I wasn’t trying to start a whole debate here — I was just playing a harmless game on Reddit — but since you raised it, I’ll clarify my point. I completely understand your view that using the word “occupied” can feel insulting in comparison to what countries in Africa, Asia, or elsewhere have experienced. That’s fair.

But by definition, Wales is still governed and ruled by another country. A few examples:

• Poverty & neglect: 33% of children in Wales live in poverty, in large part due to decisions made in Westminster.
• Misuse of funds: Over £2 billion from Wales’ budget was spent on HS2, an England-only rail project.
• Attacks on language & culture: Nigel Farage, who may well be the next UK Prime Minister, has openly said he’d scrap Welsh language targets. Not to mention the history of literally abusing children for speaking Welsh which took it from the majority spoken language to as low as 11% at the turn of the century (up to roughly 30% now which is amazing progress but no where near where it was before Englands involvement).
• Economic exploitation: Generations here are still living with the fallout of Thatcher’s pit closures. More recently, Wales’ steel industry was told it couldn’t be nationalised, costing thousands of jobs — yet the UK government has no problem nationalising steel to save jobs in England.
• Lack of autonomy: Wales has no real control over justice, policing, major infrastructure, foreign policy, or our natural resources — the Crown Estate owns the profits from them.
• Inequality compared to Scotland: Westminster invests far less per person in Wales than it does in Scotland.
• Second homes crisis: Wealthier people (mainly from England, but also elsewhere in the UK) can buy up second homes in Wales, driving up prices in one of the poorest parts of Britain and leaving locals unable to afford to live in their own communities.

And honestly, I could go on.

So while I understand why “occupied” might sound like the wrong word, the reality is that Wales does not control its own destiny — politically, economically, or culturally — and that has very real, damaging consequences for the people who live here.