papers. All of these activities are perceived as positive and give credit in the game.
Outside the realm of fiction, in news reports, we are told about a different America. An America where democracy, freedom and the rule of law are paramount. An America that wishes to export these values to the rest of the world.
Which image portrays the truth about the USA is, to a certain extent, unimportant. What is important is which image is perceived to be true. Because American culture is all prevailing, the image of the US that most of us have is the fictional image.
If Wales was portrayed in a less than favorable light in a book, a film or a game, I would be up in arms! I would be writing to the press, I would be calling for a boycott, I would be protesting on the streets. I would hope that the Welsh (and parts of the UK) press would be writing articles saying No Wales isn't like that!
Why don't Americans protest about books, films and games that portray their country as foul and corrupt? Why do they give literary and film awards to those who portray their country as a corrupt, unjust and undemocratic nation?
If the America portrayed by popular culture is the true America, then the USA needs to have a good look at itself and reform within. The America of the books, games and films is no better than Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe!
If the true America is the one where democracy, freedom and the rule of law is paramount, then the USA desperately needs to get to grips with the way in which it portrays itself in popular culture. Giving awards to books, such as Grisham's, tells the world that his image of a corrupt USA is true image and that the US of A is proud of the fact!
However, I bought a few John Grisham books in a charitable car boot sale (an Americanism that seems to have killed the native jumble sale) a few weeks ago. John Grisham is one of the most popular novelists in and from the USA, he writes books about the American legal system. The legal system portrayed is totally corrupt!
Juries are vetted by multi million dollar experts, not in order to create balance, but in order to insure bias for the highest bidder. Guilt and innocence is decided, not by justice, but by money. Policemen, lawyers, judges and witnesses are routinely murdered in order to pervert the course of justice, and when that fails jury members and judges are bought or threatened in order to secure a favorable outcome for the wrongdoer.
Its not just Mr Grisham's books that portray the US in such a poor light. I don't know how many films that I have seen where people have been found innocent by a court but are perceived to be guilty and are then executed by a hero in the name of justice!
I have a Playstation game, thrown in as a bundle when the machine was bought. Liberty City Stories has, amongst the missions in the game, murdering the mayor in order to create a by election; installing a candidate favorable to a drug dealing gang; killing canvassers for the opposing candidate and destroying ballot papers. All of these activities are perceived as positive and give credit in the game.
Outside the realm of fiction, in news reports, we are told about a different America. An America where democracy, freedom and the rule of law are paramount. An America that wishes to export these values to the rest of the world.
Which image portrays the truth about the USA is, to a certain extent, unimportant. What is important is which image is perceived to be true. Because American culture is all prevailing, the image of the US that most of us have is the fictional image.
If Wales was portrayed in a less than favorable light in a book, a film or a game, I would be up in arms! I would be writing to the press, I would be calling for a boycott, I would be protesting on the streets. I would hope that the Welsh (and parts of the UK) press would be writing articles saying No Wales isn't like that!
Why don't Americans protest about books, films and games that portray their country as foul and corrupt? Why do they give literary and film awards to those who portray their country as a corrupt, unjust and undemocratic nation?
If the America portrayed by popular culture is the true America, then the USA needs to have a good look at itself and reform within. The America of the books, games and films is no better than Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe!
If the true America is the one where democracy, freedom and the rule of law is paramount, then the USA desperately needs to get to grips with the way in which it portrays itself in popular culture. Giving awards to books, such as Grisham's, tells the world that his image of a corrupt USA is true image and that the US of A is proud of the fact!
15/04/2008
Falling out in England?
There appears to be a split in the English Democrat Party.
The split seems to be on two grounds:
A) Some people are uncertain whether the EDP is for Independence for England or for Devolution / Federalism to include England within the UK
B)Others seem to find the EDP as just anti-Scottish rather than pro English.
As disappointing as learning about this split is, it reminds me of the pangs of both the SNP and Plaid Cymru in the 60's. Something that the EDP might learn and reflect on.
If one goes back in history the SNP use to follow Plaid Cymru.
Since 1979 that changed. The SNP took the lead.
The reason is clear, since 1979 Plaid has dallied with different forms of devolution, federalism etc, for fear of losing its 70’s gains. Plaid has avoided the I (shhh - for independence) word. Plaid has been in the doldrums. The SNP has come to the ascendancy by sticking to plain and simple Independence.
The SNP is the government in Scotland, whilst Plaid props up Labour with dreams of what might happen in 2051.
