h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Perhaps I am missing some humourous point, but I fail utterly to see why a racist childrens' nursery rhyme has been included in this article.

... and a Happy St. David's Day to you.

On reflection, we've decided to remove the nursery rhyme. Though it illustrates a point, it doesn't add that much to the entry, but as Surrendermonkey points out, it does risk offending others.

Personally, I was not aware that such habits were considered a trait of the Welsh; in modern times, at least, they're more often associated with my home town of Liverpool.

The worst thing about it was its apparent irrelevance - it didn't seem connected to the rest of the article at all, suggesting unpleasant things about why it was there...

Just FYI, I think it cropped up in "Mother Goose" the late 1700's, and so could have been around for some time prior to that. I don't know off-hand if "Mother Goose" began life as an original work or as a collation.
Like many such songs and turns of phrase (in England, at least, mainly regarding the French) its origins are rooted in the politics of the time. Perhaps there is a Welsh-language equivalent which starts "Jack was an Englishman, he invaded my country and killed all the young men and burnt our village down and supplanted our culture.". Probably not.

Ooh H2G2 - the unnecessary PC knee-jerk.

Either Taffy was a thief because he was Welsh, in which case the rhyme has relevance albeit via far-fetched whimsical sterotyping.

Or Taffy just happened to be Welsh and a thief as is stated in the rhyme, in which case there is no offence to be taken.

Just as you want it both ways, so did I.

DMT