Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 23:28:13 +0000 (UTC) From: "Pete Brown" <petes.inboxnopsamternet.com> Subject: Re: winter tyres with rims
Hi fellow Saabers. Please reflect on my salutation and please excuse any offence that I may cause in this post. I play Devil's Advocate. Xenna makes several good points about the use of a single language (English) on an NG like this. What I would disagree with is that English is a minority language. This requires further scrutiny and clarity in definition. If, by minority, it is meant little in numbers or % compared to the total population on the Earth, then yes, English is a minority language. But this comparator is, in my view, not legitimate. English, of all the World's languages, is the most common, internationally used language, particularly in business. Is it not the official language of the European Union????????(Pardone moi, my French friends and colleagues). I would like to make a further point in relation to the view that was expressed about the use of different languages on a world-wide NG like this one. (Although I do accept the point made earlier that most Saab owners on this NG are in North America and the UK). My point is that, whilst the use of different languages encourages and upholds nationalistic issues, it is inherently self-destructive. Take the UK, for instance. Our current government in its support for ethnic minorities (and an immigration policy that lies in shreds) is spending millions of GBP on employing classroom assistants who speak non-English languages to reflect the ethnic mix of whatever school they are employed in. So in certain inner city schools in certain English cities where kids from an Asian "background" (used advisedly) abound they are being taught in their ethnic language not English (which is taught later as a second language). What will happen, as it did in certain US cities where this was carried out, is further and fatal alienation of ethnic groups, a lack of integration into British culture and society and further and catastrophic polarisation of the Community. Notwithstanding the permanent damage that will be done in an English speaking society to their long term education. The money of course could be better spent on buying books and improving the physical fabric of a decaying educational infrastructure. Political correctness gone mad!! If I went to live in China or Pakistan I would be expect, out of courtesy at least, to comply and fit in to the local national culture. Why not in the UK? So let us not lose the plot here my Saab brothers and sisters. Whilst there be no charter (I would much rather prefer the use of the term "convention") to only use English, effective communication (for this is surely what this NG is all about) can only occur if all can understand what is being communicated. Is this not a self-evident fact? I, as Devil's Advocate, rest my case. Let the debate begin. Pete Brown "Dexter J" <lamealameadingdongnopsamlamelame.org> wrote in message news:3F983942.393FD9EDnopsamlamelame.org... > Salutations: > > MH wrote: > > > > > >> Ik heb nog vier winterbanden met velg liggen van mijn Saab 9000 > > > >> .... in de buurt van Amsterdam > > > > > > Don't post in Dutch in international newsgroups please. > > > > Ik zou niet weten wie je wil bereiken met een advertentie voor > > winterbanden in een hoofdzakelijk engelstalige nieuwsgroep. Zelfs > > al zouden er in het buitenland wonende, Nederlands lezende mensen > > aanwezig zijn dan zullen ze zich i.v.m. transport wel 2x bedenken > > voordat ze winterbanden uit de buurt van Amsterdam kopen. > > > > Je bereikt voor jouw doel vÈÈl meer potentiÎle kopers in > > www.marktplaats.nl of de YAHOO/SAABNL groep > > > > > ... > > Which reads after http://www.worldlingo.com/ pass: > > <clip> > I would not know who your will reaches newsgroup with an advertisement for > winter links in a mainly English-speaking person. Even already there abroad > Dutch reading people living will be present then them itself i.v.m. > transport, however, 2x considers before they buy winter links from the > buurt of Amsterdam. > > You reach more potential purchasers in www for your aim > vÈÈl.marktplaats.Netherlands or the YAHOO/saabnl group - > <clip> > > .. I swear - we'd be totally %64%6F%6F%64%65%64 were it not for the subject > line as a key .. > > .. :) .. > > -- > > J Dexter - webmaster - http://www.dexterdyne.org/ > all tunes - no cookies no subscription no weather no ads > no news no phone in - RealAudio 8+ Required - all the Time > > Radio Free Dexterdyne Top Tune o'be-do-da-day > Glen Frey - Smugglers Blues > http://www.dexterdyne.org/888/046.RAM
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