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Why Plaid Cymru ?

Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales is not responsible for nor does it endorse or necessarily
agree with the views expressed on this page which are those of a single  member
of Goronwy branch
If you examine public attitudes you will come to the inevitable conclusion
that the major dissatisfaction with politics today is based upon the perception
that the politicians, and indeed the parties as entities, lack integrity. An
undignified scramble for power, a determination to win the votes of 'Middle England' at any cost, has seen what few rags of principle that the
mainstream parties still possessed thrown to the four winds. This has not
been the case with Plaid Cymru. Plaid stands for :-
  • Independence for Wales
  • The Protection of welsh language and culture
  • Socialism
Choose your own order!

When attempts were made to change the above, to deny that the party stood
for independence; to trivialise the language issue; to completely ignore the
commitment to socialism; in short to emulate New Labour, the membership
stepped in and re-instated the  status quo ante. Plaid Cymru is controlled
by its members, it does not have the union block membership nor does it have
the vast army of inner circle apparatchiks which made it so easy for the right
wing to hijack the labour party. The Party retains its integrity, although it
has to be jealously guarded. In todays's political climate, this alone probably
justifies voting for it!
Independence


We all believe in independence don't we?  Standing  on your own two feet? Tony Blair believes in independence, even the Americans  believe in Independence, in fact they're famous for it. So why wouldn't Wales want it?

  • Economic self interest.
Without the economic protection of our larger neighbour we would be impoverished. People like Simon Thomas andCynog Dafis, who bother to work these things out, have convincingly argued that this is nonsense. But suppose it were true? SO WHAT? Do I surrender my freedom for economic self interest? Do I sell my principles for money? Do I put my daughter on the
streets for financial gain? Do I surrender my independence so that I can afford a Sky satellite dish?
  • We need the english to govern us because they are so much more competent, capable, and intelligent, than we are.
You see it in black and white and it looks insane, especially if you compare some of the leading lights of Plaid with the New Labour crew. Nonetheless it is, for many people, a major component in their thinking. Nor is Wales the first colony to have a substantial part of its establishment arguing for staying tucked under the imperial wing, although it bids fair to be the last!
  • We need to stay integrated with our neighbours, because socialism in one country is impossible.

This is the only argument that has ever conceivably been valid. But with the hijacking of socialist parties by the right wing, and the tsunami of United States neo-conservatism crashing about our ears, if we cannot build our own island of socialism we are destined to drown.
Language and Culture


Culture? well, that is pretty much whatever you decide that it is after a couple of pints down the pub on a saturday night, and it will have changed again by sunday morning. Culture is the sum of our differences from other nations, constantly changing and basically indefinable. Language on the other hand is concrete, and the welsh language is vitally important to Wales. This is true, whether you speak the language or not (and upfront I will concede that, if pushed, I do.)

If I might use a fanciful analogy, the language is like the keep within the fortress of a nation's culture. Even if you never use it, it is there, it may be retreated to in times of crisis, it is a store place of weapons and supplies when the culture is under attack. English culture is constantly being eroded by the American leviathan, first Hollywood, then the internet, and now New Labour, if England is not the 51st State, that is purely a technicality. But we have the language, Hollywood is not about to make films re-writing history in welsh, if there is welsh on the internet it is wholly the property of the welsh people, and we have Plaid Cymru.

Cerdd Dant and cottage burning, cynghanedd and côr meibion, churlish farmers and chapel going, whether it gives you a warm glow, or makes you put your head in your hands and groan, it is a vital part of Wales; home; a place to go when the storm is raging; and friends, the storm is raging.
Socialism


Note Well, Socialism is:-
FROM EACH ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY,
UNTO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEED
 
Nothing more, nothing less. No revisions, no arguments, no elaborations. Read the words. Carefully. Now, do you agree with the principle? Then you are a socialist. If you do not agree with the principle then I suggest you go away and spend a while working out why not.

Of course, agreeing with the principal and agreeing upon the means by which it is to be put into practice are very different things. In Plaid Cymru we have at least arrived at agreement on a few basic principles e.g.

  • Shooting people, despite its popularity, is probably counterproductive
  • Letting people starve to death whilst nurturing your own obesity is probably not socialism compliant
  • Taxation should start with the Rich Bastards and work down, not start with the Poor Bastards and work up.
Okay! But its a start, and put so much more eloquently by the likes of Simon and Cynog.