One of the reasons that I hate Socialists is because I don't think that Socialists have a fringing clue about the real life experiences of the real people that they claim to support!
I have seen two real life examples of Socialists opposing the realities of poverty recently.
The first is the proposal that energy companies will be "forced" to give the "cheapest" tariffs to poorer people.
No thank you!
My 80+ yr old parents have been paying the most expensive tariff since time immemorial; they have been paying PAYG before PAYG was a term! And that is the way that they want to continue paying – putting a couple of quid on the gas or the lecy when they need and can afford to do so.
The Labour Party's idea of forcing the cheapest tariff on the poorest people, worries me, because it doesn't appear to have any basis on the experience of those of living in poverty, it is based on their own middle class experience.
The other example of them "protecting" the poor without any experience of poverty is the campaign against payday loans. The 3000% APR interest rate is a fallacy. Nobody borrows £100 today and pays back £300000 at the end of the year, whatever the small print says!
A Payday Loan is what it Says on the Tin. If I have a direct debit for the phone bill to be paid on Monday, but I don't get paid till Friday a payday loan will be a damned site cheaper than the bank and phone company's Bounce Fees. And 3000% APR when calculated between Monday and Friday is probably the cheapest loan available and a dammed site cheaper than bounce charges. No a Credit Union will not cover such short term loans, so the credit Union Argument is a myth!
I may NEED my Payday Loan. Middle class Socialists who cannot perceive that "need" because it is out with their experience make me sick!
Showing posts with label Socialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Socialism. Show all posts
10/06/2013
07/04/2012
Is Labour's Wet Dream also Plaid's Wet Dream?
One of the things that makes me hate left wing politics in general, and the Labour Party in particular, is the feeling that the left needs poverty and deprivation in order to justify its existence. If the Labour heartland was lifted out of hardship and became prosperous would it still vote Labour?
The answer is a resounding NO!
Because of that the areas that have voted Labour for the past 100 years are still the poorest and most deprived parts of the United Kingdom; places like the South Wales Valleys and Glasgow have been made poorer under every single Labour Government, voting Labour has worked against them, because if Labour had helped to lift those loyal communities out of poverty and hardship they might not vote for the poor man's party any more.
My feeling about Labour was confirmed this week by a, now erased, YouTube in which a Senior Labour Politician described rising unemployment and inflation as an orgasmic wet dream for the left; claiming, more or less, that the poorer people are the more likely they are to vote Labour – so poverty is good news for Labour.
There is a Nationalist argument, which is largely true, that Wales; since time immemorial, has been the poorest part of England and Wales / Great Britain / The United kingdom because it has been exploited and ignored – an independent Wales couldn't be worse off than an exploited Wales has been for the past 500 years!
Doesn't this make the ability to complain about exploitation and poverty and deprivation a wet dream for Plaid's left wing too?
Or can those of us who want Wales to succeed work together in order to create a vibrant Welsh capitalist / co-operative economy that serves Wales well and leads the people of Wales to believe that we are able to beat poverty and stand on our own two feet - rather than being chained to the left wing poverty trap!
The answer is a resounding NO!
Because of that the areas that have voted Labour for the past 100 years are still the poorest and most deprived parts of the United Kingdom; places like the South Wales Valleys and Glasgow have been made poorer under every single Labour Government, voting Labour has worked against them, because if Labour had helped to lift those loyal communities out of poverty and hardship they might not vote for the poor man's party any more.
My feeling about Labour was confirmed this week by a, now erased, YouTube in which a Senior Labour Politician described rising unemployment and inflation as an orgasmic wet dream for the left; claiming, more or less, that the poorer people are the more likely they are to vote Labour – so poverty is good news for Labour.
There is a Nationalist argument, which is largely true, that Wales; since time immemorial, has been the poorest part of England and Wales / Great Britain / The United kingdom because it has been exploited and ignored – an independent Wales couldn't be worse off than an exploited Wales has been for the past 500 years!
Doesn't this make the ability to complain about exploitation and poverty and deprivation a wet dream for Plaid's left wing too?
Or can those of us who want Wales to succeed work together in order to create a vibrant Welsh capitalist / co-operative economy that serves Wales well and leads the people of Wales to believe that we are able to beat poverty and stand on our own two feet - rather than being chained to the left wing poverty trap!
28/01/2012
Right v Left or Best for Wales?
As a part of Click on Wales' season of post about the position of Plaid Cymru, there is an interesting article by Gwion Owain about Plaid Cymru's Socialist Platform.
There is also an interesting response to the post from Glyn Beddau on the National Left Blog.
Being a one nation conservative type nationalist I don't agree entirely with either post, but I tend to favour Gwion's position.
