REVOLUTION 1968 - 2008: 40th Anniversary.

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I have spent too much time these early months 2008 trying to prompt some 'Adfywiad Gwladgarol'08' over on my other blogs: http://welshremembrancer.blogspot.com and http://welshpatriot.blogspot.com also http://adfywiad.blogspot.com . All to little avail, which kind of proves to me, it's the 'times' that count more than any lack of being ''Up For Revolution'', I understand that many ''Old Comrades'' are feeling their years and do not aspire to be ''Grey Wolves'' as myself and as sure as hell, few of us really want to be ''Last Men Standing''. I can neither believe that Young Patriots of today, have any less Courage of Conviction and Commitment than we had during the years of the great Adfywiad Gwladgarol 1963 - 69. However, what I do believe is that, the times have changed and now we face an establishment that consists not only of ''Brit Unionists'' but also many who were once ''Radical Cultural Nationalists''. They along the way having gained much in their patriotic struggle for their own ''personal'' self vested interests in and around what as become a 'Welsh Language/Anglo - Welsh Arts Industry' and related 'Welsh Media'. Indeed many of their number have become part and parcel of ''Y Crachach Newydd'', our very own ''Noveau Riche''. They, are now an important part of the new Welsh Establishment/Intelligensia/Political/Cultural elite (National Bourgeoise?) and are less inclined to be sympathetic to radical nationalist struggle. Many of their number may now even see it of neccessity to contain or better see demise of, any ''Radical Nationalism'' as existed in ''Sixties Wales'' which might just threaten their nice compfortable prevailing Welsh Establishment Status Quo?

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Thus we have a ''Welsh Language Industry'' which is a comprimise beween a native rising petite Bourgeoiuise and the British State (see in particular foundations of S4C, do not accept the usual history put forward but dig deeper and politically think, at least a little). In recent times we have seen even more the ''Desperate Devolution Dilettantes'' amongst PLAID (former Welsh Nationalist Party) makes deals with the ''despotic'' British Unionist Labour Party (see British Nationalists in Wales WATCH Anyone can leave a comment on British Nationalists Watch, but you do need to sign up for a free Blogger account to do so. It's extremely easy, and this will ...british-nats-watch.blogspot.com/ - 81k - Cached - Similar pages). As for the Anglo - Welsh Arts Industry Establishment, I will leave that to another time, as I am still researching many years of finnancial records and accounts to provide information on just who has been getting the ''Saxon Shilling'' year after year after year. After which I have to take a look at the ''Consultancy Industry'' that licks it's way around that ''Sham Senedd'', all of which must be done, if ever those who so easly become ''Devolution Dupes'' and ''Crach Fodder'' are to move beyound the ''Patriotic Knee Jerking'' one usually sees associated with the annual Rali Cilmeri in the Post - Devolution years (see Adfywiad Cilmeri blog http://coffadcilmeri.blogspot.com/ )

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However, it's the 'times' today which it seems make another 'Adfywiad Gwladgarol Cymru', impossible or is it? I think that could be too much of an excuse, on the whole I feel we must look into the way many older ''Republican/Nationalists'' have over the years become ''Crach Fodder Camp Followers''. Then sadly too many young nationalists, with much good positive patriotic potential as 'Radical Nationalists' , have not been born into times of ''Storm & Stress'' as were the ''Sixties Generation'' with background explosion of Radical Reading that followed on the thoughts and speeches of rising radical leaders of the ''Sixties World Wide Revolt''. For many Rising Radical Young Welsh Nationalists in particular, for my generation along with the previous Young Nationalist Conscript Generation of Cayo and Coslet, Toni Lewis and Glyn Rowlands et al. Noting that before they, there were Radical Republicans as Cliff Bere and Pedr Lewis et al, this meant three generations becoming aware of signifigant Nationalist Struggles throughout the World. Anti - British Struggles in Palestine, Malaya, Cyprus and Aden. Not least of course the Armed National Liberation Struggles in Algeria and Indo China/Vietnam were also to figure much in Radical, more becoming Militant Nationalist minds.

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Myself, via the Patriotic Front was to become greatly influenced by less violent struggles in Quebec and Flanders, this and growing Workers & Students Revolts throught out America and Europe would impress and motivate me towards ''Street Action'' but others were becoming more militant and moving towards an armed Welsh National Liberation Struggle. This had it's roots in the Underground Sabotage Resistance to the building of the Treweryn Reserviour, escalating to a bombing attack against water pipelines, taking Welsh Water to English Cities as Birmingham and Liverpool. This sat well with prevailing ''Cultural Nationalism'' as this sabotage was perceieved as part of a broader struggle to defend Native Welsh Speaking Communities, but by 1966 matters were to take a more militant direction.

