• Violent opposition to new-residents continues
• About Mec Vannin and Yn Pabyr Seyr
• "Planning" for the future
• Consumerism - A means to our end?
• Green Dwarves
• Shee bannee mee - Gaelg er y radio
• Erratum
• The Laxey Wheel keeps turning...

It may appear that the unrest caused amongst the Manx population by the unwanted and unmanaged new-resident drive of recent years subsided after the imprisonment of the F.S.F.O. arsonists, but Mec Vannin continues to receive evidence that this is not the case.

The media interest drew public attention to the F.S.F.O. campaign in the early stages. It has become obvious from observations by the general public and comments by 'Yn Troor', however, that the police and government departments were under strict orders to catch the perpetrators, and to 'keep the lid' on their exploits. This was before any arson attacks.
Some of you may remember the police mounting a fairly extensive series of vehicle spot-checks throughout the Island at this time. Ostensibly, the reason was finding car-thieves and discouraging the use of unroadworthy vehicles. So why were the police searching the car boots? Why were highway board examiners doing on-the-spot examinations of cars at midnight and later?

DIRECT ORDERS

Although there are sporadic instances of car theft in the Island, the intensity of these checks and their widespread distribution was not commensurate with the scale of the alleged problem. When it is also considered that these spot-checks were virtually abandoned overnight once the three F.S.F.O. campaigners were arrested, the conclusion that the police were operating under direct orders from within Government is inescapable.

The involvement of the D.H.P.P. in these checks and the unprecedented speed with which the department dealt with daubings also points to 'direct orders from above' to suppress the campaign. Gregory Joughin told Mec Vannin that after the initial couple of daubings, the newspapers had to be telephoned promptly so that they could report the incident before the D.H.P.P. could remove the evidence. If this department was able to respond as efficiently to dangerous pot-holes in the road and burst sewers, we could claim to receive value for money!

So, was the resistance all down to a mere three individuals? Definitely not. The police themselves commented that once arrested, 'Yn Troor' were very co-operative. Two things they swear blind to, to this day, is that no-one else was involved with them, and yet they were not responsible for a great many of the actions attributed to them.

CONTINUING REPORTS

People tend to assume that Mec Vannin, as the recognised Nationalist Party, has 'inside information' on activities that are branded as nationalist, or have a possible nationalist basis. This leads to us acquiring a good deal of information about what would otherwise be unreported incidents throughout the Island. Typical of this is someone approaching our Secretary, Illiam Costain, and asking, "You're a Nationalist. who's responsible for .....?"

This, in conjunction with reported incidents and our own observations, has led us to the conclusion that there is still a campaign of unrest directed towards new residents, particularly in the north and east of the Island. As with the F.S.F.O. campaign, it would appear that news of these incidents are being deliberately suppressed.

DAUBING AND VANDALISM

At the bottom end of the scale come what would appear to be fairly run-of-the-mill attacks against cars, such as tyre slashing and paint damage. Quite a lot of this has happened in the Laxey and Ramsey areas, and a closer look reveals that the victims were of typically new-resident profile. B.M.W. saloons and four wheel drive vehicles have been a favourite target. Whereas these attacks are still probably the result of alcohol inflamed emotions on a non-premeditated basis, they still reflect an underlying mood of unrest. Moving up the scale, there have been several attacks of a much more serious nature directed quite clearly at new residents, and far too premeditated to be the result of alcohol. This includes bricks through windows, paint-spraying, and damage to property. Initially, as with the F.S.F.O. campaign, these were reported in the press, but a police spokesman at the time denied any upturn in this sort of attack. We have received reports that indicate a continued campaign, consisting of daubings and attacks against property. Slogans in the road in the north-east of the Island have been erased by the D.H.P.P. in record time. There have been several arson attempts in Laxey. Inhabited dwellings have been attacked in outlying districts.

We don't know who may be responsible, but we would ask them to recognise that the only way to progress a solution is through legitimate means.

To the Government, we would say that smoothing over ever widening cracks changes nothing. It must recognise that such attacks within a predominantly peaceful society are symptomatic of a very real dissatisfaction that will only get worse. Does someone actually have to get hurt before there is an admission that a11 is not rosy in Walker's little garden?

STOP PRESS

Since this article was written, anti-new-resident slogans have appeared around Port Erin in Latin!

Founded in 1962, Mec Vannin has developed over the years to present an alternative to a style of government that is a sorry paradox i.e. it claims to work towards full independence whilst at the same time destroying any legitimate claim to such independence.

Mec Vannin fully recognises the contribution of many non-Manx people to our culture and heritage. What it opposes is the use of this Island for economic convenience and, in some instances, blatantly criminal activities by people who have no connection with the Island.