I hate Socialism with a capital H A T E! So why wrap those Plaid policies that I agree with in a wrapping that I will chuck in the bin before opening?
I was a member of Plaid in the days that it was seen as the nonconformist chapels at prayer. When Dr Gwynfor Evans was the president of the Congregationalist Union, when the Rev Dr Tudur Jones, was vice president, when the Rev D Pennar Davies and the Rev Poet O.M.Lloyd were the backbone of the party. I was a member of the party when the young Dafydd Elis Thomas discarded the tradition of his father's generation by turning Plaid into a, so called, Socialist Party!
What's odd is that in changing Plaid from a chapel party to a lefties party Plaid's values have hardly changed at all, so why insist on calling a value socialist in order to piss me and my like off and alienate us?
Why not call policies Best for Wales and entice both right wing nationalists, like me, and my socialist friends in the national cause to support them?
There is also an interesting response to the post from Glyn Beddau on the National Left Blog.
Being a one nation conservative type nationalist I don't agree entirely with either post, but I tend to favour Gwion's position.
I hate Socialism with a capital H A T E! So why wrap those Plaid policies that I agree with in a wrapping that I will chuck in the bin before opening?
I was a member of Plaid in the days that it was seen as the nonconformist chapels at prayer. When Dr Gwynfor Evans was the president of the Congregationalist Union, when the Rev Dr Tudur Jones, was vice president, when the Rev D Pennar Davies and the Rev Poet O.M.Lloyd were the backbone of the party. I was a member of the party when the young Dafydd Elis Thomas discarded the tradition of his father's generation by turning Plaid into a, so called, Socialist Party!
What's odd is that in changing Plaid from a chapel party to a lefties party Plaid's values have hardly changed at all, so why insist on calling a value socialist in order to piss me and my like off and alienate us?
Why not call policies Best for Wales and entice both right wing nationalists, like me, and my socialist friends in the national cause to support them?
02/11/2011
Left, Right or Welsh Nationalist?
I am a Welsh nationalist. I believe that Wales should be an Independent Country. I use to be a member and a branch officer of Plaid Cymru, I have been an electoral agent for the party and I have made speeches in many of the party conferences!
I have not stopped being a supporter of Plaid Cymru, I just stopped paying my membership fees after Dafydd Wigley's statement that plaid had never ever supported Independence for Wales, some 15 years ago!
I support independence!
It's interesting to see Plaid Members calling out Plaid reps on the independence question now!
The one thing that stops me joining Plaid is a quote that appears often on Syniadau's blog when he calls others to order:
2.2 To ensure................, decentralist socialism.
Decentralised socialism is an oxymoron. You can do what you want in your neighbourhood as long as it is Socialist – that isn't decentralisation! It's as stupid as saying that Wales can be independent as long as it remains British!
I was a member of Plaid when this Socialist crap came to a head, in the days of the Hydro Group. The silly thing was that on individual motions there was never a "Hydro" v "Socialist" split, both groups either supported each other, or both split amongst themselves!
I think that there is something quite pathetic in the fact that Plaid's rules exclude me from membership of the party for agreeing on social policy from a right wing Christian position with Welsh Ramblings ultra left atheist position on many areas of public policy. Surely it's the policy that counts - not the background doctrine!!!!
I have not stopped being a supporter of Plaid Cymru, I just stopped paying my membership fees after Dafydd Wigley's statement that plaid had never ever supported Independence for Wales, some 15 years ago!
I support independence!
It's interesting to see Plaid Members calling out Plaid reps on the independence question now!
The one thing that stops me joining Plaid is a quote that appears often on Syniadau's blog when he calls others to order:
2.2 To ensure................, decentralist socialism.
Decentralised socialism is an oxymoron. You can do what you want in your neighbourhood as long as it is Socialist – that isn't decentralisation! It's as stupid as saying that Wales can be independent as long as it remains British!
I was a member of Plaid when this Socialist crap came to a head, in the days of the Hydro Group. The silly thing was that on individual motions there was never a "Hydro" v "Socialist" split, both groups either supported each other, or both split amongst themselves!
I think that there is something quite pathetic in the fact that Plaid's rules exclude me from membership of the party for agreeing on social policy from a right wing Christian position with Welsh Ramblings ultra left atheist position on many areas of public policy. Surely it's the policy that counts - not the background doctrine!!!!
16/11/2008
Can I borrow a shilling for the meter, please?
Valleys Mam highlights an issue that many who are worried about fuel poverty have brought up over the past few months. The fact that people who obtain gas and electricity through prepayment meters are being ripped off.
