The GR8 DB8, wk1, and it ...

... is being used by Scottish Nationalists to dignify the sordid process of separation.

When Alex Salmond second in command Nicola Sturgeon spoke to the Scots, reported here, she said "you'll retire earlier with the SNP than you will remaining with Britain !"

The SNP closed the door on honest debate and confirmed to the electorate, that the candy behind this particular game is "humbug".

A few facts ...

The SNP government-commissioned Fiscal Commission also recently concluded that Scotland will soon have more pensioners per head of working age people than the UK. It reported: “It is projected that without action, Scotland’s dependency ratio will increase more rapidly compared with the UK – reflecting the particularly sharp increase in Scotland’s pension age population.”

The Department for Work and Pensions said “Pensions spending per head is already higher in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, and in future, Scotland will have a higher proportion of elderly people. But by pooling our resources, we won’t need to rely on volatile and declining North Sea revenues to pay the pensions of Scotland’s elderly.”

The truth ...

10% of the population of Britain, that includes Scotland, have 60% of the countries wealth.

90% of the population of Britain, that includes Scotland, are unlikely to ever earn much above the median income of £20,000.

The likelihood of these figures changing through separation is zero.

Blue smoke and mirrors, so who gains through this sleight of hand ?
.

Adam Price, ...

... one-time politician, separatist, adviser [to Leanne Wood] who likes to talk a great deal, had much to say this Christmas.

... but when the blue smoke is driven away by the breath of sanity, and the Plaid mirrors covered with a cloth of reality, there is very little substance remaining.

It is where he is reported as saying :

"As a nation we lack self-confidence because of the weakness of our economic position."

... it begins to unravel, much like a woollen thread caught on a briar.

... the only lack of self-confidence is with our lack-lustre politicians.

... he continued :

"Nations that lack self-confidence do not tend to back independence."

... over optimism here, with only a few percentage of the population interested in separation he could have written :

"People who realise separatism only changes the face of government, do not tend to back independence."

Not content with boring the pants off readers who might stumble on his particular politics he goes further, presumably to send people to sleep :

Wales is the only one of them [ the regions of Catalonia, the Basque Country, Scotland and Flanders ] where independence isn’t realistically on the current agenda, for a combination of historical, economic and demographic reasons.

I'm afraid Mr Price needs a reality check, its not a combination of reasons we choose not to join the separatist movement, its straightforward, we feel more at home with Britain than a

 "Price-Wise Wales" !

Kevin Maher of the Times ...

... Monday 30 Jan 2012, wrote ...

...... the realisation of an independent Scottish nation (What about the North Sea oil revenues? The military bases? The political transition? etc.) is actually a quasi-bureaucratic smokescreen. The fundamental truth, unpalatable to some, and certainly to Alex Salmond, is that nationalism is a meaningless ideological crutch that has little relevance to our age and to the modern global village that we inhabit. It is, in short, so yesterday’s pizza.

... he also quoted Victor Gollancz, the British publisher of George Orwell who ...

... when he wrote to his grandson in the 1950s warning him, "Nationalism — national egoism, thinking in terms of one’s nation rather than in terms of humanity — is evil because it concentrates on comparative inessentials (where a man lives, what sort of language he speaks, the type of his culture, the character of his ‘blood’) and ignores the essential, which is simply that he is a man."

When you compare current nationalist politics both north of the border, and here in Wales, with the sentiments of Gollancz, politics is full of shit ........

Thank the Lord for Blaidd, who ...

... wrote at WalesHome :

January 6, 2012 at 9:45 am

Of course Welsh speakers are more culturally Welsh than non-Welsh speakers. Most people have a mental map of unique ‘Welshness’ that goes something like this…
Welsh-speaking > Valleys > Swansea > Cardiff/Barry/Newport > Marches

 

His is a view skewed ......... to read the Plaid-centric (Adam Price) debate leap here ........

Myself I wonder how "culturally Welsh" should be defined, in fact, in the 21st century is there a "culturally Welsh" identity that stands out and above those other cultural definitions, myself I doubt it, in the grey homogeneous world we live in culture can spiral between Holywood, the ubiquitous X-Box and Albert square, it is probably the reason why Plaid have failed miserably in political Wales, cultural nationalism in our green and pleasant land would need to be a multi-faceted gem, with one facet for each person on the electoral role ...........

