Allan Campbell - 16.1.24
Cha b’ iongnadh fàilte ga chur air fios bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba, deireadh na bliadhna a chaidh, gun robh còrr air còig millean de thaic ùr ga ghealltainn dhan Ghàidhlig.
Aig an aon àm bha an fheadhainn againn a bh’ air a bhith an sàs ann an obair-leasachaidh a’ chànain fad iomadh bliadhna mothachail nach deach maoin-leasachaidh idir fhàs a rèir na h-ìre adhartais a thàinig ann am misneachd agus iarrtas choimhearsnachdan feadh na dùthcha, gu sònraichte bho chaidh Achd na Gàidhlig (2005) Alba a stèidheachadh.
Mhol an aithisg Cothrom Ùr don Ghàidhlig, bho Bhuidheann-comhairleachaidh an Riaghaltais air Gàidhlig, agus a thug Bòrd na Gàidhlig gu bith, maoin-stèidheachaidh de dheich millean not ach cha deach ach leth sin a thoirt seachad agus bha an t-suim an ìre mhath gun atharrachadh gu ruige seo.
Mar sin canaidh feadhainn nach eil an t-ionmhas ùr seo ach a’ leasachadh gainnead fad nan ochd bliadhna deug a chaidh seachad! Ach ’s fheàrr iomall a’ phailteis na teis-meadhan gainne, agus chan eil buannachd ann a bhith a’ caoidh rud nach do thachair, agus ’s ann air na ghabhas dèanamh a-nise is còir cuimseachadh! Uair neo dhà thar nam bliadhnaichean thog daoine ceist leam fhìn a thaobh ceartais, fiù ´s moraltachd, a bhith a’ tasgadh uimhir de spàirn is maoin ann am mion-chànan aig àm far an robh milleanan a’ fulang gort is geur-leanmhainn de gach seòrsa feadh an t-saoghail. Gun teagamh tha leithid de cheist airidh air freagairt, agus ged a tha fulangas chuid fhathast na mhasladh dha dùthchannan beartach an t-saoghail, saoilidh mi gum bheil dìleab gliocais anns gach cànan is cultar as fhiach an gleidheadh.
Mar a tha eachdraidh a’ dearbhadh gach latha tha comas buaidh mhath agus olc aig beartas agus tha mi den bheachd gum faodadh Elon Musk, am fear as beartaiche air an t-saoghal aig an àm seo, cuideachd a bhith na fhear den fheadhainn as cunnartaiche! Duine comasach, ladarna, fada na bharail fhèin, agus le taobh làidir ri feallsanachd phoilitigs na làimhe-deise, agus thug a chuid beartais dha comas an làrach conaltraidh Twitter (X a-nise) a cheannach agus a chuid bheachdan a sgaoileadh air còrr air dà cheud millean neach gach latha!
Chan eil teagamh nach eil Trump a’ tuigsinn luach a’ cheangail le X dha chuid chlìcean toinnte fhèin, agus chunnacas mar-thà mar a tha an ionnsaigh air riaghaltas Làbarach Bhreatainn a’ faotainn buaidh anns na meadhanan agus a’ cur ri propaganda phoilitigs na làimhe-deise, agus gu cinnteach bhiodh Trump na bu riaraichte le riaghaltas den t-seòrsa sin ann an seo!
Chan eil e buileach soilleir aig an ìre seo dè da-rìribh an dreuchd a bhios aig Musk ann an Riaghaltas Dhòmhnaill Trump, ach gu cinnteach bidh cumhachd aige, oir saoilidh mi gur e burraidhean “càil bhon aon stocan” a th’ ann fhèin ’s an Dòmhnall Iain, agus gun do thachair sruth ri steall nuair a thoisich iad ag obair còmhla! ’S dòcha gur e mar as luaithe thèid iad troimh-a-chèile a b’ fheàrr dhan t-saoghal!
Not surprisingly the Scottish Government’s promise, towards the end of 2024, of a new £5 million support for Gaelic was widely welcomed.
For many language activists, however, this investment is seen as a contribution to a funding shortfall which has grown over the eighteen years since the Gaelic Language (Scotland) 2005 Act was implemented. Bord na Gaidhlig was established with only half the budget recommended by the expert report which led to its creation, and that funding level has remained static making it extremely difficult for the Bord to adequately respond to growing confidence in the language.
Over the years I have been challenged once or twice over the morality of investing effort and resources in a minority language, when millions worldwide are suffering persecution and famine. While the scandalous plight of such people is an indictment of world leaders, I believe that every language and culture has a legacy of wisdom which is worth saving, and our focus must be on maximising the benefit and impact of this new resource for Gaelic.
History proves that wealth can empower good and ill, and surely the world’s richest man Elon Musk could potentially be one of the most dangerous people on the planet. Capable and arrogantly right wing, Musk used his wealth to buy Twitter (now X), thus enabling him to feed his philosophy to over 200 million people, worldwide, daily. US President-elect Trump clearly appreciates the potential of the X connection for promoting his own convoluted ideas, and we have already seen how Musk has high-jacked UK headlines with his attack on our Labour Government. Trump would obviously prefer to deal with right wing governments.
While it is not totally clear what Musk’s role in the US administration will ultimately be, he already has power, and the combination of two very rich bullies in the government of a world super-power may not bode well.
Perhaps the sooner they fall-out, the better for all of us!
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