Bob, this is really a very European issue, one that has been debated heavily ever since the formation of (the first precursor) of the EU, and even before - I think Migeru's comments reflect that more than opinions he formed all alone. (At least their understanding by me seems to imply so.) The problem is, no single lingua franca will be agreed upon. And not even if no nationalisms are included - have you heard of Esperanto? That was an attempt at a universal language, it is easy to learn, a lot of people speak it (especially in Europe), but it just didn't catch on.
It may be the case that elites (politicians, stars, media, managers) could and have settled for English as lingua franca in practice, but elites are by definition exclusive. But a lot of even those Europeans who do speak foreign languages do not speak English. So the EU has translators for all languages and floor discussions in multiple languages, nd the broader population does the same - Europe itself is a 'mosaic community'. For example, in CEE or on the Balkans, you have more chance being understood in German than in English, and a lot of Hungarians or Serbians will attempt communication in that language even if say in Spain or the Netherlands. (All my older relatives are like that.)
And here, while English is convenient for you and for all current ET readers, it is not for a great many people who could be included, and connected by English-and-other multilinguals. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
But, after thinking some about it, I must admit it is lecturing... tough, meant in a friendly way. It wasn't meant to make you feel an outsider again, rather, inormation to enable you to feel more of an insider! *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I meant it in a non-nationalist context, and that includes being able to talk in a language where we understand...and unless we hire translators...we will need one language (in my opinion).
English-only is elitist, in the EU more so than in the US. Is this site elitist? Some people seem to think not. I disagree.
Migeru, I recall your once self-revealing in a comment somewhere a number of months ago (and I'm paraphrasing), that you "have a history of being argumentative, which has often resulted in your being disliked by those you argue with". I may not be being entirely accurate in my recalling your comment, but I'm certain you recall what you said. Anyway, for some reason your comment struck me at the time as curious, and has always stuck with me. In all seriousness, I acknowledge this Migeru: your high intelligence is obvious (and you are not shy about your own intelligence)...but, and now I hope you will forgive me for my bluntness, but you often come across to me as quite elitist yourself. My point being, and in all due respect, I don't know where to go with your comments... "Once in awhile we get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if we look at it right" - Hunter/Garcia
The thrust of your arguments on this diary is basically "why can't Europeans just agree on one language to speak? It would make everyone's life so much easier".
As you know, the ISO country code for Switzerland is CH from the latin Confoederatio Helvetica. The Swiss know a tad more about multilingualism, democracy and getting along with others than just about anyone else in Europe, and they chose a friggin' dead language to draw a common identifier from.
Mandarin Chinese stands a better choice of becoming the single language of Europe than any autoctonous language.
It has taken a lot of pain to school ourselves in the idea that the linguistic diversity of Europe is not a hindrance but a treasure, and some people still don't get it.
Was it really so offensive that there was one diary and thread where people joyfully celebrated their multilingual heritage, one-upmanship and all? guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
You again insist on misunderstanding what I said, and I have alreasy explain what I thought I meant by what I said and what I thought you meant with what I quoted and that my one-liner was a reply to.
I disagree that issues settling is recommended. Cooling off is recommended and reflecting on what one said and the others said is recommended. But dwelling on the issues until they are settled is bad policy: it doesn't allow cooling off and it just adds to the pile of I-said-yuo-said that needs to be reflected on, plus it may expose other issues. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