Dafydd, Dafydd, Dafydd, sometimes ...

... I wonder if you have been at the sauce ...

                                                                                    ... with your outrageous uttering, to wit ...

WalesOnline today the last day of 2011, where you call for the scrapping of the position as Welsh Secretary to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.  Now, contrary to the agenda of Plaid and pals, there are those of us who quite like the companionship of Westminster, particularly as we live in a political world (Wales) that would if left to its own devices, send us reeling into a left wing nightmare that we can read of through the immortal words of George.

Does Cheryl Gillan (CG) pull any levers of government West of Offa's Dyke ?  Does she exercise any real influence at No 10 ? .......... who knows, and in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter.  What matters in the real world is our government at Westminster has an office with its fingers on the pulse of "Political Cardiff", and it's very obvious this is the case with CG's recent remonstrations with Carwyn Jones.

And why should Westminster keep its fingers on the pulse of political Wales, well, as Margaret Thatcher discovered to her cost, that had she known earlier, much earlier, nationalism in Wales would have been neutered at birth not nurtured through political ineptitude throughout its infancy.  And that must be the SoS's primary task, to do to the political elite of Wales what the little people are prevented, to criticise and raise very real fears loudly and publicly, to be our lightning rod for the excesses of our regional government, this cracach that yearns for greatness ...

... and there you have it Dafydd, although you politicians might think you have everything sewn up, the others who have very few voices, have Westminster as a last resort.  We have in Wales several modern day "Le Chat Botté", those who use political trickery and deceit to gain a level of power and influence unparalleled in modern Wales ...............

................ in government and out.  Then there is Cheryl Gillan to speak out as she has ... but does she speak for us, the new year will tell.

On the home front, there is a battle yet to be engaged, it is with the nationalist who wish for the hand of the princess that is called Wales (in a marriage), they wish to become its worthless master with its head fully engaged in anything that is not Britain.




Message to friends and foe ...
Wikipedia have a fund raising effort, follow one of the links and maybe leave a donation, I have, if only half my visitors contributed £10, then there would be £100,000 for probably the best source of information freely available on the internet, be generous this new year.

... you can forget nationalism in Wales, if ...

... the other political parties use the same techniques Plaid has used to manipulate the political conversations over recent years.

The methodology is quite simple, create a "modern day heresy", does anyone remember the term "unionist" used in a political context much before the beginnings of devolution, "anti-welsh" is another creation to beat the heretics of welsh politics, of welsh nationalism.

The "separatist agenda" of Wales uses "identity politics" as its primary means of leverage in its relentless pursuit of independence, as J.S.Mill wrote in his "On Liberty", "a tyranny of public opinion" may flourish even in the "absence of legal constraint or coercion" (in the 21st century Wales this public opinion is very noisy yet very small in numbers).  In Wales the three other political players have unwittingly provided Plaid Cymru with the tools to further their stated aim of independence from Great Britain, and the singular most powerful of these tools in the armoury of separation is that of "difference", all of a sudden the peoples of Wales became part of an illusion of an oppressed people under the heel of Westminster, as if different to the people of any other region of Britain.

Until recently it was difficult to extract from Plaid its intention of separation, its outpourings spoke of the far distant future and couched in terms such as "full national status for Wales", today however there can be no doubt of the intentions of this troublesome political party, read here.

So what can we expect from the politicians at our Assembly, we might expect the full weight of government and opposition resources brought to bear to create a new "politics" to counter Plaids "identity politics", it might be "politics of equality", rid Wales of its crachach and its disproportionate influence, or it could extend out into the communities as "inclusive politics", it might be the "peoples of Britain" reject the politics of separation.

There is a place for Westminster in this very serious game of "political rounders", there is a need to encourage enterprise and the entrepreneur, the only way to counter nationalism of the real world is to create a better alternative, it might be the "British Enterprise" zone, an inclusive concept to promote the projects and businesses that will create a better world for ordinary people.  What place is there for Plaid and the SNP when the pay packet is thicker and young people have jobs ?