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How much the 1966 anniversary of the Irish Easter Rebellion had an influence on this turn of events, who knows? One thing for sure, 100's of Welsh Nationalists made their way to Dublin to commemorate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of 1916 Easter Rebellion. There is no doubt that all this must have made an impression and turned many minds to thoughts of an ''Armed Struggle'' in Wales, those who were of FWA mind certainly thought in direction of an Irish 1916 - 22 Liberation Struggle. Myself, was more motivated by practicalites of Radical Struggle rather than revolutionary struggle but by 1967, there is no doubt that ''Times Were Changing'' and the up to then largelly rural revolt against pipe lines were to take a more dangerous direction into urban anglicised Wales.

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That year marked a move from contemporary ''Rebeccism'' to something more akin to such as the FLQ/ETA/IRA area of struggles? In the previous year on 16 Tachwedd 1967, a bomb attack on the Temple of Peace (Pieces! as Nationalists joked), night prior to an Investiture meeting was it seems almost like, a ''Declaration of War'' against the English Crown holding sovereignty over Wales. 1968 was to make all aware of MUDIAD AMDIFFYN CYMRU as those responsible for esculating the bombing campaign which during 1968 was to underscore what seemed the ''Declaration of War'' of the previous year. A number of bomb attacks took place throughout that year, but possibly the most pertinant as well as symbolic was the attacks which took place on 5 March 1968 against the Inland Revenue, obviously a strike against English Economic rule in Wales. Then at 3.28 am in early hours of 25th May 1968, a bomb tore apart the Welsh Office in Cathays Park, Caerdydd. The Welsh Office of course was not just a symbol of English Rule but the very building from which their Govenor General, the hated George Thomas 'Secretary of State for Wales' ruled over England's Colony of Wales. Maybe a date worth remembering, even commemorating one day, well maybe in 100 or more likly 600 years time (if Wales still exists?, at least in my Assyrian Rod http://assyrianrod.blogspot.com/ it still does) Cofia 25 - 05 - 68, hhhmmm!!! I bet that would get the 'Brit Unionist Establishment' kind of P*****! Off? (NB: For roots of the Evil Establishments we have ruling over us, see by blog on ''Cambrianism'' http://cofcenedl.blogspot.com/).

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Later in the year, the Underground Resistence Fighters on 27 May carried out an attack on a pipeline near Vrynwy and then another attack on 28 June against a pipeline, this time at Helsby in England. Later, the same day in Caerdydd outside the ''blasted'' Welsh Office, Patriotic Front members, to the fore were amongst over 200 patriots protesting against ''Carlo'' the English Pretender Prince of Wales. At this very detirmined demonstration, I and three other PF members threw smoke bombs in direction of ''Carlo''. We three and others were arrested but no matter, worth it as the 'Brits' were being shown we could fight them face to face on the street as well as other Freedom Fighters could engage them in both Rural and Urban Guerrilla Warfare. However, the price of this Welsh Radicalism and Militancy would soon be engaging a massive counter Patriotic struggle launched by the British State to crush any potential of Revolutionary Struggle in Wales as arising in Quebec, Euskadi and later in Ireland. The British Sates solution to this pressing ''Welsh Problem'' is possibly what makes us remember, Cofia 1969 even more than Cofia 1968. Just maybe, our woderful ''Brit Serving Welsh Media'' will find it a little more difficult to ignore the 40th Anniversary of the conclusion of most major ''Welsh Rebellion'' since that of Owain Glyndwr in the 15th Century. After all, it's the 40th Anniversary of the Investiture of 'Carlo' our present ENGLISH PRETENDER PRINCE OF WALES.

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Are there any conclusions to be made, well a certain ''Patriot'' wrote to me in recent times, and made reference to those ''Radical Patriots'' who went to Cilmeri, (as he did? regularly and since the 60's) were nought but ''Peripheral Patriots'', he went on to boast that PLAID more or less was the real thing! I have these days not much time for this ''Patriot'' but I guess he was right about ''Peripheral Patriots'', for the difference between ''60's Radical Patriots'' and those who, at least wish to be seen as such today, is quite simply this. The 'Alternative Nationalists' that arose in the 60's to make an Adfywiad Gwladgarol Cymru were far from allowing themselves to become ''peripheral'' doing little but parade about at Cilmeri or where ever else they do today or sit it out in Pubs with a bunch of ''Good Old Boys''? Alternative Nationalists were made by being active Radical & Militant Nationalists engaged in struggle, anywhere and usually at any time, not just once a year in a field at Cilmeri or standing around on steps of the ''Sham Senedd''. This might make you think, it's all a lost cause, there is no hope and that any Alternative Nationalist Movement and Struggle is FIN! but that's no so? Amidst the decline into ''Peripheral Patriotism'' there is hope, it is an hope that makes me think our cause is not lost, that hope is in the North East of Wales where a Young Patriot Adam Phillips has founded and leads a 'Balchder Cymru' Cymric Consciousness Campaign. This society is proving itself far from being ''Peripheral'', so there is some hope, I hope? BUT WE SHALL SEE!!!!