Whatever the academic support for Plaid’s evolution of devolution or the intellectual ideas behind federalism, both are woolly ideas that aren’t made for popular support. People know what independence is. It is a clear cut idea that one is either for or against.
If the EDP wants electoral success it should follow the SNP’s clear cut independence line, rather than Plaid’s maybe, sort of, independence line.
As for the EDP being anti-Scottish (or Welsh)I can only ask, why not?
Welsh, Scottish, Cornish and English nationalists do have things in common, where we can work in common we should do so.
But if you are an English person who thinks that you have been let down, ripped off or otherwise disappointed by your Celtic neighbours, shout out loud about the iniquity. Nobody else will shout out for you, and lying back an thinking of England wont stop us Celts from shouting at you.
Stand up proud for independence for England!
The split seems to be on two grounds:
A) Some people are uncertain whether the EDP is for Independence for England or for Devolution / Federalism to include England within the UK
B)Others seem to find the EDP as just anti-Scottish rather than pro English.
As disappointing as learning about this split is, it reminds me of the pangs of both the SNP and Plaid Cymru in the 60's. Something that the EDP might learn and reflect on.
If one goes back in history the SNP use to follow Plaid Cymru.
Since 1979 that changed. The SNP took the lead.
The reason is clear, since 1979 Plaid has dallied with different forms of devolution, federalism etc, for fear of losing its 70’s gains. Plaid has avoided the I (shhh - for independence) word. Plaid has been in the doldrums. The SNP has come to the ascendancy by sticking to plain and simple Independence.
The SNP is the government in Scotland, whilst Plaid props up Labour with dreams of what might happen in 2051.
Whatever the academic support for Plaid’s evolution of devolution or the intellectual ideas behind federalism, both are woolly ideas that aren’t made for popular support. People know what independence is. It is a clear cut idea that one is either for or against.
If the EDP wants electoral success it should follow the SNP’s clear cut independence line, rather than Plaid’s maybe, sort of, independence line.
As for the EDP being anti-Scottish (or Welsh)I can only ask, why not?
Welsh, Scottish, Cornish and English nationalists do have things in common, where we can work in common we should do so.
But if you are an English person who thinks that you have been let down, ripped off or otherwise disappointed by your Celtic neighbours, shout out loud about the iniquity. Nobody else will shout out for you, and lying back an thinking of England wont stop us Celts from shouting at you.
Stand up proud for independence for England!
10/04/2008
Lost in translation #2
When I wrote about the need for a better Welsh Language computer translations service last week, I thought that such a service was needed for researchers, family historians and learners. It appears that I may have missed out a section of the community that desperately needs such a service. The anti-Welsh bigots who want to discredit the language by painting false nationalist graffiti!
As a number of bloggers have pointed out the Cai Maes Sais graffiti was produced by the piss poor translation service.
Others have already dealt with the issue (see some links below)
But I think that blogs should provide a community service, so for the sake of anti-Welsh graffiti artists posing as nationalists here is some guidance:
North of Dyfi Bridge use Saeson Allan
South of Dyfi Bridge use Saeson Mas
alternatively use the generic Twll Din Pob Sais throughout Wales.
On the other hand just grow up and accept that linguistic diversity is one of the treasures of humanity and something that should be valued by all.
Further comments:
James; Cynical dragon; The Secret Person; Hen Ferchetan; Rhys Wynne
Can we expect any apologies from the papers / broadcasters who peddled this rubbish?
No. I though not!
As a number of bloggers have pointed out the Cai Maes Sais graffiti was produced by the piss poor translation service.
Others have already dealt with the issue (see some links below)
But I think that blogs should provide a community service, so for the sake of anti-Welsh graffiti artists posing as nationalists here is some guidance:
North of Dyfi Bridge use Saeson Allan
South of Dyfi Bridge use Saeson Mas
alternatively use the generic Twll Din Pob Sais throughout Wales.
On the other hand just grow up and accept that linguistic diversity is one of the treasures of humanity and something that should be valued by all.
Further comments:
James; Cynical dragon; The Secret Person; Hen Ferchetan; Rhys Wynne
Can we expect any apologies from the papers / broadcasters who peddled this rubbish?
No. I though not!
09/04/2008
Blog Gethin
I mentioned in an earlier post that my nephew in law, Gethin Williams, is standing as a Llais Gwynedd candidate in the forthcoming council elections.
He has a campaign blog to support his candiadature HERE.
All the best with the campaign and the blog Gethin.
Hwyl Wncl Alwyn!
He has a campaign blog to support his candiadature HERE.
All the best with the campaign and the blog Gethin.
Hwyl Wncl Alwyn!
