Wtf is wrong with canadians columnist

[Barnabas]

I think english is much easier than french, german, latin or mandarin, so it is a convenient language to be lingua franca

[Victor Galis]

But English itself isn't that easy. It's just that any sort of lingua franca that's imposed rationally as opposed to what most of the people speak is doomed to failure.

[Nostromo]

I find your lack of cynicism disturbing.

The measures are designed to increase the number of Francophones, while at the same time discouraging Anglos and thereby increase the likelyhood of succeeding in the next referendum. No Anglophone will vote Yes in a referendum, so you people have to drive them out.

I'm fairly cynical, thank you very much. But I don't go to the-US-government-sponsored-9/11 heights of cynicism, which I find too easy. And, like I pointed out earlier, a lot quebecois federalists endorse those measures, or at least think that measures such at these are necessary. A laissez-faire attitude won't do.

But you seem to have missed the point that if such minimal measures work, if they let us thrive while remaining within Canada, independance is no longer necessary. It would mean that Canada works. At least, a lot of us would come to that conclusion. By rejecting all such measures, you're basically shooting yourself in the foot. So if you had any understanding of realpolitik, and if you really want to keep Canada together, you wouldn't reject those measures so categorically.

[Flip McWho]

No. Many english speakers world wide see assimilation into a global english standard as desirable, and so have no sympathy for attempts to use the state to protect particular cultures

Language is just a communication function. Theres no intrinsic worth to human language except how well it functions as a communication device.

Of course people get all upset when they see a cultural tradition going down the plug.

Note: I don't particulary care which shape this language takes.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by nostromo


I'm fairly cynical, thank you very much. But I don't go to the-US-government-sponsored-9/11 heights of cynicism, which I find too easy. And, like I pointed out earlier, a lot quebecois federalists endorse those measures, or at least think that measures such at these are necessary. A laissez-faire attitude won't do.

Those measures are designed, if not to enhance support for separatism, at the very least to ensure that Quebec is under the control of the Bloc Quebeqois (or whatever they'll call themselves in the future).

But you seem to have missed the point that if such minimal measures work, if they let us thrive while remaining within Canada, independance is no longer necessary. It would mean that Canada works. At least, a lot of us would come to that conclusion. By rejecting all such measures, you're basically shooting yourself in the foot. So if you had any understanding of realpolitik, and if you really want to keep Canada together, you wouldn't reject those measures so categorically.

On the contrary, those measures have hurt the economy of Quebec and driven out a lot of Anglophones from it. So now, instead of having independence votes fail because of a lack of enough French speakers, they're failing because the French speakers are content. It's much easier for them to suddenly become upset again than it would have been without these measures for them to gain such numbers. This strategy fails for the same reason appeasement fails.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Flip McWho


Language is just a communication function. Theres no intrinsic worth to human language except how well it functions as a communication device.

Of course people get all upset when they see a cultural tradition going down the plug.

Note: I don't particulary care which shape this language takes.

Cool, then let's all talk German. Or Swahili.

[CrONoS]

Originally posted by Flip McWho
Language is just a communication function. Theres no intrinsic worth to human language except how well it functions as a communication device.

omg, here God talking!

Edit:
I dont think you can simply resume language to a fonction of communication and says that there is no intrinsic worth to human language. I think it`s overly simple and naive to see this in that way.

Otherway, you need to resume human, as only a machine, who are communicating with others machines.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by BeBro


Cool, then let's all talk German. Or Swahili.

Aber Deutsch sprechen ist schwer

[pchang]

Perhaps in the future

You will get to say I told you so when the French Canadians howl about being forced to learn Mandarin by their Chinese overlords.

[Nostromo]

Those measures are designed, if not to enhance support for separatism, at the very least to ensure that Quebec is under the control of the Bloc Quebeqois (or whatever they'll call themselves in the future).

I don't even know why I bother.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Victor Galis


Aber Deutsch sprechen ist schwer

Not for you I see, but yeah even lots of Germans having trouble speaking it

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by BeBro


Not for you I see, but yeah even lots of Germans having trouble speaking it

I can never get the articles right for words Also, I find it utterly impossible to understand Austrians and Bavarians.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Also, I find it utterly impossible to understand Austrians and Bavarians.

Many Germans share that with you. Esp. the explicit dialects spoken in some remote villages there sound rather like what the Germans tribal warriors "spoke" at the beginning of Gladiator than like modern (high) german

[TCO]

What do you think of speech patterns of old mountain farmers in Steirmark?

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Those measures are designed, if not to enhance support for separatism, at the very least to ensure that Quebec is under the control of the Bloc Quebeqois (or whatever they'll call themselves in the future).

On the contrary, those measures have hurt the economy of Quebec and driven out a lot of Anglophones from it. So now, instead of having independence votes fail because of a lack of enough French speakers, they're failing because the French speakers are content. It's much easier for them to suddenly become upset again than it would have been without these measures for them to gain such numbers. This strategy fails for the same reason appeasement fails.

You have just contradicted yourself. If linguistis laws result in more French speakers being satisfied with their status in the federation, how can it yield more separatist votes?