Yn Pabyr Seyr is produced by Mec Vannin from its own funds and donations.

Gregory Joughin laid a wreath at the 'Gooseneck' in Douglas on Saturday 4th April. Supporting him and distributing leaflets were other members of Mec Vannin.

Now in case you think that this was a rather sentimental gesture aimed at the loss of something that is better off gone, let us draw your attention to the D.L.G.E.'s 'Planning for the Future' and 'Making the Most of Mann' documents. Both spoke of the need to use our land wisely, the need to preserve 'greenbelts', and most specifically, in section 4.3 of 'Planning for the Future', "defending green space within towns."

Apart from the highly ornamental parks within Douglas, where cycling and ball games are not allowed, there are no longer any green spaces left in Douglas. These gardens, which cost a fortune to maintain, were themselves under threat from Douglas Corporation a mere four years ago when it was suggested that they could be sold for office development!

Onchan has suffered the same fate, and the commissioners have now found themselves in a position where there is nowhere left to carry out their own projects. Look out, Lonan, someone has their eyes on your boundary.

Another highly disturbing aspect of the publicity launch at the 'Gooseneck' was the plethora of D.L.G.E. officers and M.H.K.s at the event, rubbing shoulders with estate agents, developers, architects et al. whereas we would not suggest any impropriety ourselves, given the inconsistency of planning decisions, the department is leaving itself wide open to just such an accusation from an aggrieved party at some future date. There is also an inference of official endorsement in this. Remember the S.I.B. fiasco. If the Government is to avoid allegations of impropriety and stop looking like a bunch of idiots when things go wrong, it must remain at distance from private enterprise.

In a few years time, all indications are that most households on the Island will possess satellite television. To obtain this, the ordinary person will spend any real wage increases they receive, and will also pay with increased stress and economic commitment. But will they have a better quality of life than before?

The fact is, that we have established a system of economic growth based on dissatisfaction. For example, what would happen to our clothing manufacturers if everyone was content to wear their out clothes rather than follow the dictates of fashion? The system would fall apart, resulting in a poorer standard of living from a purely material sense, but we would be more free to enjoy the real qualities of life, and we would be considerably less prone to recession.

The Manx Government is structuring the economy more and more to rely upon an industry which is based on economic growth - a growth which, in the long term, is unsustainable. The finance industry is based upon these very principles; maximise profits, expand the market, create new markets. Where will it all end ? As the demand for material produce increases, our planet's resources diminish.

The finance industry, sitting at the top of a pyramid of supply and demand, thrives on the exploitation of Third world people and resources so that we can "enjoy the standard of living that our society aspires to". Ourselves and our children are being brainwashed into the mentality of permanent dissatisfaction, so that we will continue to buy the newest, the biggest, the 'best'.

If we want to reduce starvation in Third World countries, the deforestation of the rain-forests, the urbanisation of our hills and wild places and our dependence on an economy that is doomed to ultimate collapse, we must ask ourselves questions such as, "Do I really need a satellite T.V. system, or a new seven-day programmable automatic bidet or what-ever."
We all share the same world, and are all responsible for its situation today, no matter where we live.

C. C.

Word has reached us that certain people do not consider Mec Vannin to be sufficiently 'green'.

We don't push our environmental commitment alone, not wishing to be accused of 'jumping on the band-wagon' and we recognise the work being done by the environmentalists. That aside, to accuse Mec Vannin of not being green displays ignorance in the extreme.

Rather than presenting environmental policies in isolation, Mec Vannin's policies are intrinsically 'green', centred around a sustainable insular economy.

One of the biggest causes of global deforestation is profit motive and third world debt, fuelled by international banking. On an insular scale, the threat comes primarily from population growth. These are the two areas Mec Vannin fights most strongly, and where environmentalists say very little.

This can be understood, since their aim would appear to be to popularise environmentalism in a consumer based society. They must accept, however, that until there is a major change in both our own and the global economic structure, using bottle banks is like urinating into the wind.

M. K.

My ta shiu g'eaishtagh rish Radio Vannin 'sy voghrey, foddee dy vel shiu er chlashtyn Mainshter John Moss goaill toshiaght er 'Mann-Date' lesh paart dy Ghealg. Derrey yn traa t'ayn, va'n ynrican peiagh g'ymmydey Gaelg ayns lioartys cadjin, Mainshter Brian Ray lesh feaishnys ny h'emshir. She nearey t'ayn nagh vel polasee Radio Vannin cur creeaght ayns slieh g'ymmydey yn Gaelg. Cha vodmayd agh treishtail dy jig Mainshter Moss lesh.

If you listen to Manx Radio in the mornings, you may have heard Mr. John Moss starting Mann-Date with a little bit of Gaelic. Until now, the only person to use Gaelic in ordinary conversation was Mr. Brian Ray with the weather forecast. It is a shame that it is not Manx Radio's policy to encourage people to use Manx. We can only hope that Mr. Moss continues.