Mam notes that
This is clearly wrong. The poorest customers, those least able to pay, shouldn't be giving profit boosts to the energy supply companies, and should absolutely not pay extra in order to subsidise "deals" offered to better off customers.
However I do have a serious concern about campaigns against prepayment meter charges. Prepayment is more expensive to collect than monthly direct debit or quarterly bill payment. If you charge your gas key in the village shop's PayPoint machine, then both the shopkeeper and PayPoint expect to be paid for offering the service. The customer who has the convenience of paying in this way should expect to pay the costs of that convenience. We mustn't forget that the being able to pay for utilities at £3, £5 or £10 a time IS convenient to most of those who use the service.
Some time ago (in the mid 1990's) the Water Boards offered a similar service to poorer customers. They could pay their Water charges in the dribs and drabs that they could afford using a charge card. It was a service that millions of poorer people subscribed to, voluntarily, because it made payment easier for them.
Unfortunately some Socialist do-gooders who could, no doubt, afford their own water rates, complained to the courts about the legality of the scheme, and it was withdrawn. The withdrawal of the scheme made many of those who were happy with the system unable to pay and plunged them into a debt that they couldn't afford.
In supporting any campaign to get costs down for prepayment customers, I do hope that the campaigners don't throw the baby out with the bath water (sorry for the pun) as they did with water prepayment. Losing the ability to prepay the energy bills a little at a time would be a disaster for most low income families.
Mam notes that
Companies could be making up to £550m a year from extra charges they charge on prepayment meters.
and that
These customers who pay by prepayment meter subsidise customers who can get the cheapest deals.
This is clearly wrong. The poorest customers, those least able to pay, shouldn't be giving profit boosts to the energy supply companies, and should absolutely not pay extra in order to subsidise "deals" offered to better off customers.
However I do have a serious concern about campaigns against prepayment meter charges. Prepayment is more expensive to collect than monthly direct debit or quarterly bill payment. If you charge your gas key in the village shop's PayPoint machine, then both the shopkeeper and PayPoint expect to be paid for offering the service. The customer who has the convenience of paying in this way should expect to pay the costs of that convenience. We mustn't forget that the being able to pay for utilities at £3, £5 or £10 a time IS convenient to most of those who use the service.
Some time ago (in the mid 1990's) the Water Boards offered a similar service to poorer customers. They could pay their Water charges in the dribs and drabs that they could afford using a charge card. It was a service that millions of poorer people subscribed to, voluntarily, because it made payment easier for them.
Unfortunately some Socialist do-gooders who could, no doubt, afford their own water rates, complained to the courts about the legality of the scheme, and it was withdrawn. The withdrawal of the scheme made many of those who were happy with the system unable to pay and plunged them into a debt that they couldn't afford.
In supporting any campaign to get costs down for prepayment customers, I do hope that the campaigners don't throw the baby out with the bath water (sorry for the pun) as they did with water prepayment. Losing the ability to prepay the energy bills a little at a time would be a disaster for most low income families.
18/08/2008
Leanne Wood - Communist or Nationalist?
The Weekly Worker is the official campaigning organ of The Communist Party of Great Britain. The only reason for the publication's existence is to promote the political policies of that party. Back copies of the publication can be read on line. I came across it accidentally by Googling for information about Plaid Cymru.
The part of the online archive of the paper that Google sent me to was a regular column in which thanks are given to party members and supporters for their financial help. The column for May 22nd included this snippet:
What on earth is an elected Plaid Cymru member doing giving financial support to the official mouthpiece of another party?
Doesn't Plaid Cymru have rules that prohibit all members, never mind elected members, from giving support to a party that stands in elections against it?
I have thought for some time that some on the left of the party harm Plaid by putting Socialism before Nationalism - indeed this is the main reason why I feel unable to be a party member. But even I was shocked to discover that this support for socialism is so extreme that a leading light of Plaid's left wing would go as far as giving financial backing to The Communist Party of Great Britain.
It's time for Leanne Wood and her supporters to decide where their loyalties lie. Is it with the cause of Welsh Nationalism or the cause of British Communism?
The part of the online archive of the paper that Google sent me to was a regular column in which thanks are given to party members and supporters for their financial help. The column for May 22nd included this snippet:
Our fighting fund received help from an unexpected source this week - Plaid Cymru Welsh assembly member Leanne Wood donated a handy £25
What on earth is an elected Plaid Cymru member doing giving financial support to the official mouthpiece of another party?
Doesn't Plaid Cymru have rules that prohibit all members, never mind elected members, from giving support to a party that stands in elections against it?
I have thought for some time that some on the left of the party harm Plaid by putting Socialism before Nationalism - indeed this is the main reason why I feel unable to be a party member. But even I was shocked to discover that this support for socialism is so extreme that a leading light of Plaid's left wing would go as far as giving financial backing to The Communist Party of Great Britain.
