The Political Discussion Thread

[SoulReaver]

Al maar een geluk dat ik Engels kan spreken.

Al maaaaaar eeeeeen geeeeluk daaaat iiiiiiik Edam kaaaan spreeeeken

[aretood2]

At no point did i say the govt needs to step in though.. BUT I do feel that the US Feds do seem too willing to make all things foreign language compatible..

Without an official language, their hands are tied.

Ok, for the sake of discussion only, because I will never support any language besides English as the official lang. of the U.S., why do you choose Spanish? Why not German, French or some other ?
Because we have a large immigrant population, both legal and illegal, who refuse to assimilate themselves into our society; "the great melting pot" but would rather see us bend to their ways?

Yeah, good luck with that.

Lies. Immigrants are assimilating. Just about every relative I have speaks English to some extent. Everyone observes Thanksgiving and most do what every other American does during the other holidays. Including things that just aren't done in "the old country". Just because you hear people speak Spanish in the mall, doesn't mean they don't know English or aren't American. The fact that they are at the mall at all should clue you into their assimilation. Hispanics don't have the same shopping habits as Americans, so the Hispanics you see there are every bit Americanized as anyone else.

I look at it like this. If I ever decide to move to a country that doesn't speak English, it is my responsibility to learn to speak the language that is used wherever I'm moving to before going there, so that I may be able to function in that society. It would be arrogant in the extreme for me to expect that nation to learn my ways. That's just common courtesy and common sense in my book.

But the current wave of immigrants seems to expect that we should bear the cost and effort of learning their language.

Never will I agree with that.

Also lies.

Every person who has learned a Language here has informed you that it isn't that simple. Your first ancestors here most likely never learned English to the extent you seem to demand. The fact is that back in the early 1900's being a translator was a lucrative job. In fact there is one person who used to post here who's ancestor made a lot of money doing just that. The fact is that there were so many German speaking Germans in Pennsylvania that a well believed and credible rumor got out that the state almost made German its official language. Guess what happened? Their kids learned English and eventually Germans stopped coming and all of a sudden only the Amish speak German these days.

Believing in lies because it's easier to be afraid that these strange looking and strange sounding people are out to get you is exactly what you would call xenophobia.

[Gatefan1976]

Out here, the people most likely to be seen wearing green and gold, or have kangaroo's or koala's all over their clothes are not "white Australians". They are families who have immigrated and are trying to be seen as patriotic as possible, trying to assimilate into the culture as much as they can. Yeah, it looks odd to multi-generational Australians, but it's an effort they choose to make and I can't fault them for that.

I get the point Annoyed is making about learning the local language, it makes sense to do so but English is a -really- complex language to learn to a high standard. So what if the older family members can't speak it all that well, their kids or grandkids will.

[Coco Pops]

I don't like that your current 2 choices for President are both unlikeable...

You have a crazy man in a hairpiece and a woman who may or may not be a total dunce....

I was thinking Hillary would be a good choice but lately have wondered if she's not a dunce..

Not good choices..

[garhkal]

Yes, you have indeed a large Latino-Americans.

But the main reason: Spanish is the 2nd most spoken language, and English the third.
Mandarin wins, but considering you're not bordering China, that would be an optional language to have. And international trading...

In that case i could see it a 'good business practice' for spanish as a requirement (FOR A 2nd language for international businesses), but not as a federal language..

I look at it like this. If I ever decide to move to a country that doesn't speak English, it is my responsibility to learn to speak the language that is used wherever I'm moving to before going there, so that I may be able to function in that society. It would be arrogant in the extreme for me to expect that nation to learn my ways. That's just common courtesy and common sense in my book.

But the current wave of immigrants seems to expect that we should bear the cost and effort of learning their language.

Never will I agree with that.

Which is my sentiment exactly.. However it doesn't seem like society agrees with us these days.. WE must bend to cater to those coming here..

Without an official language, their hands are tied.

Which is why i have agreed every time the politicians DO push to get English made our national language.. Without one in place, which language is supposed to take priority has less push..

Lies. Immigrants are assimilating. Just about every relative I have speaks English to some extent. Everyone observes Thanksgiving and most do what every other American does during the other holidays. Including things that just aren't done in "the old country". Just because you hear people speak Spanish in the mall, doesn't mean they don't know English or aren't American. The fact that they are at the mall at all should clue you into their assimilation. Hispanics don't have the same shopping habits as Americans, so the Hispanics you see there are every bit Americanized as anyone else.

Not totally AreTood. IIRC there was an article posted back in march (or was it april) on translators and CA, and how much they are having to spend on them for immigrants (legal and illegal)..

[Gatefan1976]

I don't like that your current 2 choices for President are both unlikeable...

You have a crazy man in a hairpiece and a woman who may or may not be a total dunce....

I was thinking Hillary would be a good choice but lately have wondered if she's not a dunce..

Not good choices..

Hillary is no dunce, she just can't seem to not lie about stupid garbage that she has no need to lie about.

[Falcon Horus]

Al maaaaaar eeeeeen geeeeluk daaaat iiiiiiik Edam kaaaan spreeeeken

There's hope for you yet.

...or have kangaroo's or koala's all over their clothes are not "white Australians".

Now I want a koala T-shirt.

[Gatefan1976]

Now I want a koala T-shirt.

Just get a picture of a bong on a shirt, it will be easier to get, will contain about the same level of THC, and -probably- won't give you an STD.............

[Coco Pops]

Hillary is no dunce, she just can't seem to not lie about stupid garbage that she has no need to lie about.

Well maybe it's her advisers..... Whoever is telling her to keep lying is not doing a good job.

[Falcon Horus]

LOL!!!

[Coco Pops]

LOL!!!

Well what kind of idiot keeps lying when they don't have to?

[jelgate]

Politicians

[garhkal]

Hillary is no dunce, she just can't seem to not lie about stupid garbage that she has no need to lie about.

IMO she just can't stop lying period..

[Falcon Horus]

IMO she just can't stop lying period..

Neither can Trump, but you don't seem to care about him doing it.

[Womble]

My American friend, who is usually very patriotic and independently minded (usually voting Democrat in the midst of a very Republican state among other things), is planning to note vote this time because both choices are horrible and she cannot bring herself to endorse either. That said, she does, to my surprise, prefer a Trump victory. Her reasoning is that Trump is a businessman and therefore can be expected to at least understand economics, whereas Clinton can be expected to understand nothing in particular.