Where's the Big Conversation?
In a vain effort, to date, to try and stimulate the so-called "Big Conversation" in Wales, by 'trolling' other Welsh blogs, I am forced to try this Blogging malarkey for myself.
There have many bloggings regarding proposals to bring about 'new and improved' elements of self determination for Wales with many ideas, some of which may have some merit.
Unfortunately, there remains the one stumbling block that, as yet, seems to have been overlooked or unaddressed or hopefully forgotten about, except by me.
Yep! you've got it: the Welsh Language question.
Enshrined in the proposed New Welsh Language Act is a clear attempt to force the Welsh Language down unwilling throats.
Plaid Cymru, Cymuned, The Welsh Language Society and their Nationalist cohorts have been trying for years to encourage, persuade, cajole and otherwise inveigle we monoglots, who form the vast majority of the population of Wales, to learn Welsh and use it alongside English. To what purpose, I have absolutely no idea, apart from possibly showing implied support for the Nationalist cause, which has little actual support throughout Wales.
They have now resorted to the plainly desperate tactic of Legislative force to achieve their goals.
The New Welsh Language Act seeks to compel, on pain of sanctions, any business with five or more employees operating in Wales, to provide their full range of goods and services via the medium of Welsh.
Any company failing to provide this 'service' will leave themselves open to Civil Litigation for punitive damages, by any Tom, Dick or Taffy Welsh speaker for "hurt to their feelings".
It should be firmly noted at this time that there are no Welsh speakers who are not fully conversant in the English language.
Of course the Nationalists will be rubbing their grubby little hands at the prospect of this being a 'nice little earner' for them and their pals.
Naturally, the profligate, with other people's money, Nationalists have given absolutely no thought whatever to the cost of this folly.
Businesses located in, or proposing to locate to Wales will have to factor into their business plans these added linguistic costs. These plans will certainly impinge upon their cost-effectiveness and will plainly reduce their competitiveness.
Further costs will be borne by the Welsh workforce who will be expected to suffer reduced earning potential and prospects in order to fund this demand. No employer would wish to suffer the full cost themselves or would wish to pass on this unneccesary burden to their customers.
Who else is to pay?
Your pecuniary pal.
johnny.
posted by johnny foreigner @ 18:43
30 Comments
30 Comments:
Hello Johnny welcome and dare i say croseo :>)
This comment has been removed by the author.
Well, what a pleasant surprise.
Come on in, let me take your hat and coat, sit down and put your feet up. I'll get the kettle on now.
You now have the dubious honour of being the first contributor to this blog.
As such, you now occupy a special place in my heart and in recognition of this I would say:
"Croeso i fy mlog a bod yn hapus."
You'll have to excuse me now, I have to go and lie down in a darkened room.
You primary pal.
johnny.
Welcome, Johnny. Welsh blogging needs a touch of realism!
Welcome Johnny!
My blog is 'offline' at the moment for numerous reasons, so I've spent quite a bit of time reading others. Just wanted to say that I've enjoyed reading your comments on other blogs, particularly those on Alan in Dyfed's blog ;-D
Keep it up!
What a welcome entrant to a blogsophere devoid of straight talking, call a spade a spade real politik.
Your suitably impressed pal.#
KH
Boring, boring anti-Welsh tripe. You, along with Neil Kinnock, Huw Lewis and the other 'Labour' anti-Welsh bigots are a dying breed!
Enjoy your sad little existence my friend.
PS. Do you really have to spam all other blogs with your blog address to get readers? Is the content /really/ that boring? I guess it is.
anonymouth.
Come in and welcome.
If you find my comments boring, what on earth are you doing here?
No, not anti-Welsh. Anti Welsh Nationalist, as stated.
BTW, my political allegiance is to the 'None of these Turkeys' Party, which appears to be on a 'roll' at the moment as illustrated by the low turn-out at many elections.
You criticise the posting of my blog address on a few other blogs. It's hardly spam.
Kindly inform me of a more generally accepted method of advertising one's blog.
Please feel free to call back any time.
Your pleasant pal.
johnny.
You'd live up to your own hype a little better if you got your facts straight.
Just for starters, do tell - where does Cymuned try to persuade/cajole/etc/etc non-Welsh speaking Welsh people to speak Welsh?
