>>>>>I disagree with you here because Quebec is the only province in North America that has a majority of citizens that use french as its primary language. I'd really like to see it another way but it really looks like that to preserve our culture we have to have laws to protect it. Without those laws I think that it would be close to impossible to do business in french in the future. I think that at one point if you can't get others to respect you the only way to get that respect is to take actions so that others will be forced to follow the rules. I don't like that situation one bit but I don't think that there is another solution if we want to preserve our culture.
>>>>
>>>>It seems to me that if you have to have a law that mandates the langauge then the language is not really that ingrained. People are obviously using english and will continue to do so because of outside influence. In the end you will end up preserving nothing; instead, you'll be limiting your economy for several years.
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>>>I don't think Paul that you understand what's happening over here. Yes those laws could hurt our businesses but maybe not.
>>>
>>>Like you say people will always use english but they also have to use french. That way we can be sure to preserve our music industry (they have to respect a certain percentage of french music on the radio). That gives work to french artists.
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>>>On the same patter we'll be able to keep our french magazines, french film industry, french stores... I don't think that I have to tell more of what we can keep by having laws to protect our language.
>>>
>>>If we don't have those laws eventually we'll be stuck with things coming only by the bigger guys and not the ones that respond to our needs. Usually when there are no laws you can't expect to have something good in the end to preserve the rights of a minority (in this case a french province).
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>>Denis,
>>
>>PMFJI...
>>
>>I think what gets folks attention is the "have to" phrase. Personally, I think a lot of American culture is really ugly, crass, and often downright obscene. I think that morally it is often the equivilent of poison quite frankly. I am embarassed by it and would be the first in line to say that it needs to become "healthier."
>>
>>However, having said that I also would question the notion that in order for a culture to survive it must be mandated by law. That strikes me as absurd, simply because laws are always "post facto", or after the fact. By the time the Culture Police identify some new perceived threat it's too late, as the culture has moved on. IOW, it seems an awful waste of time to me.
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>>How can laws mandate desire?
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>>If folks do not desire to speak English, Spanish or French does forcing them make them want to speak those languages?
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>>Perhaps if any culture does not elicit enough desire in folks to sustain itself it ought to disappear.... No one speaks Latin much these days and Rome was certainly the last real world power. There's no guarantee everyone will always speak English either. From some point of view it comes across as being extremely insecure or elitist and I doubt that French speaking folks are that insecure. The elitist part, I don't know about either but is sure seems odd.
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>>*shrug*
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>>Don't misunderstand.... I am not suggesting anything other than the notion that is seems odd and counterproductive to mandate a language by law.
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>>Of course, here in the States there's quite a bit of interest in "English Only" so perhaps this isa case of the pot calling the kettle black.. <g>
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>>John, should we mandate "English Only" here? *bg*
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>>Best,
>>
>>DD (just stirring the pot an eensy weensy bit. <g>)
>
>
>Your reaction is just normal because you don't feel threatened by the other languages. The same thing is happening in France. They use many english words in their everyday lives (but they pronounce it with a french twist). They tend to think that it's cool. Things are beginning to change there too. At one point they had no regulation on the language of songs played on the radio. Until the day they realized that their radio station were playing a lot more english songs than french songs. Laws are going to appear over there to change that.

Denis,

So I should be forced to speak another language because I am secure in the one I currently speak??? That makes zero sense from a pragmatic pov to me. I am very much a "free marketeer" and I am quite content to let the market figure this one out.

No doubt about the not feeling threatened. However, you kind of make my point about the "insecurity" stuff. I guess I just do not think that people should make decisions of the magnitude that have taken place in Quebec based on an emotion of insecurity.

I thihnk decisions like this should be not made based on fear, rather on good solid evidence. Quite frankly, there may indeed be exceedingly good reasons to mandate French. Still, I think it's silly precisely because it seems so reactive and defensive.

Again, having said that I suppose I should also point out that I grew up in Southern California. WhenI grew up there English was the predominate language. Today, some 45 years later it is certainly fair to say that Spanish has become the dominate language. Should I learn Spanish? Sure, if I plan to do business in Spanish, you bet. If and when I want to do business in Quebec I'll learn French but that is an extra artificial barrier that will keep me out for now, and I suspect many others as well. But I don't think that California should mandate everyone to do all business in Spanish -or- English, simply because I think that is the choice of the proverbial "man on the street."

Having said that I am a great proponent of teaching children all in one (English in this case) language. Not because I think that one is superior than another but precicely because English is the dominant language. The kids will have more opportunities that way. English really is the dominant national (and international) language, whether anyone likes it or not. I simply think it's in their interests. Does that mean give up French or Spanish or any other (some 64 at last count)? No, no way. Just that there should be a common medium of communication. Again, let the marketplace decide, not the state in this case.

The state has no right to tell me what language I will speak in. Period.

If I choose to speak in Swahili that is my choice. I will have a heck of a time ordering Chinese takeout <g> but that's my choice, not the state's.

Tell you what... Since the VB programming language is the predominate programming language worldwide in terms of raw numbers - let's just mandate that everyone program in VB, using the Quebecois logic...

<g>

Best,

DD