Activist exposes political institutions
THE year is 2007 and the Government reacts to what
appears to be a coordinated threat to national security... the
-
Cornish author John Angarrack has produced his third book
Secretary of State sets normal affairs of Government aside to
hold two days of crisis talks with her advisers... the future
king is consulted... dawn raids by dozens of armed police
result in suspected terrorists being rounded up at gunpoint...
enemy flags, instruction manuals and documents in a foreign
language are taken as evidence... high-profile personalities
are offered special protection and the press hint of a plot to
blow up the QE2... tension abates only after the Government and
judiciary conspire to intimidate the community into
compliance... a Tom Clancy thriller... no... the events
described above really happened... in Cornwall... but what is
the truth behind the sensationalism and why did Government take
such extreme measures against Cornish people...
This account is the tantalising preamble used by political
activist and amateur historian John Angarrack to introduce his
latest book, a follow-up to his highly provocative and
informative previous volumes, Breaking The Chains and Our
Future Is History.
Scat t'Larrups: Resist And Survive is, like his earlier
forays into the darker areas of Cornish life, designed to make
readers re-evaluate the so-called "facts" issued by those in
power, question an education system which chooses to ignore key
periods in Cornish history, and challenge a political system
which treats the indigenous Cornish as second-class
citizens.
It is up to the reader to make up his or her mind as to
whether John Angarrack is correct in his warnings and fears –
but regardless of anyone's ethnic or political affiliations,
the author cannot be faulted on his tenacious approach to his
subject and his diligence when it comes to recording the
issues. He makes no apologies for using his own personal
experiences for showing how he has "struggled to overcome
wrongdoing" and expresses the hope that others will follow his
lead in publishing their own accounts.
As with his other books, John Angarrack's motivation is to
scratch away until he reveals the underbelly of the Cornish
Establishment. Along the way he attacks the motives of a number
of people closely involved in Cornish cultural life, and backs
up these assertions by using a large section of appendices to
reproduce copious letters and other supporting documents.
However, in contrast to Breaking The Chains and Our Future
Is History, Scat t'Larrups is no easy read and assumes its
audience possesses an already strong understanding of the
issues which so consume and obsess the Bodmin author.
Consequently, each section of Scat t'Larrups is so dense
with information that to tackle even one of the 15 chapters per
day is a major undertaking. This third volume is, therefore,
meant for prolonged study rather than instant gratification or
education. And while presenting the information in this manner
does not in any way detract from its achievement, I can't help
wondering if the author had constructed his arguments in a more
reader-friendly fashion there would be a greater number Cornish
people willing to wade through it.
However, as John Angarrack himself says: "People have the
right to know that the Government is reduced to maintaining
control over Cornwall by propaganda and deception – and if that
doesn't work, by intimidation and corruption.
"But there is another way. The Cornish can, if they so
choose, resist oppression and survive as a viable entity into
the future.
"I know from responses received from readers of my previous
books that the content will excite and inflame passions. This
is one of my purposes. For the hope is that these passions can
be harnessed."
Scat t'Larrups: Resist And Survive by John Angarrack is
published by the Independent Academic Press at £20.
13 Comments
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by CelticTruth, Pensans
Sunday, September 07 2008, 10:40PM
“Pledge for the fight:
http://www.cornishfightingfund.org/index.php”
by Mick, Redruth
Thursday, September 04 2008, 12:25PM
“For the truth on Cornwall and its Duke:
duchyofcornwall.eu/”
by Moonshine, cornwall
Wednesday, September 03 2008, 1:06PM
“Why is such an important book being reviewed by someone who finds it hard to read one chapter in a day?”
by Pinky, Perky
Monday, September 01 2008, 9:24AM
“That's that Dave Vanian guy from the Damned innit? Gosh he's looking rough these days LoL!!”
by Tam, Kernow - Pensans
Sunday, August 31 2008, 1:30PM
“Feel strongly about Kernow/Cornwall ?
http://johnangarrack.co.uk/
www.CornishNotEnglish.com”
by Bryn Myrddin, Welshman in Kernow
Saturday, August 30 2008, 6:41PM
“Some interesting information can be found by google search:
'CornishNotEnglish'
'Duchy of Cornwall . eu'
(don't forget the e.u. bit or you'll end up with bogus search results)
'johnangarrack.co.uk'
KBV”
by CarbonBoot, The Duchy Of Cornwall
Friday, August 29 2008, 8:04PM
“For those wishing to learn more about The Duchy Of Cornwall,
Google:
' duchyofcornwall eu '”
by CarbonBoot, The Duchy Of Cornwall
Friday, August 29 2008, 8:01PM
“For those wishing to learn more about The Duchy Of Cornwall here is an informative resource under development by Mr Angarrack:
www.duchyofcornwall.eu”
by Jim Pengelly, Lanner
Friday, August 29 2008, 4:12PM
“As someone who read the Scat t'Larrups in 3 evenings, I must accept that there is a need, perhaps, to be already aware of, and concerned by, the issues involved.
My own interest in the Cornish Paradox is in exposing the existence of Cornish Genocide by the UK State. Angarrack's series of books are fundamental in exposing the manner in how this is being achieved on a day to day basis. It would have been useful, therefore, if your review had picked out some of the examples clearly illustrated by the book, with regard to:
a) - Suppression of a Cornish Educational Curriculum
b) - Specific refusal of the Government to give protection to the Cornish as a'national minority',
c) - Government & Crown lies and deception over the true constitutional position of the Duchy of Cornwall within the United Kingdom,
d) - The negative manipulation of the Cornish within the National Census 2001 & 2011,
e) - The failure of an Anglo-centric acadamia to get to grips with the Cornish Paradox in resolving the Cornish Question,
f) - The existence of an, essentially hostile, Anglo-centric media to serve Cornwall.
These are all issues amounting to mechanisms of genocide of the Cornish people (the hidden story) that rarely, if ever, get any air-time or column-inches, (and would make this book a 'must have'!)but essentially illustrated by the book under review and worthy of general discussion as a matter of Cornish public interest..
It is crucial, therefore, that the author has created a 'duchyofcornwall' website as part of the follow-up to the book.”
by Don't shoot the messenger!, Kernow
Friday, August 29 2008, 1:28PM
“I think it has got to the point where people are getting more extreme because no one is listening, and I understand why, but it doesn't always help. I have not read this latest book, but the others were important works that told largely unknown truths. The problem is spin. Unfortunately the 'spin' put on the Cornish question by certain activists has been angry. I can totally understand that people here are angry, but this is so big and runs so deep that anger will be treated with contempt and Cornwall will be even more surpressed if this anger is not channelled constructively. I know it is impossible not to be angry at the way Conwall, a place that was HUGELY powerful throughout history, has been systematically undermined and her natives rendered 'invisible'. But the personal attacks that prevail here on anyone who disagrees are a HUGE problem. It is terribly bitchy down here. Anything remotely political or, especially to do with the Cornish Language is as hostile as any warzone! It makes you scared to learn the language, for fear of annoying certain 'experts' in other versions and it makes you equally scared of even taking a side on the constitutional position of Cornwall. For if one is not Cornish one is often made to feel a bit inferior, even if one supports the Cornish! People really need to start promoting this crucial work in a way that will get the cause further a long in the wider British mainstream, and frankly some nationalist activists have been some of Cornwall's own worst enemies. I am certainly NOT implying John Angarrack is one of them here. But a joined up and less bitchy atmosphere is required if Cornwall and the Cornish are ever to be recognised.”