Next up, what's your source for 'The New Welsh Language Act seeks to compel, on pain of sanctions, any business with five or more employees operating in Wales, to provide their full range of goods and services via the medium of Welsh'?
As far as I know, there isn't a new Welsh language act, so presumably you're talking about some other body in Wales which is promoting such an act? If so, it would be very interesting to know which one has made these impractical suggestions.
It would be such a pity if a 'plain talker' turned out just to be another scaremonger.
JF - not sure where you get any of your facts re Welsh language legislation/compulsion etc, but it's not from the real world. Where is this act? have you seen it? what's 'propping up' a language? Does, for instance, enabling Cardiffian English-speaking Welsh people like me to send their kids to Welsh-medium schools count as propping up welsh? Does giving services for welsh speakers in their language count as propping it up? Does, say, having a radio station or a TV channel count as 'propping it up'? etc etc.
You're essentially a paranoid monoculturalist, dressing up your fear and hatred of a diffferent culture in pseudo-sense.
Your English is alo not very good. 'Welsh should live or die on it's merits' There should be no apostrophe.Sorry to be pernickety, but when someone makes such a big issue of language, you expect them to manage their own to a reasonable level of literacy.
The real reason you hate people who speak other languages is basically that you're barely on top of your own. This is especially sad given the obvious pride you take in your lamentable writing style.
There's also that sad, paranoid, totalitarian instinct in you that assumes that all non-Welsh speaking Welsh share your views BECAUSE they don;t speak Welsh. Not true.
I imagine peopelliek you sit in their dark rooms and fulminate against people who are different, massage their shoulder-chips, feed their sense of radical victimhood, then cruise the blogosphere for people to bore about the only thing that really bothers them: Welsh-speakers.
The Kairdiff Kid
New Blog, same old bollocks.
What language Act is this then, Johnny? Are you privy to something we don't know?
I'm intrgued by this idea that a a language should stand or fall on its own merits. The point surely is that because it does not have, and never has had, equal status with English, standing or falling on its own merits is precisely what is not being alllowed to happen.
Unless you are equal, you cannot fully exist. The world is full of people, languages , cultures, etc who do not have equal rights. The reason they are threatened is that they do not have equal rights and never have had. It's sort of logical Johnny, no? When you are belitttled, outlawed, marginalised, mocked and repressed, it is a sure sign, is it not, that you are not being allowed, as you put it, the chance to stand ((or fall) on your own merits?
If you are happy at living in a Wales where it's still legal to tell welsh-speakers in their own area not to speak their language - and clearly you do - then you are obviously not in favour of equality.
You use the regular cliches of 'forced down our throats', but Ive never actually seen an English speaker with Welsh forced down his or her throat. Ive seen plenty of Welsh-speakers constantly having English forced down theirs.
You wil of course say that;'s fine, because you believe that because there are fewer of them, their should have fewer rights. But you could at least come clean about it, and not dress up your hatred of Welsh and Welsh-speakers in this sort of fakery.
When I moved to Wales they told me about language extremists. It's safe to say that what Ive seen since I came here have been English-language extremists who depress and frighten me mor ethan any of your particular gallery of foes: Cymuned, Plaid, etc etc.
Reading this over, and reading it in conjunction with your own pompous thesaurus-ransacking bluster, I wonder which of us comes out of this worse: you for having such poorly-conceived opinions or me for bothering with them. Me probably.
Still, that's the nature of the blogging game.
David Rodway
Aran.
Welcome to my blog. It's nice to see a Nationalist who is willing to engage in civilised-ish conversation.
Please be assured that my facts are completely straight with no hype.
You ask "where does Cymuned try to persuade.....".
That's easy. It's a clear part of your raison d'etre. If non-Welsh speaking people, commonly referred to as "incomers", move to a Welsh speaking area Cymuned seeks to persuade them to immerse themselves in the so-called 'Welsh Culture' and at least learn some Welsh.
I fear that I may have done your organisation a slight dis-service, in that I have 'lumped' all Nationalists into one group, as they all seem to have the same ultimate aim, i.e. independence for Wales at any cost. If this be so, kindly accept my abject and sincere apologies for this slight.
You ask for my source for the proposed New Welsh Language Act.
