Politics

[prozak at anus.com]

> Some linguists (eg. Braj Kachru, Robert Phillipson, Alastair Pennycook)
> would argue that the rise of English as a global language is either or both
> a vestige and/or an instrument of cultural and political imperialism. They
> predict that because of the Internet and the increasing reliance on English
> as a lingua franca in commerce and communications the rate of "language
> death" will continue to increase until most of the world's languages have
> been wiped out as "living languages". And, of course, language and culture
> are very closely interlinked.

I agree absolutely. English is the language of commerce and of 
nations which invent devices of commerce (digital switching phone 
network, internet).

> The French Academy have tried to compete with English by moving to eliminate
> those Anglicisms which have crept into the French language, and some
> provinces apparently do not allow parents to christen their children with
> non-"French" names.

That's excellent. I'd hate to think of the French dying out.

> Not saying I agree or disagree, just noting that these arguments are being
> made quite persuasively by some academics working in the field.

I have a virtual comrade from Québec who feels strongly in a very 
"hippie" (maybe one must be metal to understand?) way about these 
things. The death of language, and culture, is made possible by lower 
common denominator standards, and some impulse to universal 
standardization...


-- 
Backup Rider of the Apocalypse
www.anus.com/metal/
DEATH AND BLACK METAL