I wrote recently of the intolerance of Jack, I was wrong to suggest there is no place for the Jacks' of this world, we need the Jacks' of this world as a demonstration of the sick world such people would have us inhabit, a world of exclusions.

The separatist agenda are reaching out for the next set of enabling tools ...

• devolution of police and the justice system
• devolution of broadcasting
• control over our natural resources
• control over energy
• powers to set taxes

... this list is consistent with nationalist politics, it seeks to constrain the "independence of the individual", it is consistent with the "I know best" politics of subservience.

Just before I sign off, a word to the able-bodied citizens who maintain our streets and car parks, if you use a walking stick you cannot hop over a large stretches of standing water, the only option is to walk through the damned water, I know because my torn cartilage of the knee gives me a temporary disability, I have stopped hopping over water.

It was a big mistake when Margaret Thatcher ...

... caved in to Gwynfor Evans, it's always a mistake to capitulate to a bully, and today there is a similar set of circumstances in Wales concerning the TV channel created in the wake of Evans threat to starve himself to death.

Today Plaid Cymru has voted in its annual Autumn conference to support those people who choose not to pay their TV license fee, in protest at the reorganisation of S4C and its funding.  In perspective, the basket case that is S4C has wasted 10 years and a £ Billion of taxpayer funds producing a second rate service that few people are attracted too, it is in desperate need of reform.

But this is not the big issue, S4C is a side-show, for Ms Evans (Wales’ Plaid MEP) it is alternative government brought about by demonstration and protest, and it is a precursor for the real Jewel in the Crown, the BBC, in particular, BBC Wales.  Listen to the "separatist agenda" shouting the odds, calling for the management of BBC Wales and broadcasting in general to be brought under the wings of politicians in Wales, a parasitical relationship between politics and media as found during the life of S4C (where politics include pressure groups).

And the $ million question, "why is it so important to Plaid Cymru to gain control over broadcasting in Wales ?"

... it's the only way the separatist agenda can peddle their wares at minimal cost, that is subsidised by the taxpayer, and the pot of gold they see at the end of their particular rainbow, the TV licence fees paid by households west of Offa's Dyke.

So when the protest begins in earnest, fine the protesters the maximum, then send them to jail when the fine is not paid, and the BBC, the peoples of Wales do not want the broadcasting vision of the separatists, we are quite happy with that modernity, liberalism, and democracy that the BBC brings into our homes each day.

Peace and freedom: the blessings of capitalism ...

... the headline of a profound article written by Daniel Finkelstein in today's Times.  The piece could be deemed an obituary, as he begins by telling us ...

The great ideologies dispossessed my father. It was democracy that let him live and die in safety and contentment ... a little more than a week ago my father lifted his arms and did something that he had done countless times before, blessed his children as he ushered in the Sabbath. But he was doing it for the last time. When he had finished, his hands fell to his side. He died the next day, with the blessing as his final act.

... although I enjoyed the prose, for those with an on-line subscription it can be found here, it is the final paragraph that explains a great deal of my own politics, he wrote of his father ...

Unlike those of us born here, my father became British on purpose, as a conscious act, one that he had thought about deeply. He never thought Britain’s leaders corrupt, or that the country was going to the dogs, or that our society was collapsing, undermined by its moral decay. He lived here proud of a nation that let him live, let him learn, let him teach, let him practise his religion. And ultimately let him die in bed, loved by his family.

... and so when I reply to the shallow question of nationalist politics "... and what nation do you belong to ? ", I am quietly confident that being "British" is more than sufficient, but when you reply "British-Welsh" there is a certainty that nationality is a matter of choice, just as Daniel Finkelstein's father chose to be British, those of us who choose to be "British-Welsh" can be certain that when the "separatist agenda" attempt to attach the label "anti-Welsh", to somehow make you less than a patriot, less than Welsh, be thankful because they have lost the argument completely.

 Saying I am "British-Welsh", it's a little like saying "I do" when we marry .....

Maerdy, house of the reeve, little Moscow, a dreadful ...

... example of yesterday's industry long gone, the remaining people in need of help.

Modern Maerdy is without a doubt one of the most deprived areas in Britain, to live there, needs must for many, you must travel south out of the valley each day to work, and the area of deprivation doesn't stop at the town boundary but extends to Ferndale and Tylorstown ...

