Ask not what Wales can do for you,rather asked what you can do for Wales

Ask not what Wales can do for you, as what you can do for Wales

Ask not what Wales can do for you, as what you can do for Wales

“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

It is fifty years since these famous and epic making words were uttered by President John F Kennedy at his inauguration, They followed the farewell address of President Dwight D Eisenhower who warned of the dangers of the “Military Industrial Complex”. Though I would like to spend time on Ike’s unheeded warning with which we are now living with the consequences, I am going to meditate on JFK’s epic prose.

The beginning of the 1960s heralding the age where those who fought in WWII were taking charge from those who led it. Symbolised by JFK (who fought) from Ike (who led). Kennedy was a man with a vision and a man with a mission to transcend the Cold War with a new war of hope. He wanted peace and liberty, yes he was a Cold War warrior who saw the Soviets as the epitome of evil, but even he as a Catholic saw the possibility of redemption. He avoided getting the US involved in wars (even though his generals pressured him to nuke Cuba).

There is a great tendency to focus so much on his personal failings, his affairs etc. These are sins of commission, the serious sin is that of omission which is hate and indifference. There was substance to his speech. One thinks of the Civil Rights legislation which he inaugurated and the Peace Corp which did so much around the world, and finally the Test Ban which marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

People see the 1960s as the decade of permissiveness. I think it was a decade of Maturity when Humanity began to grow up, even in the Roman Catholic Church with Pope John XXIII and Vatican II. It was also the decade of martyrdom. With JFK and ending with Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. This new hope was built on the blood of the martyrs.

The 1960s was also a period of maturity for Wales, surely the truth of our modern nation symbolised by Gwynfor Evan’s epic victory at Camathern succeeded Lady Megan Lloyd George the daughter of David Lloyd George surely that is symbolism that cannot be missed. Both Gwynfor and Lloyd George are founders of our modern Wales. 1966 signified the march of Wales to nationhood which makes the upcoming referendum even more important. Wales is standing up, but it needs to stand up for itself and not rely on others to bankroll it.

I am saddened that the “No” side has to rely on such negativity and lies to promote itself, and its not lost on me that one of its leading spokesman is a devout Baptist. I am not sure whether he is a fundamentalist seeing the World and black and white. He does to me with the Assembly and those who support it as being the forces of “darkness” whilst he and his supporters being the forces of “light and truth: and the voice of the “Common Man”. To me its more the voice of bigotry and ignorance which is why they taken the stand of campaigning money, they would prefer people not to be informed and to remain in the dark.

To end Kennedy’s speech was to do with service both to America and the World. Thsi is what should;d motivate Wales. Service both to our country and the world. Preserving what is good and unique our language, and securing prosperity.

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Bale for Wales wins

Haverford West born Christian Bale wins a Golden Globe! Hooray for Wales! So nickers to wales online! I GOTTIT AS IT HAPPENED. Does Chris care? Right from my TV

FWD: FWD: On your bike Fido!

we were having coffee in our favorite coffee shop in Dodge City "Cup o Jo ones". A man and his dog biking!

Kansas new order

This is a picture of the Dodge City Daily Globe's January 13th's edition front page. This particular copy was on a table of our breakroom as I came into work. I am not sure if you can see the horns that some one had drawn on the picture of our new Republican governor and his wife?

Who did it? A angry Democrat? Or one of my Hispanic co workers angry at his Tea party rhetoric, or even a angry right winger who thinks he is not hard enough.

I was amused by the remark of a coworker sitting there who remarked on "the lack of maturity amongst our coworkers", to me it said more about her own outlook, when she did not respond to the "N" word that I had seen written on a picture of President Obama previously.

All indicated how right the president was right about the type of discourse that is seen these days.

President Obama's speech in Tuscon

Will a Yes Vote mean That Wales Will Stand up?

Soon the great day will be upon us. March 3 ^rd , referendum day. The day when the Welsh people will be given the opportunity to vote on whether they wish their National Assembly to be able to pass laws without reference to the UK Parliament. If its yes then it will be the first Welsh legislature since Owain Glyndwr's Senedd in the early 15 ^th Century. If no then The assembly will still be able to pass laws indirectly using the cumbersome LCO process.

Though because I am living in the US this ex pat will not be able to vote. However many of my friends and family will, and how they will vote I cannot say. What I do know is that is these people that will decide this, and not the lobbyists, the Cardiff Bay Bubble clique that figured so much in the Yes launch. I am just a humble supermarket worker, I am not a lobbyist or political hack that spends his life obsessing on what happens in the Bay. No I am just an ordinary Joe who wants to see the best for his country. Its Joe and Jo who will decide, and they better understand what is going down, as I was talking someone today who believes that this about independence. She did not get this from Len Gibbs or the No campaign, but the Yes campaign need to go door to door to be sure that folk know, or they will vote No.

My first feeling was that it would be a big yes for me. To me it seemed logical, that if the Assembly could pass laws through the cumbersome process where legislation had to pass through the UK Parliament, then why not directly?