It may be found at:
www.cymdeithas.org/pdf/languagemeasure2007.pdf
I would particularly draw your attention to section 3. 'The Right to Services in Welsh', and its sub-section entitled 'Enforcement Process and Remedy'. Wherein the proposals that I have mentioned are clearly set out.
Surely as a member of Cymuned you are aware of this?
I would be particularly interested to know whether your organisation supports these proposals.
Plenty of 'plain talk' here Aran and no scaremongering. I speak as I find.
If you wish to discuss this matter further please feel free to return here at any time.
Thanks for your interest.
Your populist pal.
johnny.
Johnny -
1 - do you have a problem with Welsh-speakers having access to services in their language? Yes or no?
2 - If Yes, fine. If no, then if they should have access to these services, is it not logical that their right should be enforcible? If not it isn;t a right.
3 - Is it really wrong to ask peopel who move to Welsh-speaking areas - I don;t mean , say, Newport or Merthyr or Llandudno - to respect the culture and learn some Welsh? is that rabid nationalism? Surely not. And if yes, then presumably anyone who thinks people who move to English-speaking areas are rabid nats too? Oh no - sorry - silly me. It's because they have different rights, and more of them.
4 - we're back to your baswic and very evident problem with the notion of equality.
5 - and thus back again to your obsessive hatred of Welsh-speakers.
Blimey. We're going round in circles. Thanks for the tip about the Cymdeithas site. If there's a petition I'll sign it. Oops Sorry Johnny, I'm an English speaker, so I must be against Welsh. Better let my betters, like your good self, speak for me on this...
As you can see, it's a slow evening over here.
DR
Sorry - missing word in item 3 of my last post: It should read:
3 - Is it really wrong to ask peopel who move to Welsh-speaking areas - I don;t mean , say, Newport or Merthyr or Llandudno - to respect the culture and learn some Welsh? is that rabid nationalism? Surely not. And if yes, then presumably anyone who thinks people who move to English-speaking areas SHOULD LEARN ENGLISH are rabid nats too? Oh no - sorry - silly me. It's because they (English-speakers) have different rights, and more of them.
Kairdiff Kid?
You, Sir or Madam, are a fake and an imposter. The true Kairdiff Kid is a gentleman by the name of Dan O'Neill, the well know columnist for the South Wales Echo, who incidentally, has similar views to mine.
Surely some Freudian slip somewhere?
You ask where I have gained my information from. I have given the details in my previous posting but will repeat it for convenience:
www.cydeithas.org/pdf/languagemeasures2007.pdf
It's all there.
Propping up the language is clearly shown by the publishing so much documentatuion in Welsh and English where there is absolutely no need for it. No Welsh speakers are not fully conversant in English.
A further example is S4C and BBC Wales. A complete waste of my money which is further compounded by S4C's refusal to publish their viewing figures. I wonder why?
You chide me for a single typographical error with a sentence that begins "Your English is alo (sic) not very good".
On closer examination your posting is liberally sprinkled with errors e.g.
Line 1. 're' is an abbreviation, no full stop.
Line 2. 'etc' is also an abbreviation, comma inappropriate.
Line 3. '?' denotes the end of a sentence, capital 'H' in 'have' to follow.
Line 7. Capital 'W' required for the proper noun, Welsh. Twice.
Line 9. 'etc' is an abbreviation. How many times do you have to be told.
Line 11. Three 'f's in "different". That's a new one on me.
Do you really want me to continue?
Pots, kettles, black, people, glasshouses, stones. Why do these words spring to mind?
Of particular etymological interest is your new word "peopellike". Most interesting and worthy of further analysis.
There's not much else to say in response except: on yer bike, Prat, come back when you've learned a little courtesy and a reasonable command of English.
Your pal.
johnny.
Yes, I know.
There should be an 'm' in Cymdeithas.
jf.
Dave Rodway.
Firstly, may I say that I have no intention of critcising typographical errors providing the meaning is clear. So unlike the pillock masquerading as the Kairdiff Kid.
If I may, I would respond to your two postings in this one?
My particular problem with the Welsh Language and its speakers is that they keep demanding that monoglots, such as I, learn and use the language and preserve it at all costs. I just don't wish to do so. Welsh serves me no purpose at all and should be placed in a museum along with other outdated items.