Before or during 2003 the area was awarded Communities First and Objective One European status to tackle problems like environmental improvements, long-term employment prospects and health concerns.

... there is little doubt that very real need exists.

It might seem perverse, but the next step developing an solution to the Maerdy problem is to go North to Leeds, a prosperous town only a few miles from Bradford, a town very much like Maerdy, a town in desperate need of development to attract business and opportunity for the people who live there.  Who wants to develop in Bradford, a city that has suffered from de-industrialisation and has some of the poorest levels of social deprivation in the UK, with widespread pockets of exclusion and rates of unemployment in some wards exceeding 25%, when Leeds is so much nicer, it seems not many.

So if "If the mountain will not come to Muhammad" then Maerdy must be moved to Cardiff, or Newport, or Swansea, or anywhere that developers see as nice, charming, delightful, lovely, pleasant.

Unfair, possibly, but reminiscent of the ghost towns of the "wild west", the reason to move Maerdy town is that "king coal" with its associated employment has long gone, it is time to move on, but what politician in Cardiff has the strength of purpose to turn this deprived town into a ghost town, could the valley become a reservoir, and take the people to a place that developers will build.

The film "Field of Dreams" has an appropriate sentence, "If you build it, he will come", of course Maerdy will need a different sentence "if you demolish it, they will go", to the charming, delightful, lovely, pleasant places at the bottom of the valley, along the coast to the Bristol Channel.

WAG has the wherewithal to fix the Maerdy problem no-matter where it is found, unfortunately there is a bag full of political cowardice on the shoulders of our elected representatives, the politicians are not up to their radical heritage.

The nationalist consider Maerdy heritage, I wonder why ?

... could you imagine strawberries and vinegar served ...

... at dinner, being an adventurous sort it's on the cards as soon as we can get Merchant Gourmet balsamic syrup.  the recipe by Lindsey Bareham, of the Times, goes like this ...

Ingredients
800g ripe strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar or 1 tbsp Merchant Gourmet balsamic syrup
500ml Greek yoghurt

Serves 4     Prep: 20 min plus 20 min chilling

 ... and the method ...

Hull the strawberries, this is quickly done with a small, sharp knife inserted underneath the stalk, turning the strawberry as you cut a small cone shape to remove the core. Leave small strawberries whole, halve medium ones and quarter large fruit. Place in a spacious mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and leave for 5-10 minutes until the sugar is melting. Toss thoroughly with a plastic spoon or spatula. When the sugar has disappeared and the fruit looks juicy, sprinkle the balsamic vinegar or syrup over the top. Toss again. Cover with cling-film and chill for at least 20 minutes. The strawberries will be very juicy and slightly shrunken. Toss again and tip into a serving bowl. Serve alone or with Greek yoghurt.

And why write about sweet and sour strawberries, well my favourite hanging basket case of nationalism today has a piece by Labour MP Susan Elan Jones for Clwyd South, the one that speaks Welsh and Japanese, she writes to explain how the Labour Party has for generations been the party that supported equalities issues.

Unfortunately as soon as her metaphorical "ink is dry" a nationalist buffoon who goes by the name "al" writes that she is "opportunist rather than concerned", read him and weep.

And BartiDdu got really out of shape with Adam ...

... Higgit when he wrote :

... which disease is the most dangerous?  Welsh Nationalism or British Nationalism? ...

The  answer by Adam was "both types of nationalism are equally dangerous";  as the vast majority of democrats in our Britain would agree.

Our angry young (maybe old) man/woman then tried to insinuate that those that oppose his nationalism are nationalists themselves by writing ...

... those who deride Plaid Cymru and the like as ‘Nationalists’ are more often than not ‘Nationalists’ themselves, of the British variety.

... he reverts to "Fallacious Argument", by introducing the false rhetoric that there exists a British variety of nationalist akin to Plaid Cymru that Adam must belong to.


A dangerous lot the "separatist agenda" in Wales, based upon the rhetoric found amongst the nationalist in Wales commentating at Wales Home these past few days, how might the individual or non-BartiDdu-conformist fare were Plaid and its nationalist following able to gain power ?

... when BartiDdu writes ...