It's time for Leanne Wood and her supporters to decide where their loyalties lie. Is it with the cause of Welsh Nationalism or the cause of British Communism?
20/02/2008
Socialism in Action?
Whilst I am being condemned by Plaid supporters for daring to oppose socialism and supporting capitalism, I hear odd rumours about the proposed whereabouts of the leader of Plaid Sosialaidd Cymru on March 1st.
I am told that the leader of the Welsh Socialist Soviet, Brother Ieuan Wyn Jones, will be celebrating St Davids Day by ringing the bell to open the Nest of Capitalist Vipers that is the New York Stock Exchange.
Say it ain't so bro, please, say it ain't so
That's not what I wanna hear bro
And I got a right to know
Say it ain't so bro, please, say it ain't so
I'm sure they're telling us lies bro
Please tell us it ain't so
I am told that the leader of the Welsh Socialist Soviet, Brother Ieuan Wyn Jones, will be celebrating St Davids Day by ringing the bell to open the Nest of Capitalist Vipers that is the New York Stock Exchange.
Say it ain't so bro, please, say it ain't so
That's not what I wanna hear bro
And I got a right to know
Say it ain't so bro, please, say it ain't so
I'm sure they're telling us lies bro
Please tell us it ain't so
19/02/2008
Is There Anything More Miserable? Yes!
My post last Wednesday, in which I quoted an anti Welsh socialist rant, seems to have touched some raw nerves. Bethan Jenkins AM seems to have been particularly peeved by it, so peeved that she has posted an intemperate response on her own blog. Ms Jenkins asks in her post Is there anything more miserable than a Miserable Old Fart?
Unfortunately it appears that the answer is YES. The thing that is more miserable than a Miserable Old fart is a Militant Young Socialist.
Ms Jenkins tells me that she supports socialism because she is not in the business of advocating Independence without taking in to regard the type of Independent Wales [she] would like to see. Fine, but at least have the courtesy to accept that I oppose socialism for exactly the same reason. I want Wales to be independent but I don't want it to be a statist country, where social class is divided against social class in a way that has always been alien to the Welsh communities in which I have lived
I don’t want an independent Wales to be based on an economic system characterized by state ownership of the means of production and distribution. I don't want an independent Wales where people are despised for being entrepreneurs, or punished for being economically successful. I want to live in an independent country in which the citizens of that country are also independent and not dependent on the state.
The main criticism of my post seem to be that it was somehow wrong to link Plaid's socialist tendency with the views of a member of the incongruously named Respect Party. They may both be socialist parties but it's unacceptable to tar all socialists with the same brush. However, as it is the socialists themselves who choose to use the same label to describe their political philosophy, there must be some basic principals that they share. Some of the comments from Respect seem to be fairly typical socialist principals, the sort of arguments that one has been use to hearing from socialists of all hues for many years:
No nations! No borders!
Internationalism and solidarity!Somebody Welsh on the minimum wage has more in common with an English or Polish worker than a Welsh millionaire!
If Ms Jenkins and her ilk, don't believe that class solidarity overrides national solidarity, why do they insist on using the socialist tag?
Whenever I criticise Plaid's socialist tendency I can guarantee that somebody will say that I shouldn't do so, because they are fellow nationalists and my criticism should be aimed at unionists. Ignoring the fact that most posts on this blog have promoted independence and opposed unionism. I am also told that there is no need to criticise Plaid because Plaid is a broad church (or as Adam Price would prefer, a broad inter faith community). This is a myth. Plaid's aims, as noted on its membership card, are based on decentralist socialism. Because I believe that socialism is an evil doctrine, because I believe that an independent Wales would be best served by a vibrant capitalist economy I am excluded from the party by its aims, and my economic and political philosophy is condemned by the party's aims. The idea that I should embrace a party or refrain from criticising a party that excludes me and condemns my views by virtue of its stated aims is laughable.
The only thing that separates me from David Jones MP, Nick Bourne AM and especially Glyn Davies is that I believe that Wales should be independent and they (for reasons that are beyond my understanding) do not. I disagree with Plaid's socialist tendency on a range of economic and social attitudes, so is it any wonder that I criticise Plaid more often than I criticise the Tories?
The saddest thing about the demise of Plaid's core values over the past few decades is that I can't even agree with Plaid on the independence issue any more. Plaid has done bugger all to promote independence in the last 20 years because the party is too hung up on the evolution of devolution to care about making a positive case for independence.
Unfortunately it appears that the answer is YES. The thing that is more miserable than a Miserable Old fart is a Militant Young Socialist.
