"I want to be the minority, I don't need your authority, down with the moral majority, because I want to be the minority". Another joined-up hypocrisy of pop-culture where everyone, in a bid to become unique, ends up being exactly the same.
But on this occasion I’m talking about the crescendo of Welsh voice against being part of Great Britain: although actually this isn’t the case at all. I’ve been reading a number of articles about how Welsh individuals are feeling repressed by the concept of Britain; how their language, cultures and traditions are not allowed to flourish due to being part of “British rule”. They want to devolve – but they’ve got their concepts mixed up: the truth is that they want to devolve from England not Britain.
And that is my little point for the day: that Wales is Britain, so is Scotland: they just want an identity free from England, that’s all. The unfortunate thing is that the question of England's devolvement, from the British Parliament, never comes up. So when all parts of Great Britain/ the UK fight for their individual autonomy their discourse is directed at England, not Britain. Britain only exists for the English and are now almost synonomous. I read a study that suggested that equal opportunities forms are frequently used to express that one is not British but Welsh, or Scottish, or Northern Irish. As if Britain is more tainted than anything else.
But why such contempt? What I gather from a article written (in perfect English) by a Welsh inhibitant (sic) is that this person was “forced” to learn in English and was therefore denied her “mother tongue”. Far be it for me to suggest that it would be insensitive and illogical for Welsh schools to apply a blanket language which is familiar to only 20% of Welsh people. Of this 20% only about 50% consider themselves fluent. The language may be important for the history of a country but should not act to restrict it’s future: learning about the history and culture is one thing but learning everything else in a unfamiliar language is absurd.
So my message to this writer is: although you are desperate to define your differences you should not ignore the startling similarities which essentially make you British. You’ve been empowered with the ability to move freely in a country, be educated and live anywhere within and you would have fundamentally have limited your future opportunities if you had been educated in Welsh.
Like me you might be half-welsh/ a quarter English/ Indian or whatever: the one thing you know for sure is that you are British. So when you talk of devolution make it clear that the Welsh Assembly deserves more autonomy for more local issues – like culture, tourism, transport – not a break from a strong and fundamental economic, social and ultimately democratic union which Wales is already constitutionally part of: This would be arbitrary and pedantic nationalism which would inevitably lead to the ostracisation of the majority of mixed nationality inhabitants of Britain as a whole.
But on this occasion I’m talking about the crescendo of Welsh voice against being part of Great Britain: although actually this isn’t the case at all. I’ve been reading a number of articles about how Welsh individuals are feeling repressed by the concept of Britain; how their language, cultures and traditions are not allowed to flourish due to being part of “British rule”. They want to devolve – but they’ve got their concepts mixed up: the truth is that they want to devolve from England not Britain.
And that is my little point for the day: that Wales is Britain, so is Scotland: they just want an identity free from England, that’s all. The unfortunate thing is that the question of England's devolvement, from the British Parliament, never comes up. So when all parts of Great Britain/ the UK fight for their individual autonomy their discourse is directed at England, not Britain. Britain only exists for the English and are now almost synonomous. I read a study that suggested that equal opportunities forms are frequently used to express that one is not British but Welsh, or Scottish, or Northern Irish. As if Britain is more tainted than anything else.
But why such contempt? What I gather from a article written (in perfect English) by a Welsh inhibitant (sic) is that this person was “forced” to learn in English and was therefore denied her “mother tongue”. Far be it for me to suggest that it would be insensitive and illogical for Welsh schools to apply a blanket language which is familiar to only 20% of Welsh people. Of this 20% only about 50% consider themselves fluent. The language may be important for the history of a country but should not act to restrict it’s future: learning about the history and culture is one thing but learning everything else in a unfamiliar language is absurd.
So my message to this writer is: although you are desperate to define your differences you should not ignore the startling similarities which essentially make you British. You’ve been empowered with the ability to move freely in a country, be educated and live anywhere within and you would have fundamentally have limited your future opportunities if you had been educated in Welsh.
Like me you might be half-welsh/ a quarter English/ Indian or whatever: the one thing you know for sure is that you are British. So when you talk of devolution make it clear that the Welsh Assembly deserves more autonomy for more local issues – like culture, tourism, transport – not a break from a strong and fundamental economic, social and ultimately democratic union which Wales is already constitutionally part of: This would be arbitrary and pedantic nationalism which would inevitably lead to the ostracisation of the majority of mixed nationality inhabitants of Britain as a whole.
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