... at Wales Home "Personally I believe that large numbers of English people settling in Wales aren’t a problem providing that they integrate".

He is sending the message to people who might want to move from one part of Britain to his corner of our sceptred isle, they must adopt his/her conventions, there is no compromise, he/she doesn't seem to include other groups of people who might wish to become his neighbour, would he prefer the Somali community of Cardiff to remain in Cardiff, how would he react to "Somali" with a Welsh accent I wonder, with intolerance I would guess, if the sounds came from next door ...

... and how exactly does integrate pan out, is it BartiDdu's wish that people who come to live near him become clones of the past, does he realise that by remaining in the past the future is unobtainable.

He/she continued "If people are to move to Wales they should respect Wales, the culture, the history, the heritage etc".

This respect, I suspect, is little more than reflection on what he/she believes Wales should be, his/her culture, his/her interpretation of history, and his/her preferences of those parts of history that might be described as heritage, so for respect I might suggest that people moving near this man/woman should bring with them a huge spoonful of subservient obedience for the thoughts of  chairman BartiDdu, anything less would be regarded as not enough.

Would you have a conversation over a beer and sandwich on a lazy sunny afternoon with this parody of respectful coexistence, I doubt it if you are the thoroughly modern visitor to Wales, needs must that you leave "freedom of speech and expression" at Offa's Dyke,  and this is ...

... nationalism in Wales, an apartheid in waiting, there's nothing "pink and fluffy" amongst the modern day irregulars ... just the loud noise of intolerance.

Y Teifi, non de plume of a separatist ...

... who would be lost without the politics of identity, I missed it earlier at Wales Home, possibly because it is "so last century" as my daughter would say, linked here, but duplicated below.

... and please don’t go back to the argument that the Welsh and the English are the same and therefore should be governed the same. It’s ignorant and insulting. I’d suggest that the English and the Germans are much more the same than the English are to the Welsh, possible unity with Germany maybe?

If the writer is able to read anything other than the "separatist agenda" tripe, I would direct him to the Prospect paper written by Stephen Oppenheimer titled "Myths of British ancestry", linked here.

Genetics demonstrates the British, that is everyone other than the most recent or distinct immigrants, are in fact so similar we are quite indistinguishable,  it is not "ignorant and insulting" to consider the peoples of England and Wales the same, it is "informed and courteous".

Because I doubt those of the "separatist agenda" would be interested in anything that would usurp their vision of an independent Wales, let me tell you, we are all Basque based, the English and the Welsh, the various invasions have diluted our precious bloodlines in a way that did little to alter our heritage, having said that, I welcome people from other parts of the world into Wales because they enrich our way of life, and so should the man who calls himself a river, Y Teifi.

Adam Higgit at Wales Home seems ...

... to be a lone voice in defence of the status quo (the vast majority of people in Wales) in the face of the "separatist agenda", although the separatist diatribe is tedious in the extreme it reflects very well the views of nationalists; the nationalist in this context are Plaid Cymru, Cymdeithas yr laith (Welsh language society) and the loose canon separatists of no-fixed abode.

Adam sums up the defence of the status quo when he writes ...

"All we need to is adjust the levers of government so as to give the maximum control at the lowest possible level. That should clearly be lower than the British level and lower than the Welsh level, since the variances in the different indices that have come up in this discussion are as great within Wales as between Wales and most of England.".

... it is a classic "Sicilian Defence", the King's Pawn Game, the king puts the people into battle by sleight of hand with the sufficient weapons to win the war, in this case the war for democracy.

There a very few members of the "separatist agenda", but the commentators at Wales Home represent the mentality that is a common thread, and they have a loud voice, to defeat this disparate group of political outlaws, this"Hole-in-the-Wall Gang", the government needs to shift the agenda of the majority from the politics of identity to the politics of the economy, without the politics of identity the "separatist agenda" have nothing ...............


I deliberately didn't contribute to the discussion because Cymdeithas yr laith (Welsh language society) supports direct action against individuals, criminal activities.

Communist it is not, Syndicalism it is, Alan Sandry's vision of Plaid, ...

... and if you consider the words of Plaid through their on-line support, you quickly come to the conclusion there is no halfway house between where we are now and independence.