Ms Jenkins tells me that she supports socialism because she is not in the business of advocating Independence without taking in to regard the type of Independent Wales [she] would like to see. Fine, but at least have the courtesy to accept that I oppose socialism for exactly the same reason. I want Wales to be independent but I don't want it to be a statist country, where social class is divided against social class in a way that has always been alien to the Welsh communities in which I have lived
I don’t want an independent Wales to be based on an economic system characterized by state ownership of the means of production and distribution. I don't want an independent Wales where people are despised for being entrepreneurs, or punished for being economically successful. I want to live in an independent country in which the citizens of that country are also independent and not dependent on the state.
The main criticism of my post seem to be that it was somehow wrong to link Plaid's socialist tendency with the views of a member of the incongruously named Respect Party. They may both be socialist parties but it's unacceptable to tar all socialists with the same brush. However, as it is the socialists themselves who choose to use the same label to describe their political philosophy, there must be some basic principals that they share. Some of the comments from Respect seem to be fairly typical socialist principals, the sort of arguments that one has been use to hearing from socialists of all hues for many years:
No nations! No borders!
Internationalism and solidarity!Somebody Welsh on the minimum wage has more in common with an English or Polish worker than a Welsh millionaire!
If Ms Jenkins and her ilk, don't believe that class solidarity overrides national solidarity, why do they insist on using the socialist tag?
Whenever I criticise Plaid's socialist tendency I can guarantee that somebody will say that I shouldn't do so, because they are fellow nationalists and my criticism should be aimed at unionists. Ignoring the fact that most posts on this blog have promoted independence and opposed unionism. I am also told that there is no need to criticise Plaid because Plaid is a broad church (or as Adam Price would prefer, a broad inter faith community). This is a myth. Plaid's aims, as noted on its membership card, are based on decentralist socialism. Because I believe that socialism is an evil doctrine, because I believe that an independent Wales would be best served by a vibrant capitalist economy I am excluded from the party by its aims, and my economic and political philosophy is condemned by the party's aims. The idea that I should embrace a party or refrain from criticising a party that excludes me and condemns my views by virtue of its stated aims is laughable.
The only thing that separates me from David Jones MP, Nick Bourne AM and especially Glyn Davies is that I believe that Wales should be independent and they (for reasons that are beyond my understanding) do not. I disagree with Plaid's socialist tendency on a range of economic and social attitudes, so is it any wonder that I criticise Plaid more often than I criticise the Tories?
The saddest thing about the demise of Plaid's core values over the past few decades is that I can't even agree with Plaid on the independence issue any more. Plaid has done bugger all to promote independence in the last 20 years because the party is too hung up on the evolution of devolution to care about making a positive case for independence.
14/02/2008
Nobody Loves Me!
The lovable Labour PPC for Arfon seems to think that I am unloved because of my recent tirade against socialism!
Nothing could be further from the truth. I have been sent a Valentines card that proves just how much I am loved and valued:
OK! It wasn't sent by Bethan, Leanne or Adam, it came from a Man in a Shed!
Nothing could be further from the truth. I have been sent a Valentines card that proves just how much I am loved and valued:
OK! It wasn't sent by Bethan, Leanne or Adam, it came from a Man in a Shed!
13/02/2008
And they wonder why I hate socialism!
The following quote is from a socialist who wishes to arrange a counter demonstration against the St David's day parade in Cardiff. It is typical of the socialist mindset. Read it and understand why I hate the fact that the likes of Adam Price, Bethan Jenkins and Leanne Wood have dragged Plaid Cymru into the socialist mire.
Socialism and Nationalism are clearly incompatible ideologies. Plaid must decide either nationalism or socialism it can't be both!
As we know over the last few years the nationalists have stepped up their attempts to impose conformity and their bigoted ideology on our locale, they will be using St David's Day to impose the idea that Wales is a nation cosily united - rich and poor - against English oppression and waving their flags. They will be attempting to construct a 'welsh identity' that never existed and various other ideas that mystify social reality, class division and block the forming of genuine grassroots culture based on solidarity and diy principles.
It's time to organise a class war counter parade stating clearly -
No nations! No borders!
Internationalism and solidarity!
The working class has no country!
Somebody welsh on the minimum wage has more in common with an English or Polish worker than a welsh millionaire!
We will create our own culture from below that is fluid and dynamic not have some fake culture based on nationalism, patriotism and other authoritarian and servile crap forced upon us.
Major Arsehole
Hat Tip: Rhys Wynne
Socialism and Nationalism are clearly incompatible ideologies. Plaid must decide either nationalism or socialism it can't be both!