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Yes! sure was a case of ''Those were the days my freind''. These years on, I would strongly advise against any form of armed struggle but still advocate that ''C'mon Get Radical'' and get on to the streets, you will not win any cause just by talking and blogging. Believe this or not, throughout these years of struggle, for organisational material and Agit - propaganda, I had nought but an half drum, hand use table top duplicator and Toni Lewis a John Bull printing set to print stickers. in time we moved up to an Adana typeface hand printers and a Gestetner 360, eventaully we got into Silk Screening but only after one of our number took a Government training course in Sydenham, England. Guess what! the course was full of radicals and revolutionaries from all over the British Isles, there for the same purpose. Wonderful times!!! yes! those were the days, these days patriots of a potential 'Alternative Nationalist' kind, are too idle to make a placard, let alone a Banner or flags, pretty pathetic to say the least, far to many like to Pose, Posture and Parade about for no real useful Political Patriotic Purpose as in recent years the ''Tartan Taff'' motivated annual Dydd Dewi Day marching from National Museum to Steps of the ''Sham Senedd'' to pander to ''Devolution Dilettante'' Politicians at the ASSEMBLY OF APPEASEMENT WITH ENGLISH IMPERIALISM. (see on web St David's Day 2008).

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I have been prompted to get back to work on my AWNM&S Hist Archive by it coming to my attention that BBC Radio England is doing a number of programmes on '68, inc Tariq Ali on Desert Island Disc, wow!!! See info below:

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BBC - Radio 4 - This Sceptred Isle - Revolution in Paris and ...Revolution in Paris and Spring in Prague In 1968 Martin Luther King was ... Hancock's Half Hour began on radio in 1954 and transferred to television two ...www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/sceptred_isle/page/231.shtml?question=231 - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

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BBC - Radio 4 - Memoryshare 1968 Radio 4 is producing a season of programmes on 1968 and is very keen for the public to ... launching France into a state of revolution in the month of May. ...www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/memoryshare_1968.shtml - 40k - Cached - Similar pagesMore results from www.bbc.co.uk »

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1968 -- the rock revolution that saw Jagger topple Beatle John ..."Now do you see what's wrong with your record Revolution? That record was no more revolutionary than Mrs Dale's Diary [a popular BBC women's radio show]. ...www.independent.ie/.../news-gossip/1968--the-rock-revolution-that-saw-jagger-topple-beatle-john-1318411.html - Similar pages

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Radio 4's 1968 – Myth Or Reality? Season To Mark 40th Anniversary ...BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a six-month season of programmes to mark the 40th anniversary of 1968, a year of remarkable upheaval around the world, ...www.a2mediagroup.com/?c=174&a=21545 - Similar pages

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The year 1968 was even more ludicrous and damaging to the country ...The BBC Radio 1 presenter and reformed party girl has given birth to her second .... just to 1968, but to an earlier time of Leftist ferment and revolution. ...www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=513747&in_page_id=1770 - Similar pages

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BBC News Europe Remembering the Velvet Revolution She spoke to Misha Glenny for BBC Radio 4's six-part Pushing Back the Curtain ... she lived through the year 1968 so she was naturally a little bit scared. ...news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/523146.stm - 25k - Cached - Similar pages

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BBC NEWS Programmes From Our Own Correspondent People power ...25 Mar 2006 ... And just faintly, comes the echo of May 1968 and a reminder that in France, ... Dominique de Villepin for BBC Radio 4's new series Profiles, ...news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4842854.stm - 41k - Cached - Similar pages

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I can find nothing on web regards Welsh Media doing much with a 'Welsh 1968 Year of Revolution' theme, but early days yet, will let you know if I hear of anything interesting. In mean time check out Wales 1968 via this link>1968 in Wales - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Gittins Report recommends that all primary school children in Wales should have the opportunity to learn the Welsh language. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_in_Wales - 29k - Cached - Similar pages

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Lotta Continua?

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Gethin Gruffydd.