What is syndicalism to the man or woman in the street, it is not the co-op or the John Lewis Partnership, although Plaid voices would sooth the voters with pink and fluffy warm and fuzzy bullshit, it is a world where there is a social order based on workers organised into production units, sounds like communism but without "The State".

There is no one in charge, the google effect will tell you that "... multiple non-competitive categorised units to negotiate and manage an economy", sounds like anarchy, but the Plaid model has a twist in its tail, there is political control, the Plaid key that Alan Sandry calls "Decentralised Socialism", there is no document that describes exactly how Plaid intends to apply this economic and social doctrine, though if you couple Syndicalism with the only document that describes "Decentralised Socialism", it is possible to visualise the "New Order" so loved by Plaid's more radical support.

Decentralised Socialism may be introduced with the words of Ralf Borsodi ...

"The leadership which the priests lost to the warriors, the warriors to the kings, the kings to the business men, the business men to the financiers, and which the financiers are now losing to the politicians, must be assumed by a group which sharply distinguishes between the exercise of influence and the exercise of power. The minority of concerned and thoughtful teachers and .writers, of poets and preachers, of artists and scientists, of physicians and lawyers, who constitute the real leadership of any society, must be. reborn."

... there we have the politics of Plaid, the politics of the crachach ...

"Every child must be taught all that is essential to their humanization -- a useful craft and the cultivation of the Earth; the practice of domestic arts; to read, write and use numbers. All must be imbued with the basic virtues -- the love of nature, of beauty, and of mankind without regard to race, religion or nationality.

... there is an assumption that the intellectual and moral leadership of "Wales" can only be found within the Plaid ranks, the thoughtful few, a new aristocracy with its feet firmly planted in a perverse vision of domestic tranquillity, a life without liberty..."

For those who vote Plaid, welcome to this brave new world, just hope your children are to one of the few thoughtful people, lets hope they are not free spirits, lets hope they are not of the liberal tradition.

This world envisaged by the nationalists, separatists, Plaid Cymru, is not democracy.

... solipsism and S4C, ...

... a common affliction of politicians, pressure groups, and those businesses that probably wouldn't exist without political patronage; solipsism is found amongst those who surround themselves with people especially selected to agree with them, in business we look for the best fitted for the job in hand, which brings me to S4C and a presentation that Iestyn garlick ...

... delivered at the Cyfrwng conference earlier this month, it is published here, ...

He presents a case for further taxpayer support of a failing organisation that has supported the many adventures of media luvvies who cultivated a lucrative niche amongst a minority with a political agenda.

The final paragraph of the presentation reads ...

...The BBC will no doubt offer a strategy that benefits both them and S4C. But any deal must also be beneficial to the Welsh language and culture, since protecting them is one of S4C’s core principles.

It is an admission that S4C is a manifestation of nationalist politics dressed up as entertainment, it has the sole aim of protecting a dying language from extinction and the image of pastoral Wales of the 18th century projected as culture.  The question is simple, why should we keep the clock of Wales turning backwards in a world that marches relentlessly forward.

When Julian Ruck writes ...

I’ve decided I’m going to become a recluse and learn the Welsh language – after all Welsh is the only language one can learn in order to speak with fewer people!

... he voices the opinion of many living in Wales.

Whereas Iestyn Garlick writes in conclusion ...

The financial and editorial independence of S4C is essential if there is any kind of future to broadcasting in the Welsh language.

... he really means "... the financial and editorial independence of S4C is essential if there is any kind of future for me and mine ... all large fish in a very small television pond, where viewers are few and far between we need taxpayers largess without public scrutiny.

... from Bangor to Bognor (with Alice possibly), ...

... an expression used this morning on the radio.

The expression wasn't ...

From Bangor to Bognor we need Wales water to drink.  

From Bangor to Bognor we need Wales power to survive the 21st century. 

From Bangor to Bognor we need to exploit someone ...

What I heard was an expression of inclusion.


On the other hand we have the separatist mentality that shouts aloud ...

This means that fighting for energy to be devolved to Wales .............. Surely that's a win-win situation for everybody in Wales ................. From [a] report yesterday, it looks like it won't be easy to win this responsibility in the face of an intransigent Westminster government that is much more concerned about Wales supplying electricity to England than Wales' own energy needs.