05/04/2008
Bad Show for Plaid?
Because few county council wards have a proper general election type competition with all the main parties contesting each seat, local elections are not a real test of what might happen in a general election to either Westminster or the Bay. The best indicator isn't the votes cast, but the numbers of candidates that a party can persuade to stand in each county.
In this respect Plaid Cymru seems to have been weekened by the coalition with Labour rather than strengthened. Apparently there will be fifty fewer Plaid candidates standing this year than there were last time the Welsh counties went to the polls.
It's not just fifty fewer candidates though. In Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire (Plaid's heartlands) Plaid is boasting that it is standing more candidates than ever before. So if Plaid is 50 candidates down on 2004, overall, but is competing in more seats than ever in its heartlands, there is a strong indication that the party isn't doing too well outside the Welsh Speaking West.
If Plaid really wants to challenge Labour as an alternative "lead party" in Welsh politics, it must fly the flag throughout Wales. Shrinkage in party candidate numbers outside the western heartland doesn’t auger well! Just one candidate in the whole of Blaenau Gwent, for example, (same number as the BNP)!!!!
If Plaid wants to be serious about being considered as the "Party of Wales" and the biggest Assembly party in 2011, it should have candidates, if not in all Welsh wards, in at least a majority of wards for each council.
In this respect Plaid Cymru seems to have been weekened by the coalition with Labour rather than strengthened. Apparently there will be fifty fewer Plaid candidates standing this year than there were last time the Welsh counties went to the polls.
It's not just fifty fewer candidates though. In Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire (Plaid's heartlands) Plaid is boasting that it is standing more candidates than ever before. So if Plaid is 50 candidates down on 2004, overall, but is competing in more seats than ever in its heartlands, there is a strong indication that the party isn't doing too well outside the Welsh Speaking West.
If Plaid really wants to challenge Labour as an alternative "lead party" in Welsh politics, it must fly the flag throughout Wales. Shrinkage in party candidate numbers outside the western heartland doesn’t auger well! Just one candidate in the whole of Blaenau Gwent, for example, (same number as the BNP)!!!!
If Plaid wants to be serious about being considered as the "Party of Wales" and the biggest Assembly party in 2011, it should have candidates, if not in all Welsh wards, in at least a majority of wards for each council.
02/04/2008
Lost in Translation
This is the first paragraph of the French newspaper Le Monde's report on the elections in Zimbabwe:
Here is a computer-generated translation of the paragraph:
Not perfect English, but one can get the gist of the article!
This is the first paragraph of Normal Mouth's column in last week's edition of Golwg:
And here is a computer-generated translation of the paragraph:
There is something almost poetic in the translation:
I go Labour crookedly
The polls turn
Heartburn!
Gulf!
I love it LOL.
But the translation is a nonsense; it makes no sense of what Normal Mouth actually said (what he thought he said can be seen here)!
There are two reasons why the translation machine can make sense out of French, but not out of Welsh. One is practical, the other is political.
The practical reason is that the French and English translations are based on a corpus of millions of translated words and phrases that have been fed into the databases that inform the translation facilities. English and French academic institutions have provided much of the corpus of information in order to enable on line translation.
An individual Welsh learner, who supplied a private database of fewer than 50,000 words and phrases, provided the Welsh corpus.
There are huge corpuses of Welsh language data available in digital form. Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (The New Welsh Bible) is digitised and could be easily compared with its digitised counterpart The New English Bible.
Geiriadur yr Academi, The Welsh Academy Dictionary, which is a dictionary of translations of terms and of words more than a dictionary of definitions, is available in electronic form. As are many other databases of Welsh language words and terms; including the databases that runs the Welsh language and grammar checkers Cysyll and Cysgair.
The political reason for not letting on line translation facilities use these databases is the fear that on line translations will be seen as a cheep option. People will use the on line facility to provide translations rather than pay for a true translation by a professional translator. The poor English used in the French-English translation would result in poor Welsh of a similar standard!
An understandable argument, but one that supports a cause that is already lost.
The 50,000 word corpus is being used to produce crap Welsh translations on a daily basis. Examples of which are publcised in Golwg everey week. Indeed there are so many poor Welsh language translations churned out by the limited database, that a new Welsh word has evolved: Scymraeg (Scum Welsh), and Scymraeg has its own Flikr site.
When I'm not doing politics I do a lot of family and local history. I have used OCR to put a number of Welsh language books on line, a laborious task. Every day I can guarantee that I will get an e-mail that says I found the name of my grandfather xxxxx in your text can you translate this for me?