As we know over the last few years the nationalists have stepped up their attempts to impose conformity and their bigoted ideology on our locale, they will be using St David's Day to impose the idea that Wales is a nation cosily united - rich and poor - against English oppression and waving their flags. They will be attempting to construct a 'welsh identity' that never existed and various other ideas that mystify social reality, class division and block the forming of genuine grassroots culture based on solidarity and diy principles.
It's time to organise a class war counter parade stating clearly -
No nations! No borders!
Internationalism and solidarity!
The working class has no country!
Somebody welsh on the minimum wage has more in common with an English or Polish worker than a welsh millionaire!
We will create our own culture from below that is fluid and dynamic not have some fake culture based on nationalism, patriotism and other authoritarian and servile crap forced upon us.
Major Arsehole
Hat Tip: Rhys Wynne
24/06/2007
R-G v Rainbow isn't Left v Right
I am amazed by the way that so many from the left seem to have got their knickers in a twist regarding the right-left argument whilst considering the Rainbow v R-G coalition arguments. They claim that a Tory including Rainbow will be some form of extreme right wing government intent on privatising everything in sight, oppressing the working class and giving hand outs to the super rich. A Red-Green deal, on the other hand, will give Wales a progressive socialist government.
Both statements are, of course, absolute rubbish. Those who make such claims are either ignorant of the limitations of the Devolution Settlement for Wales or are deliberately misleading. The fact of the matter is that the limits of the National Assembly's powers give very little room for manoeuvre on the right - left axis. This is why the manifestos of all of the main parties for the last three elections have been broadly similar to each other. Most of the differences between the parties have been based on gimmicks rather than ideology. You can't distinguish left and right because one party wants free bus passes but the other wants free light bulbs, or that one wants to employ more nurse in the NHS but the other favours more doctors.
The National Assembly just doesn't have the authority to introduce either radical socialist policies or radical right wing policies. Even within the little leeway that the Assembly does have, the Government of Wales Act ensures that Westminster has oversight over almost any policy the Assembly makes. With New Labour and Cameroonian Tories converging on the middle ground in Westminster, the overseers are going to stifle anything that the Assembly does that even attempts to move away from the middle ground.
The coalition argument has nothing to do with right v left; it is a much simpler choice. Do we want a Welsh Assembly Government lead by those who have shown such incompetence in exercising the Assembly's limited powers over the last eight years, or do we want to give others the chance to prove that they can do better?
Those on Plaid's left who want Red-Green, because of misplaced socialist ideology, are deluding themselves and letting Wales down. You don't get four years of Socialism from Red-Green - you just get four more years of Labour failure.
Both statements are, of course, absolute rubbish. Those who make such claims are either ignorant of the limitations of the Devolution Settlement for Wales or are deliberately misleading. The fact of the matter is that the limits of the National Assembly's powers give very little room for manoeuvre on the right - left axis. This is why the manifestos of all of the main parties for the last three elections have been broadly similar to each other. Most of the differences between the parties have been based on gimmicks rather than ideology. You can't distinguish left and right because one party wants free bus passes but the other wants free light bulbs, or that one wants to employ more nurse in the NHS but the other favours more doctors.
The National Assembly just doesn't have the authority to introduce either radical socialist policies or radical right wing policies. Even within the little leeway that the Assembly does have, the Government of Wales Act ensures that Westminster has oversight over almost any policy the Assembly makes. With New Labour and Cameroonian Tories converging on the middle ground in Westminster, the overseers are going to stifle anything that the Assembly does that even attempts to move away from the middle ground.
The coalition argument has nothing to do with right v left; it is a much simpler choice. Do we want a Welsh Assembly Government lead by those who have shown such incompetence in exercising the Assembly's limited powers over the last eight years, or do we want to give others the chance to prove that they can do better?
Those on Plaid's left who want Red-Green, because of misplaced socialist ideology, are deluding themselves and letting Wales down. You don't get four years of Socialism from Red-Green - you just get four more years of Labour failure.
17/05/2007
Welsh Recusants
Whatever our wants, our needs or our desires for the next Assembly Government, whenever it is formed, we have to accept that it will be formed according to the regulations set down in Westminster under the Government of Wales Act 2006.
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is the most partisan, one sided, biased and undemocratic act passed in parliament since the Act Against Recusants of 1593. The 1593 act ensured that only Protestants had any rights in England and Wales, but all (protestant or not) had obligations.
The Government of Wales Act 2006 has numerous clauses that ensure that Labour has rights but other parties have obligations. The Act contains a number of pro-Labour Vetoes.