I have no problem with Welsh speakers per se, but from my own personal experiences and limited knowledge of the language, I have, on too many occasions been subject to rudeness, ignorance, disdain and downright insult from Welsh speakers, assuming that I knew no Welsh.
I have related elsewhere, the occasions, some years ago, when a black pal of mine and I have fought our way out of some Mid and West Walian pubs during our truck deliveries around the country. The locals just couldn't believe that a black man could understand some Welsh. He was actually a language student working in his holidays. The words 'bastard du' usually provided adequate warning that it was about to kick off. A few local jaws were cracked in the process as my pal was also a West Indies junior boxing champ and I'm a dab hand with a chair or ashtray.
Halcyon days.
This same attitude pervades, to a great extent, to this day, in the more remote areas of Wales. They seem to hate English speakers.
I have some problems with Welsh medium education as, to my knowledge, monoglot children are at an immediate disadvantage, having to spend the first hour of their day learning Welsh whilst their bi-lingual fellows are getting on with their general education. This, I should clarify, is more prevalent in the remoter parts of Wales. It obviously does not occur when all pupils are learners.
I have noted that you have seen the Cymdeithas proposals and hope that this will enlighten you as to one of the causes for the position that I hold.
Their proposals,IMHO, are plain crazy and the cost of these proposals will surely pass to an unwilling monoglot majority.
Let's now look at your questions.
Q. 1. Yes, if it makes added cost that the rest of us must bear. No Welsh speaker is non-coversant in English, therefore the continued publication of bilingual documents is a mere sop to political correctness.
Even Dafydd Elis-Thomas says that the publication of Assembly documents in Welsh is a waste of money as they are read by no one and are immediately archived. This cost is currently about £4.000.000 a year. Further, much is lost in translation.
Q. 2. See above. There is no 'right' or need to use Welsh in every socio/economic activity in Wales. This self-perceived 'right' is an aspiration that some Welsh speakers see as being theirs by entitlement, irrespective of the wishes of the monoglot majority.
Q. 3. Yes and no. There's nothing wrong with them learning a little about so-called Welsh 'culture', although it's generally made up from myths and legends.
No problem with learning to speak a few phrases in Welsh either. Unfortunately, that's not enough for the more swivel-eyed of our Celtic brethren. They will insist on newcomers becoming fully conversational in Welsh.
It should be noted that many newcomers to Wales are retired and really have better things to do than learn an entirely new language in order to satisfy someone else's ego.
I would further submit that Welsh has nowhere near the breadth and depth of expression that English has. A quick check of Dictionary sizes bears this out.
Qs 4 and 5. Not exactly questions but worthy of response.
We are all equal in Wales, but if a vociferous yet small section insist or demand that we, the majority, bend to their wills at OUR expense they have a distorted view of British resolve.
I have no interest at all in propping up a language that serves me not, neither does it suit my chosen mode of expression.
The only reasons given to date are of a purely politically correct point of view.
I have no hatred for Welsh speakers, but offer them the same affection that they offer me.
I do hope that my response addresses most of your concerns and cordially invite your return, should you so wish.
Not really a slow evening here. My two fingers have become calloused from all this keyboard activity.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew by starting this blog?
I hope not. Nevertheless I will do my best to answer all responses in my normal robust yet inimitable manner.
Your perlocutionary pal.
johnny.
Johnny,
It seems to me that you are assuming that Politicus Nationalensis is a single homogenous species, and you are therefore responding to all manifestations in the same way. However, just as P. Labrensis has a number of sub species (x Footii now quite rare, but x Blairii and x Brownii still very prevalent), so too with P. nationalensis.
I should make you aware that x Alanii, though of prolific verbiage, is actually so rare as to be an endangered sub-species. The most prevalent sub-species appears to be x Wigleii, (much more common than x Jonesii), and the views of x Wigleii are much less extreme than you seem to suppose.
For a real debate, though, I recommend x Willliamsii - much rarer than they used to be, but extremely open to a good argument.
However, whilst all the above is extremely interesting, it is a diversion from the real issue of the day, which is this: What happens when you exhaust the supply of adjectival 'P's?
This is all worth it just to see Dave Rodway - the king of one handed typing - get all hot and bothered.
Civilised-ish? Ah, the damning of faint praise...