In the last issue of Yn Pabyr Seyr it was stated that the cost of living index is not weighted for the percentage f a household's budget each item comprises. Infact, this is not quite the case, but this does not alter the sense of the article.

Since the article was published, Phil Kermode M.H.K., in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Consumer Affairs, has rejected outright the compilation of a more representative 'shopping basket' type indicator. He claims that the Economic Affairs Division's figures are perfectly satisfactory, yet these are only published once a year, and contain statistical correction factors that render interpretation far beyond the capabilities of the average person. Maybe Mr. Kermode is hoping we'll all think he's very intelligent.

The suggestions for alternative energy were dismissed as fanciful, but the argument against diesel is very real.

It has been claimed that the enquiry into the Peel power station was, at the end of the day, nothing more than a publicity exercise. The continuance of total reliance upon diesel generation is an extremely convenient course of action in the short term, but let's take a step by step look at the argument, and achieve some sort of conclusion.

Firstly, how much electricity do we need? The answer is, infact, nowhere near as much as we use at the moment. The M.E.A.'s own figures show that electricity consumption has risen disproportionately to population increase. Because electricity is, despite our perpetual moaning, relatively cheap when it is considered just how much work it does for us, it is used extremely frivolously both domestically and commercially. The standard symbol of economic wealth seems to have become the number of watts that can be burnt away in street lighting and security lighting.

But if people can afford the electricity, shouldn't they be allowed to use it as they want? Quite simply, no. World government's are beginning to wake up to the fact that the world's energy resources are extremely finite, a reality that has managed to filter through to our own government's rhetoric laden green papers, but no further. There is a belief, all too common, that our relatively small population doesn't have to pay heed to such notions. We sit with our heads, not simply in the sand, but clean up our own behinds, in the belief that someone, somewhere will come up with the answer and everything will be alright.

So where should our electricity come from? There are two immediate options, generation from within the Island, or a cable link. Looking at the cable link first, this is unacceptable for many reasons. For such a specialist cable, it would cost as much or even more than a new power station.

Now, whose going to supply the electricity ? Wouldn't B.N.F.L. just love the chance! Infact, because of the UK's grid system, we would almost certainly be using some power generated at Windscale irrespective of which authority sold us the power. Mec Vannin totally condemn this plant, and even the Government has expressed its reservations.

The fact that a substantial amount of spending would now go directly out of the Island, would in crease the required G.N.P. if we are to maintain our standard of living, and quite a few highly skilled people would be on the dole.

Putting direct control of such a powerful {no pun intended} bargaining counter into the hands of a single, foreign supplier is also folly in the extreme.

So what about generation within the Island? The conventional choices are diesel or steam turbine, and these can be fired by coal, oil, nuclear, gas, wood, or anything else that will create heat. Turbines are much quieter, and vibration free, but generally not as flexible as diesel, not as efficient, and with the exception of gas, probably dirtier. Modern diesel power sets genuinely can be made to run very quietly, and the vibrations absorbed. All this considered, it could be said that the right choice was made in the short term.

The environmentalists' arguments for the so-called 'alternative' energies were torpedoed with talk of hundreds of huge windmills, and lights only when the wind blew. That they did little to dispel this notion leaves them open to criticism. Infact, this Island used to generate thousands of horsepower (one hp = 745.7W} before the turn of the century, using supposedly alternative energy. The Laxey Wheel is quoted as producing 185 hp (138 KW), but this is the work done in pumping the water at the quoted rate. The power produced by the wheel itself is probably closer to 250 hp (186 KW). A modern impulse turbine using the same water supply would ht into the ticket office!

On top of this, the Lady Isabella was just one in a series of water driven plants running from Snaefell to the sea, and whose total power output could be reckoned to be around 1MW, 24 hours a day. The authoritative book on the wheel, by Anders Jesperson, also reckons that it could maintain 20% performance through a three month drought, and not a reservoir in sight!

This exemplifies how people used to use their initiative, an ability that seems to have been lost. We have come to rely upon diesel generated electricity not because it is the most practical, but because it is the easiest in the short term. There are many examples where, for a small outlay, the burden of conventionally generated electricity could be significantly reduced.

On top of this, our total energy requirement should be reduced, because if we don't take the initiative and move gently away from our reliance upon diesel generated electricity now, we will find it being taken away from us very abruptly in twenty to thirty years time, with no guarantee of an alternative.

The only real objection to the alternative energies was that when used for direct generation, the supply could not be guaranteed, but by using them to isolate a convenient form of fuel, in the form of hydrogen, this obstacle vanishes.

M.K.