The most blatant and most publicised aspect of the Act was that if Labour lost power then the other parties would lose their leaders and be put into an immediate post election crisis. If the Tories had won Montgomery and / or Brecon - Bourn would be out. If the Lib Dems won a seat or two in South Wales East, Mike German would be out. Even if Plaid had a generally good election but had lost Ynys Môn, there was to be no list comeback for the party leader.
Even if the "kick the leader" ploy hadn't worked (and it didn't) there was always the Labour minority clause to fall back on. Certain things, such as a referendum on extra powers, can only be passed with the consent of two thirds of Assembly members. In other words Labour needed to have fewer than 20 seats to be defeated. For Labour to have fewer than twenty seats under the terribly Labour biased system of elections that we have in Wales they would have to gain less than 15% of the vote, which was always unlikely.
As unlikely as Labour gaining just 14% of the vote was, The Government of Wales Act has a number of just in case clauses to counter such a result:
No Assembly Act can be passed without:
First the agreement of the Secretary of State for Wales
Second the agreement of the Westminster (Labour dominated) Welsh Affairs Committee
Third the Agreement of the House of Commons
Fourth the Agreement of the House of Lords
And of course, in fifth place "Royal Assent" (available only by the recommendation of the Labour Government)
Under the Government of Wales Act all non Labour voters are treated as Recusants.
The choice that Palid has is to support a minority government that rids Wales of the Political Recusants Act 2006 or one that fails to get much through the 2006 Act because of its internal bias, but highlights its injustice.
Either is OK by me as long as the choice that Plaid makes leads, ultimately to independence for Wales, not just from the UK, but more so from the false divinity of so-called Welsh Socialism.
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is the most partisan, one sided, biased and undemocratic act passed in parliament since the Act Against Recusants of 1593. The 1593 act ensured that only Protestants had any rights in England and Wales, but all (protestant or not) had obligations.
The Government of Wales Act 2006 has numerous clauses that ensure that Labour has rights but other parties have obligations. The Act contains a number of pro-Labour Vetoes.
The most blatant and most publicised aspect of the Act was that if Labour lost power then the other parties would lose their leaders and be put into an immediate post election crisis. If the Tories had won Montgomery and / or Brecon - Bourn would be out. If the Lib Dems won a seat or two in South Wales East, Mike German would be out. Even if Plaid had a generally good election but had lost Ynys Môn, there was to be no list comeback for the party leader.
Even if the "kick the leader" ploy hadn't worked (and it didn't) there was always the Labour minority clause to fall back on. Certain things, such as a referendum on extra powers, can only be passed with the consent of two thirds of Assembly members. In other words Labour needed to have fewer than 20 seats to be defeated. For Labour to have fewer than twenty seats under the terribly Labour biased system of elections that we have in Wales they would have to gain less than 15% of the vote, which was always unlikely.
As unlikely as Labour gaining just 14% of the vote was, The Government of Wales Act has a number of just in case clauses to counter such a result:
No Assembly Act can be passed without:
First the agreement of the Secretary of State for Wales
Second the agreement of the Westminster (Labour dominated) Welsh Affairs Committee
Third the Agreement of the House of Commons
Fourth the Agreement of the House of Lords
And of course, in fifth place "Royal Assent" (available only by the recommendation of the Labour Government)
Under the Government of Wales Act all non Labour voters are treated as Recusants.
The choice that Palid has is to support a minority government that rids Wales of the Political Recusants Act 2006 or one that fails to get much through the 2006 Act because of its internal bias, but highlights its injustice.
Either is OK by me as long as the choice that Plaid makes leads, ultimately to independence for Wales, not just from the UK, but more so from the false divinity of so-called Welsh Socialism.
10/04/2007
Plaid and Socialism
An extremely good post on Glyn Davies AM's blog yesterday The Light amongst the Grasses. I find myself in sympathy with much of what he says about Plaid Cymru and its socialist baggage.
I left the Liberal Party and joined Plaid Cymru in 1979 because of my conviction that it was in Wales' best interest to be self governing and that none of the other parties would reintroduce any semblance of self government after the referendum result unless there was a strong nationalist party in Wales arguing the cause of independence. I certainly didn't join Plaid because I support socialism.
Although there has always been a socialist element in Plaid Cymru I've never quite been able to understand why. Socialism and nationalism appear to me to be opposing ideals
Plaid claims to be an anti-imperialist party, but socialism is inherently an imperialist ideology. One can't have socialism in little pockets here and there, the socialist Utopia requires all peoples everywhere to be governed by the same economic and social policies. The idea of independence is anathema to the socialist ideal.
Of course neither Plaid nor the Labour Party sign up to Soviet type socialism, so some might argue that the imperialism of international socialism isn't relevant to their democratic socialist views, but some members of Plaid do like to use the international socialist tag.
