Comments on: “National Language” http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/ Summum nec metuas diem, nec optes - Marcus Valerius Martialis Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:57:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Robert http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3162 Robert Mon, 22 May 2006 23:13:22 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3162 Now that the official language thing is handled, let's get to something else important. What are we gonna call Freedom Fries now? Now that the official language thing is handled, let’s get to something else important.

What are we gonna call Freedom Fries now?

]]> By: Sirkowski http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3073 Sirkowski Mon, 22 May 2006 04:59:28 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3073 Are you gonna rid of all the latin on the dollar bills? Are you gonna rid of all the latin on the dollar bills?

]]> By: DocAmazing http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3065 DocAmazing Mon, 22 May 2006 01:38:01 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3065 The colors actually look quite good, though not exactly what most 'Murrkins would consider patriotic. "Little brown ones"...wasn't that Barbara Bush? "Left-leaning"? Gaius, I don't lean left, I'm all the way left. The colors actually look quite good, though not exactly what most ‘Murrkins would consider patriotic.

“Little brown ones”…wasn’t that Barbara Bush?

“Left-leaning”? Gaius, I don’t lean left, I’m all the way left.

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3062 Gaius Mon, 22 May 2006 01:24:46 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3062 No, the camera doesn't quite render colors naturally. It's actually more like red, blond and a sort of weird, radioactive purple. I don't think it worked quite as she expected because she's actually a brunette. Likely her head is highly flammable right now. No, the camera doesn’t quite render colors naturally. It’s actually more like red, blond and a sort of weird, radioactive purple. I don’t think it worked quite as she expected because she’s actually a brunette. Likely her head is highly flammable right now.

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3061 Gaius Mon, 22 May 2006 01:20:42 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3061 Ok, split hairs. The common usage, as I am sure you know, is to use "xenophobia" as shorthand for "little brown people". As has been done - repeatedly - in comments here. And the only people who use either term are left-leaning. Ok, split hairs. The common usage, as I am sure you know, is to use “xenophobia” as shorthand for “little brown people”. As has been done – repeatedly – in comments here.

And the only people who use either term are left-leaning.

]]> By: DocAmazing http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3060 DocAmazing Mon, 22 May 2006 01:17:05 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3060 The post you just put up--would that be the red, white and green hair? Very Mexican... The post you just put up–would that be the red, white and green hair? Very Mexican…

]]> By: DocAmazing http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3059 DocAmazing Mon, 22 May 2006 01:09:42 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3059 Xenophobia--comes from the Greek, not the Latin, so I'm not surprised you'd misinterpret the word. Nothing about "race" in that word. Just fear of Auslanders (seeing as we're playing the polyglot game), not necessarily implying that those folks are of a different color or other racial characteristic. Nice race-card riposte, there. Xenophobia–comes from the Greek, not the Latin, so I’m not surprised you’d misinterpret the word. Nothing about “race” in that word. Just fear of Auslanders (seeing as we’re playing the polyglot game), not necessarily implying that those folks are of a different color or other racial characteristic.

Nice race-card riposte, there.

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3050 Gaius Sun, 21 May 2006 23:08:20 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3050 Hey, Doc, It's not xenophobia, nice try. One common method of trying to stifle discussion is to throw a race bomb - which you just did. You'd want to read the post I just put up. Hey, Doc,

It’s not xenophobia, nice try. One common method of trying to stifle discussion is to throw a race bomb – which you just did.

You’d want to read the post I just put up.

]]> By: DocAmazing http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3049 DocAmazing Sun, 21 May 2006 22:55:32 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3049 Hey, Gaius-- You're right: no one speaks Hakka or Cantonese in China. That would be wrong and divisive. Filipinos are at least officially bilingual. (The language, by the way, is called "Tagalog". You could look it up.) Several dozen other languages are also spoken, and are more-or-less official in each of their respective provinces. The "problems" and "discord" suffered by the poor, benighted, less-likely-to-die-in-infancy-or-early-adulthood Canadians and Belgians can't compare to a typical Friday night in my native Oakland. Face it. Monolingualism is no more a predictor or sign of stability than a state religion or a secret handshake. An official language manages to be exclusionary and divisive without providing any benefits. Some of us prefer our xenophobia a little more unadorned. Hey, Gaius–

You’re right: no one speaks Hakka or Cantonese in China. That would be wrong and divisive.

Filipinos are at least officially bilingual. (The language, by the way, is called “Tagalog”. You could look it up.) Several dozen other languages are also spoken, and are more-or-less official in each of their respective provinces.