Now, let's see if I've got this straight - I ask you where Cymuned makes the statements you so kindly claimed for us, and you respond 'It's a clear part of your raison d'être'.
I take it that means that you can't find anywhere we say it? Because we don't.
It's worth being clear about this, because either accidentally or deliberately you are conflating two very different points.
We believe that people who move to Welsh-speaking communities have a moral duty to learn the language. After all, they've chosen to move to a Welsh-speaking community.
The vast majority of non-Welsh-speaking people who move to Welsh-speaking communities come from England. The numbers of non-Welsh-speaking Welsh people who move into Welsh-speaking communities are minimal. The levels of population movement within Wales alone since 1961 would not have caused significant damage to community use of the language.
However, we would say that non-Welsh-speaking Welsh people who choose to move into Welsh-speaking areas have the same moral duty to avoid forcing locals to speak English as anyone else - but that is clearly NOT the same thing as saying that non-Welsh-speaking people living in non-Welsh-speaking communities ought to learn Welsh.
Independence for Wales is not one of Cymuned's stated aims. Many of our members may well support it, some do not. It is not relevant to the vast majority of our work, except insofar as devolving decision-making to the nearest possible local level promotes the kind of community sustainability we would like to see.
As regards the Cymdeithas, I've read the sections to which you refer, and I can see no mention of 'five or more employees'. If that's just me getting old, do tell me where I've missed it. If you made it up, let us know.
I'm a bit puzzled as to why you think I should be aware of Section 3, sub-section points 12 and continuing in the Cymdeithas document. We're two separate organisations.
Cymuned has consistently supported calls from the Cymdeithas for a new Language Act, although it is not one of our campaigns. That does not mean that we would necessarily agree with every clause in their draft document - nor, I'm sure, would they expect us to.
But it is clear that the kind of bigotry we have seen recently in businesses in North Wales is not acceptable, and certain basic rights for Welsh-speakers need to be established in the private sector, as the Commission for Racial Equality recognises and is attempting to ensure.
It's a pity that you can't keep to legitimate discussion without making bigoted statements. Your claim that Welsh 'has nowhere near the breadth and depth of expression' that English has is arrant nonsense, but it reveals a deeply unpleasant desire to see some languages as intrinsically 'better' than others. Do you also think that some races are intrinsically 'better' than others? You're on the slippery first steps of the road to fascism there; it would be good to see you step firmly to one side.
In fact, it would be good to see you manage to discuss these matters without sounding bitter. The language, for better or for worse, is an unavoidable part of present day Welsh civic and political society, so it needs to be the subject of rational discussion.
But that discussion will get nowhere helpful if it starts off in bitterness and entrenched positions.
Its hardly having "a big conversation" if you just trot out the standard bar room arguments against the Welsh language is it?
Im not a speaker personally but support the Welsh language fully.
Nonny 01;23.
Sorry for the delay in answering but I've just been getting myself banned from alanindyfed's blog.
Thank you for your illuminating response it is most helpful.
Your points regarding the numerous sub-species is well taken. I just hope that the x Alanii continues as an endangered sub-species to his eventual extinction. Probably best for us all.
Your mention of x Wigleii's relatively un-sung support indicates to me a certain level of disunity in the Nationalist camp.
With regard to today's pressing issue, the answer's quite simple. I have another 25 adjectival initials to choose from., and that's before I start on Klingon.
Your punctuatory pal.
johnny.
Aran:
Thank you for your informative post.
It would appear from your own description of your raison detre that you have set Cymuned up as some sort of Welsh Thought Police and self appointed Guardians of Welsh Morality.
Who on earth gave you the right to insist that English people who locate to Wales have a "moral duty" to learn Welsh? Have you just assumed this 'right'?
You go on to say that English speakers, speaking English , "force" Welsh speakers to speak English. This is a plainly Fascist suggestion and seems to indicate to me that you are wholly supportive of the diktat of Cymdeithas' linguistic proposals.
Kindly state your position clearly.
With regard to the matter of "five employees or over....". I heard this particular point on BBC Wales when the matter was being discussed with a representative of Cymdeithas whose name escapes me.