One of the basic tenants of all forms of Socialism is dependence upon the state. The only state that the people of Wales have to depend upon at the moment is the British state; it is nonsensical for a party to campaign for people to become more dependent on a state that the same party is also campaigning to abolish.
I think that it was Prof James Mitchell who made the point that Mrs Thatcher was the midwife of devolution because she dismantled so many of the institutions on which the people of Scotland and Wales depended for their services and their livelihoods and which made them "British" by dependence. By supporting re-nationalisation Plaid's socialists want to recreated many of those old institutions that have bound the people of Wales to Britain.
If you ask members of Plaid what they think of the Labour Party most of them will tell you that Labour has ruled the roost in Wales for about 100 years and that after a centaury of Labour failure its time for a change. I agree. The $64K question is why has Labour failed Wales for the past centaury? The answer is because Labour has given us 100 years of left wing politics. Changing the label on left wing politics from Labour to Plaid won't change a thing. What Wales needs in order to succeed is an alternative to the 100 years of failure of left wing politics - not a name change.
My biggest grievance against Plaid's socialism isn't however ideological, its because I find Plaid's socialist facade completely cynical. Most Plaid people that I know would be One Nation Conservatives or Liberals if they had been born English, some may even have become "new" Labour. The diehard firebrand socialists in the party are few and far between. The red flag is being flown by Plaid simply because some in the party have calculated that there are lots of socialist votes in the valleys and that if Plaid pretends to out-socialist Labour those votes could be in the bag. The sad thing is that Plaid has failed to realise that there is a hell of a lot of Welsh patriotism in the Valleys too and that a genuine nationalist appeal to that patriotic sentiment would probably bag the party a hell of a lot more votes than a cynical appeal to socialism.
Because this blog is listed under "Plaid Cymru" on the Wales Elects 2007 blogg, I should note that I am not a member of Plaid Cymru and I haven't been a member for many years.
I left the Liberal Party and joined Plaid Cymru in 1979 because of my conviction that it was in Wales' best interest to be self governing and that none of the other parties would reintroduce any semblance of self government after the referendum result unless there was a strong nationalist party in Wales arguing the cause of independence. I certainly didn't join Plaid because I support socialism.
Although there has always been a socialist element in Plaid Cymru I've never quite been able to understand why. Socialism and nationalism appear to me to be opposing ideals
Plaid claims to be an anti-imperialist party, but socialism is inherently an imperialist ideology. One can't have socialism in little pockets here and there, the socialist Utopia requires all peoples everywhere to be governed by the same economic and social policies. The idea of independence is anathema to the socialist ideal.
Of course neither Plaid nor the Labour Party sign up to Soviet type socialism, so some might argue that the imperialism of international socialism isn't relevant to their democratic socialist views, but some members of Plaid do like to use the international socialist tag.
One of the basic tenants of all forms of Socialism is dependence upon the state. The only state that the people of Wales have to depend upon at the moment is the British state; it is nonsensical for a party to campaign for people to become more dependent on a state that the same party is also campaigning to abolish.
I think that it was Prof James Mitchell who made the point that Mrs Thatcher was the midwife of devolution because she dismantled so many of the institutions on which the people of Scotland and Wales depended for their services and their livelihoods and which made them "British" by dependence. By supporting re-nationalisation Plaid's socialists want to recreated many of those old institutions that have bound the people of Wales to Britain.
If you ask members of Plaid what they think of the Labour Party most of them will tell you that Labour has ruled the roost in Wales for about 100 years and that after a centaury of Labour failure its time for a change. I agree. The $64K question is why has Labour failed Wales for the past centaury? The answer is because Labour has given us 100 years of left wing politics. Changing the label on left wing politics from Labour to Plaid won't change a thing. What Wales needs in order to succeed is an alternative to the 100 years of failure of left wing politics - not a name change.
My biggest grievance against Plaid's socialism isn't however ideological, its because I find Plaid's socialist facade completely cynical. Most Plaid people that I know would be One Nation Conservatives or Liberals if they had been born English, some may even have become "new" Labour. The diehard firebrand socialists in the party are few and far between. The red flag is being flown by Plaid simply because some in the party have calculated that there are lots of socialist votes in the valleys and that if Plaid pretends to out-socialist Labour those votes could be in the bag. The sad thing is that Plaid has failed to realise that there is a hell of a lot of Welsh patriotism in the Valleys too and that a genuine nationalist appeal to that patriotic sentiment would probably bag the party a hell of a lot more votes than a cynical appeal to socialism.
Because this blog is listed under "Plaid Cymru" on the Wales Elects 2007 blogg, I should note that I am not a member of Plaid Cymru and I haven't been a member for many years.
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