... you might read the complete post by the separatist MH here.

... a sad reflection on the introspective values of the nationalists in Wales.


Regarding power generation in Wales, if it were devolved I would suggest candles as a backup, because when the separatist sandal brigade got involved the Welsh Assembly Government would revert to the characters found in Alice's ( Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ) tea party along with the March Hare, the Hatter, and a sleeping Dormouse who remains asleep for most of the story, who in government might be the Dormouse I wonder ?

Carwyn Jones came out of the closet ...

... when he said "... having the UK government decide on future wind farm plans is a 'slap in the face' for Wales", that would be the "Nationalist closet".

The First Minister also has a spokesman who is reported as saying "... it was ridiculous that the people of Wales cannot decide on such matters", presumably the same person said "The statement by DECC is a slap in the face for the people of Wales", in addition the "presumably unelected separatist" said "It's a ridiculous state of affairs that the people of Wales cannot decide on such matters. Why are the UK Government so afraid of Welsh people having control over their own energy resources, like they do in Scotland?"

The next question for the First Minister would be "when do you officially become anointed with the separatist mantel, or crown possibly".

No longer is it "England and Wales", it is officially "England" and "Wales".

What next ........... for this "Welsh Assembly Government".

... does Westminster think the £12 billion will be enough for the Scots, and ...

... who exactly will be underwriting this largess, not the Scots, but the British taxpayers as a whole.  It is time our MP's had their bumps felt, had a chat to a psychiatrist in a darkened room; do they think for a moment that Salmond will stop at the £12 billion, what next will this corpulent through the looking glass character demand ?

Not a difficult question to answer, Salmond said: "Let's welcome the element of concession today as a down-payment on what Scotland needs .....", he continued "I doubt if it's of the scale and the size that the Scottish Parliament is looking for ..............".

Down-payment on what exactly .... well for a start "... control of corporation tax and the Crown Estate revenue", there is this perception that low corporation tax will give an advantage to Scotland over the South East / Eastern regions where most wealth is generated, the poor fools, it is modern innovation and invention that makes this part of Britain a magnet for investment.

The Crown Estate revenue is probably a dose of Salmond's "blue smoke and mirrors", the poor Scots public probably think it includes revenues from gas and oil, both are excluded, but both are in the nationalist wish list, when the public discover the exclusion I am sure that Salmond will stoke up a fire of indignation, followed by the strut of a petty dictator, cue a constitutional argument Westminster will be unable to counter with logic in the face of the "mars bar in batter" public of Glasgow.

Whichever way you look at the Scots demand, Scots win whilst the rest of us pay up one way or another ...

... enough should be enough.

It takes only one person, but only if it's the right person, ...

... being the right person meant that people listened, paid attention to the words and deeds.  Only a very few people are able to command that sort of attention.

Mohamed Bouazizi, by his actions, set alight North Africa and the Middle East, a conflagration that continues, the conditions that led to his anger and subsequent action, he asked his government for justice.  It took just over a month for the President of corrupt Tunisia to flee with his family to Saudi Arabia, ever the ..... democratic deficit, the country will not allow half the population to drive because they are ................ women.

His need for justice flew across borders much like tumbleweed in old western films,it jumped a country into Egypt with similar consequences, Egypt's president didn't escape, he awaits trial with his family.

In Libya the fighting continues as it does in Syria, leaders of both countries without the legitimacy of democratic elections, but in both case, too far away in time from the martyrdom of Mohamed Bouaziz, there is no-one that fits the bill of "the right person" to drive a wedge into the tyranny.

In the Middle East there is a deficit of democracy, in Saudi Arabia there is a democratic deficit, a country that helps Bahrain suppress the voice of democracy, Sport might just galvanise this small kingdom into progress towards granting those  freedoms we take for granted.

At home we have only one "right person" at present, and he has created the conditions for a constitutional crisis, in the green grass of home we have the technocrat who will do exactly what the majority of people want, very little change, at the heels of this man will be the rabid voices of radical nationalism, a distraction only, Carwyn Jones has a good five years ahead, but only if he is able to ignore the tumbleweed that is nationalist politics (MH takes the biscuit with this little gem), less is more just now, radical can wait a year or two.