The statement was made in response to a question regarding the imposition of these proposals on one or two person businesses wherein, if none were Welsh Speakers, the business would be forced to close down, or they would have to employ one just for translational purposes. A plainly ridiculous suggestion. The figure of five or over was quoted in order to exclude such small businesses from this unworkable sanction.
However the rest of the document is precisely as I have described it, viz:
"The New Welsh Language Act seeks to compel, on pain of sanctions, any business (*with five or more employees*) operating in Wales, to provide their full range of goods and services via the medium of Welsh."
(* *) Delete as you wish.
Your question asking why Cymuned should be assumed to be aware of these proposals surprised me somewhat. I would have thought that organisations such as yours and Cymdeithas were working in tandem. I was plainly wrong.
I would be interested to hear if your organisation supports Cymuned's Language Act proposals, as I am sure many others would. A statement would be helpful if just for purely educational purposes.
Of course you resort to the normal accusations of bigotry,. Whatever next? Racist? I'm afraid you're a bit late for that one.
You claim that, presumably, the Thos. Cook matter is a case of bigotry. This is a 'two way street' as you are plainly seeking to impose your will on them and are intolerant of their preferred method of conducting their own business.
The further matter of the relative merits of different languages is IMHO entirely subjective.
With regard to Welsh and English, again IMHO, I find that English is far 'superior' (please note the commas) in terms of the strength of its lexicon and versatility of expression that it offers. From my observations of Welsh in relatively recent years, I am somewhat disappointed to find that the ponderous increase in the Welsh lexicon have been by the crude and clearly illthought method of 'Welshifying' English words.
One striking example of this is the Welsh word for 'bicycle' = 'beic'. This translation is ridiculous as, clearly, 'beic' is a translation of the abbreviation 'bike'. Surely a more apt translation would be 'beiseicl' wherein 'my bicycle' would be 'f'ym heisicl' rather than 'f'ym heic' or even 'f'ym heffyl haeron'.
It may even be thought that Welsh may be 'superior' in terms of its timbre and inflection. This of course is entirely subjective.
I know that I am well out of my depth on this matter but nevertheless it has caused me some considerable thought.
Your question regarding my opinion on whether some races are 'intrinsically better' than others is, again, an entirely subjective question.
What exactly do you mean by 'intrinsically better'?
I would venture to suggest that Black people are intrinsically better in the athletic field due to their musculature. Whilst they rarely excel at swimming for the same reason.
I would suggest that the Inuit people are intrinsically better at living in Arctic regions, again, due to their particular body form.
Further, I would suggest that no people are intrinsically better than others in terms of their devotion to their families and loved ones.
I strongly suspect that your question has some different connotation. A full explanation of the reason for your question would be much appreciated.
Beware the slippery road.
The only times that Welsh is "unavoidable" in my life is when I am bombarded by documentation that contains 50% of wasted ink and paper and my council tax rises in order to pay for it. A massive and unnecessary 'carbon footprint' if ever I saw one. Why don't we just have a choice?
Sorry, that's just not within the scope of the Nationalist cause, is it? In simple terms, you want it, you pay for it.
I hope this response answers some of your questions.
I also hope that you provide a full explanation of your reasons for asking the question regarding people being 'intrinsically better'.
You pal johnny.
Thank you, nonny. I appreciate your support.
Let's see: I'm banned from Alan's. I'm banned from Odourousvindictivus, although he does seem to stalk my postings. I'm also banned from Welsh independence (Rhyddid).
I must be doing something right then.
I wonder if there's an award for being banned from the most blogs?
Your 'preciative pal.
johnny.
Oh dear, Johnny - you've rather let your colours show now, with all this stuff about various racial superiorities. I'd rather hoped you were of better quality than that - but I asked the question about 'intrinsically better' to find out, and I'm sorry to hear that you believe that some peoples are better than others, and some languages are better than others.
For me, that kind of belief in 'superiority' is a pre-condition for genuine, dangerous fascism and bigotry.
Much as I enjoy talking to people with different and challenging points of view, I'm not interested in people who are motivated by that kind of agenda.
Love your slightly hysterical response to what we say about the moral duty for inward-migrants to Welsh-speaking areas to learn the language - we don't have the 'right' to state that, it is a line of argument that we choose to present, and hope to win.
Would you like to be able to shut us up, Johnny? I wonder where you stand on freedom of speech...