The “problems” and “discord” suffered by the poor, benighted, less-likely-to-die-in-infancy-or-early-adulthood Canadians and Belgians can’t compare to a typical Friday night in my native Oakland.

Face it. Monolingualism is no more a predictor or sign of stability than a state religion or a secret handshake. An official language manages to be exclusionary and divisive without providing any benefits. Some of us prefer our xenophobia a little more unadorned.

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3044 Gaius Sun, 21 May 2006 21:59:17 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3044 Hey, Doc - Let's see, Standard Mandarin is the official language of China http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language The official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/asia/philippines/travel.htm The Belgians are officially bilingual, but that seems to have caused some problems over time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium And I have witnessed personally some of the discord that the two official languages in Canada have caused. Shall I go on? Hey, Doc -

Let’s see, Standard Mandarin is the official language of China

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language

The official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/asia/philippines/travel.htm

The Belgians are officially bilingual, but that seems to have caused some problems over time

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium

And I have witnessed personally some of the discord that the two official languages in Canada have caused.

Shall I go on?

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3039 Gaius Sun, 21 May 2006 21:25:35 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3039 So, you demand we have Spanish as an official language? So, you demand we have Spanish as an official language?

]]> By: DocAmazing http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3038 DocAmazing Sun, 21 May 2006 21:18:32 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3038 Hey, Gaius-- Belgium's got two official languages (French and Flemish) and a lower infant mortality than we do. Canada's got two official languages (English and French) and a far lower crime rate than the US. South Africa's got two official languages (English and Afrikaans) and the problems they're having aren't over ballot translations. China's growning outrageously well, despite having at least four different dialects which are so distinct as to be separate languages. India's got numerous languages and seems to be able to take over much of our computer industry in spite of their linguistic disagreements. The Philippines have a whole bunch of languages and a stable government with a growing economy. Shall I go on? Hey, Gaius–

Belgium’s got two official languages (French and Flemish) and a lower infant mortality than we do.

Canada’s got two official languages (English and French) and a far lower crime rate than the US.

South Africa’s got two official languages (English and Afrikaans) and the problems they’re having aren’t over ballot translations.

China’s growning outrageously well, despite having at least four different dialects which are so distinct as to be separate languages.

India’s got numerous languages and seems to be able to take over much of our computer industry in spite of their linguistic disagreements.

The Philippines have a whole bunch of languages and a stable government with a growing economy.

Shall I go on?

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3028 Gaius Sun, 21 May 2006 18:36:05 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3028 Yeah, I couldn't remember whihc one of the "H" families. I should have gone with Hapsburg. Yeah, I couldn’t remember whihc one of the “H” families. I should have gone with Hapsburg.

]]> By: DZ http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3022 DZ Sun, 21 May 2006 16:12:58 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3022 The Confederatia Helvetica - Switzerland - dates from at least the 16th century at which time the Hohenzollerns were the pathetic rulers of a bunch of extremely poor Prussian peasants. It was really until the 18th century with Frederick the Great that the Hoenzollerns acquired any significant power. Switzerland banded together as protection against the Hapsburgs in the East and the Bourbons in the West. Btw, Switzerland has four national languages - German, French, Italian and Romansch. The Confederatia Helvetica – Switzerland – dates from at least the 16th century at which time the Hohenzollerns were the pathetic rulers of a bunch of extremely poor Prussian peasants. It was really until the 18th century with Frederick the Great that the Hoenzollerns acquired any significant power. Switzerland banded together as protection against the Hapsburgs in the East and the Bourbons in the West.

Btw, Switzerland has four national languages – German, French, Italian and Romansch.

]]> By: Gaius http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/comment-page-1/#comment-3018 Gaius Sun, 21 May 2006 14:00:13 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2006/05/19/national-language/#comment-3018 I disagree, An. Yes, immigrants have always had to learn before. Yes it has sometimes taken generations. But they were not encouraged to keep their own language. The push to use bilingual education, ballots, signage and whatever keeps the immigrants in a state of never having to learn English. It essentially creates a permanent underclass, whether you see it or not. I disagree, An. Yes, immigrants have always had to learn before. Yes it has sometimes taken generations. But they were not encouraged to keep their own language. The push to use bilingual education, ballots, signage and whatever keeps the immigrants in a state of never having to learn English. It essentially creates a permanent underclass, whether you see it or not.

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