The problem with a country of many languages...

[miami305]

I will always say this....over and over and over....the more you know, the better off you are. Even though Spanish is my main language, I wanted to learn English and moved to NC...there...employers look for bilingual people all the time...good paying jobs too for being bilingual. Moved down here and knowing/speaking English is what gets you a good job....however...I love languages and speak 5...so ....Knowledge is Power. I can have a conversation and switch between languages with no problem.

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by miami305

I will always say this....over and over and over....the more you know, the better off you are. Even though Spanish is my main language, I wanted to learn English and moved to NC...there...employers look for bilingual people all the time...good paying jobs too for being bilingual. Moved down here and knowing/speaking English is what gets you a good job....however...I love languages and speak 5...so ....Knowledge is Power. I can have a conversation and switch between languages with no problem.

Verdad, and well said.

[1772]

Originally Posted by miami305

I will always say this....over and over and over....the more you know, the better off you are. Even though Spanish is my main language, I wanted to learn English and moved to NC...there...employers look for bilingual people all the time...good paying jobs too for being bilingual. Moved down here and knowing/speaking English is what gets you a good job....however...I love languages and speak 5...so ....Knowledge is Power. I can have a conversation and switch between languages with no problem.

It's not a question of knowing more than one language, it's about using a language as the main tounge.
Having different people speaking different languages as the main tounge will lead to a Babel situation.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by 1772

It's not a question of knowing more than one language, it's about using a language as the main tounge.
Having different people speaking different languages as the main tounge will lead to a Babel situation.

Why is it that the only ppl with this philosophy are people with only one tongue.....!?????!!!!???!!??

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Why is it that the only ppl with this philosophy are people with only one tongue.....!?????!!!!???!!??

How many do you have?

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by dave8721

How many do you have?

More than one...

[CalleOchoGringo]

It's a forked tongue.

[CalleOchoGringo]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Why is it that the only ppl with this philosophy are people with only one tongue.....!?????!!!!???!!??

Often that mentality goes along with a limited education and culture and desire never to travel more than a day's drive from where they were born throughout one's life (despite usually having the financial means to do so). This mentality goes hand in hand with "I'm against immigration of the poor from other countries because":

1.) They'll steal our jobs.
2.) They mooch off our welfare system.
3.) They cause an increase in crime.
4.) They'll bring down the economy and quality of life for all over time.


1.) Completely untrue unless your picking strawberry's in the fields or scrubbing shit out of someones toilet. They in fact, keep the jobs that are most undesirable to other inexpensive so you don't have to pay exorbitant rates for someone to do them. Even Walmart must hire people who can prove that they have a legal right to work in this country.

2.) Almost always untrue (although difficult to quantify). Most stats show that illegal imigrants are a net gain to an economy and put more into it, either by the GDP they produce for others, or by paying taxes themselves (yes some illegals pay taxes) and yet they are often afraid of taking benefits for fear of deportation. Often this is exploited by their employers too.

3.) Completely untrue. Again deportation is usually their biggest fear and thus they usually stay inside and keep to themselves, statistics also back this up. Why would they risk life and limb crossing (and they do usually) just to rob someone to get deported back to wherever they came from? They can rob someone far more easily in their own country and the repercussions are usually none at all, if not far less.

4.) This is the biggest lie of all. Because not only isn't it true, but the exact opposite is true. LACK of immigration into a country is what causes stagnation and slow decline in GDP/standards of living/innovation/etc... and while those who are poor and uneducated can't contribute much to innovation in this country, their kids can once they are educated by the system and grow up. So over time this creates a positive feedback loop. We have always been the country of "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" and look what it's made us, the most powerful country on earth.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by CalleOchoGringo

Often that mentality goes along with a limited education and culture and desire never to travel more than a day's drive from where they were born throughout one's life (despite usually having the financial means to do so). This mentality goes hand in hand with "I'm against immigration of the poor from other countries because":

1.) They'll steal our jobs.
2.) They mooch off our welfare system.
3.) They cause an increase in crime.
4.) They'll bring down the economy and quality of life for all over time.


1.) Completely untrue unless your picking strawberry's in the fields or scrubbing shit out of someones toilet. They in fact, keep the jobs that are most undesirable to other inexpensive so you don't have to pay exorbitant rates for someone to do them. Even Walmart must hire people who can prove that they have a legal right to work in this country.

2.) Almost always untrue (although difficult to quantify). Most stats show that illegal imigrants are a net gain to an economy and put more into it, either by the GDP they produce for others, or by paying taxes themselves (yes some illegals pay taxes) and yet they are often afraid of taking benefits for fear of deportation. Often this is exploited by their employers too.

3.) Completely untrue. Again deportation is usually their biggest fear and thus they usually stay inside and keep to themselves, statistics also back this up. Why would they risk life and limb crossing (and they do usually) just to rob someone to get deported back to wherever they came from? They can rob someone far more easily in their own country and the repercussions are usually none at all, if not far less.

4.) This is the biggest lie of all. Because not only isn't it true, but the exact opposite is true. LACK of immigration into a country is what causes stagnation and slow decline in GDP/standards of living/innovation/etc... and while those who are poor and uneducated can't contribute much to innovation in this country, their kids can once they are educated by the system and grow up. So over time this creates a positive feedback loop. We have always been the country of "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" and look what it's made us, the most powerful country on earth.

This is my first 5 dancing banana post.

It will also be in consideration for post of the year for 2012....and it is eventually SSC post Hall of fame consideration.

[miami305]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Why is it that the only ppl with this philosophy are people with only one tongue.....!?????!!!!???!!??

LOL...you said it brother....BINGO!!!

[miami305]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Why is it that the only ppl with this philosophy are people with only one tongue.....!?????!!!!???!!??

Funny you mentioned it...also, people with this mentally/philosophy, when travel overseas, they expect people in other countries to speak/know English..... how crazy is that???

[CalleOchoGringo]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

This is my first 5 dancing banana post.

It will also be in consideration for post of the year for 2012....and it is eventually SSC post Hall of fame consideration.

Well good at least I get something out of it. It was supose to be just a 5 min post that turned into an hour long diatribe. I just get sick sometimes of the same tired argument, often perpetuated unfortunately of those of my same race and skin color. I even use to be of that mindset when I was younger and less well educated, so I feel a bit like I know what their thinking.

At it's core xenophobia tends to be a general misguided selfishness to not want to share this great country with others in that believe that it's a finite resource that will somehow be watered down and divided up more and more by people coming in. Oh if only they knew they were doing the very damage to the country that they are trying to prevent with their backwards beliefs, laws and policies!

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by miami305

Funny you mentioned it...also, people with this mentally/philosophy, when travel overseas, they expect people in other countries to speak/know English..... how crazy is that???

BINGO !!!!

I see it all the time here in Costa Rica!!! I go out of my way to avoid ex-pats here in CR. Most brought their bigotry with them....

[1772]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Why is it that the only ppl with this philosophy are people with only one tongue.....!?????!!!!???!!??

No it's not?
I know several.

[miami305]

So what is the argument about again?.........c'est la vie mon ami.

[CF221]

CASO CERRADOOOOO!!!

[1772]

On the issue of arguing for an official language and name calling.

http://takimag.com/article/facing_down_the_thugs/