The “No” campaign seems to use scare tactics as illustrated on its web site (before they changed it at my suggestion, I think ;) ). They seemed to imply that those who were in favor of legislative powers for the Assembly were racists (opposed to English speakers). It's a shame because they could have made a good case with their criticism of the assembly's poor performance, and the infamous “ Cardiff Bay Bubble” and being out of touch with the ordinary masses.

I agree that the Assembly has not done great things (economy, education and healthcare) however it has done good things, for example free bus travel for OAPs and disabled people, free prescriptions, free breakfasts etc. These are good things in itself and probably would not have happen.

I also think it has lifted Wales's profile in the World, and that must be good.

Perhaps Wales will finally Stand up!

A Change of Personnel: A potent sign of Wales lack of economic clout and ...

A Change of Personnel: A potent sign of Wales lack of economic clout and ...: "There couldn’t have been a more powerful image of Wales lack of economic importance or its underperformance over the years compared to our S..."

Hat Tip to A Change of Personnel this something we should be concerned about.

What is Wales and where do we stand in the World. Or maybe its time for Wales "to Stand up"?

Why I would vote yes in the Welsh Assembly's referendum in March!

I thought this comment that I left on Wales Home.org was good enough for its own post.

Complements of the season to my fellow compatriots from across the “pond”. Watching this thread (I can hardly call it reading as some of the comments have been hard to read) is like watching a game of tennis at Wimbledon with poor old Len trying to beat John McEnroe’s and Bjorn Borg’s serves (at the same time). I think the problem with the internet is the fact that it is in its infancy (and that goes for social networks too). It was the telly what won it for Obama and it was the seem medium that brought him down (and not the cable news relatively speaking more people watch Songs of Praise than Fox News), and Palin’s tweets make her look a positive twit. I have looked at TW’s web site, and to be honest I think they could put the “follow the money section” as their home page instead of looking for it. People who are rabidly opposed to devolution would find comfort with that than reading the pap on the front page.

In fact talking of the front page does the talk of discrimination imply that supporters of devolution are on the whole frothy mouthed BNP style racists? Is that fair? Or is it just the type of rhetoric that will encourage those who have moved to Wales come out and vote against what could turn out in the end to be a “Welsh Republic”? I was not here in 1997, but as a 14 year old growing up on a working class area of Cardiff I remember the 1979 campaign very well. When the No campaign played the separatist card all the time, with stunts like putting mock immigration officers on one train. I also recall a friend who went to work at the Welsh Office telling me that there were stories of a “secret campaign” being run out of the Welsh Office which operated on a “divide and conquer” mode. Which wanted to frighten those in the north with the fear of a Assembly dominated by Cardiff and south Wales, and frighten those in the south with idea that it would be dominated by Welsh speakers from the north. In fact it worked.

I was not here for the referendum in 1997 my parents were and they voted, and I would have voted for it. However after that they accepted its establishment. I moved back to Wales in 2002 until 2005, and I was not happy with its lack of achievement., to the point that I even contemplated voting no in this forthcoming referendum. Then I recalled how bad things were in the old days. Welsh hospitals suffered from budget problems just as much in the 1970s as now, or my grandmother would not have been sent home early die in her cold house, which was because the council took so long to replace the window that was broken. Or the shoddily maintained schools with cold class rooms with asbestos hanging just a couple feet above you, with teachers who were so inept it would have better if we left alone and taught ourselves. If there PISA scores in 1979 I am sure they would have been far lower then. And talked to me of the 1980s, it's why I left Wales in 1990. No hope.

TW talks of “True Devolution”. What does that mean? I live in the US where we have true devolution with local control and referendums (voter initiatives and propositions). I have witnessed referendums in both Colorado and California that have shown the “People’s Will” like proposition 8 in California which banned gay marriage and TABOR in Colorado which restricted tax increases and later destroyed education in the state. I am not a fan, in fact I sure if they had been held in the South we probably would still have had Segregation. In fact there is another word for true devolution we call it federalism. So is TW advocating that, which would mean that Wales would have real sovereignty, which can only be guaranteed with a written constitution? Or is it just an empty phrase devoid of meaning?

Len also mentioned the possibility of a low turn out. Does that mean that TW will not accept a yes vote? Because of the low turnout. I have heard the same argument t prove its abolishment. However that’s a double edge sword as turnout for local elections are usually lower, should we then abolish Cardiff Council? Certainly not.

Again I shall not be in Wales for this referendum (unless we move back in February). Yet I have a large family and lots of friends who I keep in touch with that will. And talking of family I can say that with my mother is still in good health because of that she can travel free on the bus, and the good treatment from her GP. My grandmother died because things failed under the old system ,but my mother is still with me thanks to the new.

My daughter’s education in her early years in Cardiff helped her to succeed now, whilst it failed me.

I admit the achievements were not great in the last 10 years, but I thank God for the small ones, which have had a positive effect. I admit this is all rather personal and subjective, but they are the stories that matter both for and against. Not the endless stats that you read