[linux-audio-user] Re: LinuxMAO.org, a french Linux Audio Wiki

[Hans Fugal]

On Sat,  4 Mar 2006 at 06:34 -0800, Maluvia wrote:
> >English is such a widespread language only because we Americans are to 
> >stupid or lazy(Or Both) to learn other languages so we force other 
> >countries to speak ours;)
> 
> Well said - and what a pity.
> (Doubtless why so many Americans are up in arms about becoming a bilingual
> country.)

I'm jumping in the middle of thing (and will be jumping promptly right
out), but it seems to me that it's more likely that it's because PEOPLE
are stupid/lazy, and Americans happen to be people. For whatever
historical reasons, English ended up at the top of the heap (mostly due
to arms and money, if I understand it correctly, and starting with
British Imperialism, but my knowledge of this history is vague). So
people learn English and people who have English as a native language
get a free ride, and the process is self-sustaining for the most part as
long as English is a useful common language.

Americans aren't forcing people to use English globally. Don't hate us
because we get a free ride. :-)  If there's to be a common language,
there's always going to be the native speakers that get the free ride,
whatever it is. (Unless you want to try Esperanto again)

If English-speaking countries became insignificant AND there was a
drop-in alternative waiting in the wings (maybe French? Isn't that the
runner-up?), then we might see a change.

> I have enough trouble trying to follow the technical jargon here - I can't
> even imagine trying to follow it in another language.

Heh, me too. For me mostly it's that other universal language called
math.

I'm bilingual, btw.

-- 
Hans Fugal ; http://hans.fugal.net
 
There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the 
right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.
    -- Johann Sebastian Bach
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