Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
This might be an interesting discussion if it stays on the subject that Wozza began.

I have never described myself as patriotic. That to me implies 'false pride' and 'my country right or wrong'. Samuel Johnson's line 'patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel' is still true today - although he used that as a put down of Pitt's misuse of 'patriotism' for political purposes.

A sense of identity or of roots does not require pride or patriotism. As I said above I feel both pride and shame at different parts of Welsh history - but mainly connection. Whether we had a say or not in what made our nation seems to be missing the point. Identity is not all about personal achievement - it is a messy and often irrational and confused set of emotional ties. I don't see the point in over-analysing that.

Also I'm not convinced that New York Irish and Sheffield Welsh have the same experience. One is about people who have mainly never set foot in Ireland, distance, disconnect, 'Old Country' tales, plastic shamrocks, franchise Guinness and a background of Tammany Hall and the NYPD (similar in Boston). The other is about a short drive to the border, watching my team at away grounds close to my home and walking the streets of Cardiff up to a dozen times a year!

And our bucket hats are better!
By the way, I have a friend whose first language is Welsh, she teaches Ethnography in a Welsh university and wears a daffodil hat to rugby games. She would be described as rather faux Welsh by a certain individual* on here without knowing her background.

*Not you, of course!

By the way, I think you have no equal on here regarding your contributions and knowledge!