Yours disappointedly,
Aran
Businesses located in, or proposing to locate to Wales will have to factor into their business plans these added linguistic costs. These plans will certainly impinge upon their cost-effectiveness and will plainly reduce their competitiveness.
Are you familiar with globalisation? It's been going on for a few decades now, an involves companies from one country moving to and operating in different countries where there is different legislation and different languages spoken. They may find it a bit of a hassle at first, but if there's money to be made, they're more than happy to comply.
Aran:
Thanks again for your previous response, albeit full of 'loaded' questions.
Been there, done that etc.
You are quite predictable in this response as you have obviuosly little grasp of anthropological matters.
I stand by the well proven facts as stated. Some are better than others, it just depends how you define better.
In order to provide absolute clarity in this matter, I would state that as Homo Sapiens we are clearly sub-divided into our various ethnic races, and as such have great variety.
If you are seeking to know whether I find any particular races to be superior or inferior, as in the Nazi doctrine of Ubermensch and Untermensch, I am afraid that I have to disappoint you.
We are all God's creatures, or, if you wish, the products of Darwinian evolution, and as such are born equal. Does this answer your slippery question?
Your rather silly question regarding languages being better than others, please inform what on earth you mean by that.
From my particular point of view, English is far superior to any other because it serves me the best. Whilst I daresay that you would disagree, nevertheless, the fact remains, in my view.
I have posted in Klingon previously and have been chided that the Klingon Language is "made up and contrived". What is any language? Clearly made up and contrived. How can there be a 'pecking order' in language? It's rather silly question as the obvious answer is 'Horses for Courses'.
You state that my response regarding your Orwellian 'argument' is hysterical. We are not amused.
If your proposals are as you have stated, I would respectfully suggest that you provide greater publicity for this, at your expense of course, not mine.
I am pretty sure that the vast majority of Welsh people would have something to the contrary to say to your wish to be their moral guardians.
In conclusion, I respond to the free speech question by stating that I have been banned from a few insignificant Nationalist blogs for my contrary views, the last one being alanindyfed. This shows the Nationalist attitude towards free speech. Unless, of course you would care to disagree.
He has posted the most offensive comments regarding British troops on active duty and describes them as "mercenaries".
He has made this posting in the name of Welsh Nationalism and I hereby invite you to read it for yourself and disassociate your cause from his remarks.
He has done Nationalism a grevious harm, irrespective of our differing views.
He has insulted and maligned brave people simply to promote his twisted views.
I have already called for representatives of Cymuned, Cymdeithas and Plaid Cymru to read and disassociate themselves from these remarks but see nothing yet.
I'm still waiting.
Your pal.
johnny
Rhys Wynne:
Thanks for your question.
The question of globalisation does not really apply in Wales as it is clearly already a part of the UK.
There is absolutely no wish or necessity to burden our socio/economic activities with any compulsion to use Welsh at all. This is an obvious attempt to inject some perceived 'cultural' aspect. There are no Welsh speakers who are not fully conversant via the lingua franca of the UK, i.e. English.
You claim that people may find it a "bit of a hassle at first but if there's money to be made, they're more than happy to comply."
I my not inconsiderable experience I have yet to meet a Welshman who insisted that Welsh was spoken when money was involved.
Are you really trying to suggest that a purchaser or service user would be prepared to pay an increased cost or premium in order to receive their goods or sevices in Welsh? Money talks.
Of course, if you are lucky enough to find anyone, kindly inform them from me, "you want it, you pay for it"
I am afraid that the game's up on this particular proposal as I have yet to hear one valid reason in this matter apart except for the continual whining about culture and Welsh's ancient origin.
I would be very much surprised if any company would ever wish to locate in Wales given these plainly costly conditions.
There is of course one exception, i.e. the Welsh 'media' who would jump straight onto this in order to suck even more Public Money into their greedy paws.
Your pecuniary pal.
johnny.
BREAKING NEWS......For Aran.
Asafa Powell (Jamaica) has just broken his own 100m. World Record in a time of 9.74 sec.
The game and plucky Caucasian was last but one.
Anthropology will have its own way.
Your past-the-post pal.
johnny.
In fact, the debate continues despite your rather silly posting.
Thanks anyway.
Your pal.
johnny.
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