I spend hours translating, and get an e mail back saying, thanks, but your translation proves that this isn't my xxxxx!
It's high time that the academic institutions that are sitting on huge corpuses of Welsh / English data release that data to the translation machines in order to enable decent, if not perfect, Welsh / English, English / Welsh translations on line.
Whatever the arguments about perfection, the imperfection caused from a decent corpus of Welsh words and phrases must be better than the crap created, anyway, from the limited corpus of Welsh that is being used at the moment!
Alors qu'au Zimbabwe, les premières estimations des résultats à l'élection présidentielle ont donné une légère avance au candidat de l'opposition au premier tour, le président Mugabe préparerait sa sortie, selon des proches cités par des médias anglo-saxons. L'homme fort du pays depuis un quart de siècle n'est plus apparu en public depuis samedi, alimentant les rumeurs d'une fuite en Namibie ou en Malaisie, où il se rend fréquemment.
Here is a computer-generated translation of the paragraph:
Whereas to Zimbabwe, the first estimates of the results to the presidential election gave a light advance to the candidate of the opposition to the first turn, president Mugabe would prepare his exit, according to close relations' quoted by Anglo-Saxon media. The strong man of the country since a quarter century has not appeared any more in public for Saturday, feeding the rumours of an escape in Namibia or Malaysia, where it frequently goes.
Not perfect English, but one can get the gist of the article!
This is the first paragraph of Normal Mouth's column in last week's edition of Golwg:
Dyma'r mis pan ddaeth yr encilio economaidd - o ran ei ddisgwyl os nad ei brofi - yn swyddogol. Roedd cydnabod y gair ddychrynllyd hwn yn ddigon i gael effaith ddramatig a chyflym ar y farn gyhoeddus, gyda'r gwahaniaeth rhwng Ceidwadwyr a Llafur yn y polau'n troi'n agendor.
And here is a computer-generated translation of the paragraph:
Here' is group month when he came he drives retreat economic he he shares you go look if no you go prove officially. He was acknowledge the one has frightful this donely I have dramatic I go chyflym signs the he judges public , with ' group difference between Conservatives I go Labor crookedly the polau'n turn ' heartburn gulf.
There is something almost poetic in the translation:
I go Labour crookedly
The polls turn
Heartburn!
Gulf!
I love it LOL.
But the translation is a nonsense; it makes no sense of what Normal Mouth actually said (what he thought he said can be seen here)!
There are two reasons why the translation machine can make sense out of French, but not out of Welsh. One is practical, the other is political.
The practical reason is that the French and English translations are based on a corpus of millions of translated words and phrases that have been fed into the databases that inform the translation facilities. English and French academic institutions have provided much of the corpus of information in order to enable on line translation.
An individual Welsh learner, who supplied a private database of fewer than 50,000 words and phrases, provided the Welsh corpus.
There are huge corpuses of Welsh language data available in digital form. Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (The New Welsh Bible) is digitised and could be easily compared with its digitised counterpart The New English Bible.
Geiriadur yr Academi, The Welsh Academy Dictionary, which is a dictionary of translations of terms and of words more than a dictionary of definitions, is available in electronic form. As are many other databases of Welsh language words and terms; including the databases that runs the Welsh language and grammar checkers Cysyll and Cysgair.
The political reason for not letting on line translation facilities use these databases is the fear that on line translations will be seen as a cheep option. People will use the on line facility to provide translations rather than pay for a true translation by a professional translator. The poor English used in the French-English translation would result in poor Welsh of a similar standard!
An understandable argument, but one that supports a cause that is already lost.
The 50,000 word corpus is being used to produce crap Welsh translations on a daily basis. Examples of which are publcised in Golwg everey week. Indeed there are so many poor Welsh language translations churned out by the limited database, that a new Welsh word has evolved: Scymraeg (Scum Welsh), and Scymraeg has its own Flikr site.
When I'm not doing politics I do a lot of family and local history. I have used OCR to put a number of Welsh language books on line, a laborious task. Every day I can guarantee that I will get an e-mail that says I found the name of my grandfather xxxxx in your text can you translate this for me?
I spend hours translating, and get an e mail back saying, thanks, but your translation proves that this isn't my xxxxx!
It's high time that the academic institutions that are sitting on huge corpuses of Welsh / English data release that data to the translation machines in order to enable decent, if not perfect, Welsh / English, English / Welsh translations on line.
Whatever the arguments about perfection, the imperfection caused from a decent corpus of Welsh words and phrases must be better than the crap created, anyway, from the limited corpus of Welsh that is being used at the moment!
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