From: carl.camurca%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Carl Camurca) 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.german
Subject: Lnaguage skills in Amerik
Date: 18 Aug 92 00:55:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online, St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: carl.camurca%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Carl Camurca) 

JM>u (Carl Camurca)  writes:

JM>>RDC>>That makes her belong to the 0.002% of the
JM>>RDC>>Americans, who have heard of another language. Seldom met such an
JM>>RDC>>ignorance about foreign languages as in this country.

JM>Your ignorance is showing.

I'm sorry for that. I exaggerated a little bit.

JM>Most educated people today realize the need
JM>for foreign language skills. I would love to see you in five years
JM>still
JM>flipping burgers at McDonald's.

Right now, I'm flipping DNA molecules in the lab, doing my PhD :-))

JM>>RDC>The reason for knowing anything is based on need.  I argue that
JM>>RDC>america is so big that there is seldom a need to deal with foreign
JM>>RDC>countries.
JM>>
JM>>The sad thing about it is, that you don't realize your loss.

JM>He will in a few years if the people he works for have the same level
JM>of ignorance. Most businesspeople today realize that Germany and
JM>Japan are becoming the big names in business and America is falling by
JM>the wayside. People *need* to know foreign languages today to be
JM>viable competators in the world economy.
                ^...and their own as well (sorry, couldn't resist)

I'm glad to hear that. I always like my prejudices being challenged. As
I said above, the learning of other languages has always helped me in
mastering and understanding my own language better. It's great, when you
come to the stage of discovering possibilities of expression you don't
have in your own language!

JM>>RDC>Saying you know about germany is the same as saying you know
JM>>RDC>california, except we have better looking women and our grandfathers
JM>>RDC>weren't fascists.
JM>>
JM>>The first is utterly subjective, and the latter is not true for me.
JM>Agreed, it's not true!! The difference between 'our' grandfathers and
JM>the German facists was merely the name. We imprisoned people of
JM>different races because we saw them as a threat. We let prisoners
JM>of war die of hunger as an act of revenge. We are guilty of wiping
JM>out entire races in the pogroms of the last century. The real difference
JM>is that the Germans have changed. We still allow racists organization
JM>like the KKK to exist. In Germany, the Nazi party is illegal.

But *several* Nazi parties exist right now in Germany! (see my other
posting here, too)

JM>Anyone who have lived in both Germany and the US will tell you that
JM>the Germans are far more concerned with the welfare of their
JM>people than the Americans. Germans are concern much more about basic
JM>human rights like food and clothing than Americans. Americans care
JM>more about civil liberties (like freedom of speech) than human
JM>rights like housing and the right to live past your 20th birthday
JM>without fear of getting killed in a gang war. Studying German is
JM>a hell of a lot closer to 'humanities' than anything the US can
JM>offer.

Agreed.

JM>People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

I wish, everybody (including myself) would *drink* that phrase!

JM>Perhaps old Rog here is correct when he say you don't have to live
JM>in a country to judge it. It does help. However, I have lived for
JM>many years in BOTH countries and the Germans are one of the most
JM>hospitable and warm people in the world.

Hmmm. It depends on your skin colour, the region and if you belong to
the "good" foreigners (France, England, US and other industrial
countries). In my experience, they are far not so hospitable to citizens
of developemental countries or of another race.

JM>We'll never change Roger. He's the stereotypical bigot that almost
has JM>hate itself flowing through his veins. Remember, this is America.
JM>No matter how ignorant the person or viscious his heart, he does have
JM>the right to spout sewage from his mouth. I agree with whomever
JM>said recently that we cannot just create a kill file for messages of
JM>this type. It is important for us americans to show the rest of the
JM>world that Carasso's racism is not the norm in the US.

I could tell something about the other racism, that seems to be norm in
the US, but this is not the topic.

JM>Alle eine Menschheit.

Yupp!

JM>Maybe old Rog's grandchildren will grow up to believe it as I do.
JM>Let's hope so.

But we have to do education for that! Let's continue fruitful
discussions like that! We should try to NEVER EVER stop listening to
people like Roger and try to exchange arguments with him. The
zillionfirst one might ring a bell in him (do you hear me, Roger? [hope,
hope])

JM>Jim

Regards, Carl.


 * OLX 2.1 TD * Now Dan...spell Potato...s-p-u-d