The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania - Forum

I have been around the world. I never once was embarrassed that I could not speak the native tongue of the country I was visiting. After all, I didn't live there. I certainly didn't expect that everyone I met would know English. Apparently, Barrack is embarrassed again. And Americans should be teaching their children Spanish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

If anything, I would be teaching my child Mandarin. At least then he could make money in an international market.

When I lived in Germany, I quickly learned that if an establishment could make change for a DM100, they could also speak English, hehe.

English is taught in the rest of the world because most of the money in the world is currently in the hands of English speakers.  That may very well be changing.

Foreign language classes are good for kids for the same reason that advanced mathematics are good, even if they won't use that math in their future.  It makes their BRAINS work.

Being "embarassed" because I don't speak Spanish?  Gar nichts.

I fully intend to encourage my child learn another language. I used to understand German pretty well. When I have visited there I was able to get around because I can read it passably. If they speak slowly I can usually understand them. I do have a problem with a politician telling me how to raise my child.

I don't know that we should have an "official language".

Oh but that follows logically from having state-run schools with federal oversight.   :'(

Guess I am missing your point here? Did I say I like government schools somewhere?

The point is that those people who are in favor of the government running the schools are getting what they asked for.

My comment was sarcastic and not an attack on you; just a commentary on our society.

Ahh. The downfall of text based communication.

Second language fluency is admirable, but economic fluency is far more critical because economic ignorance is far more dangerous.  I wonder what statements from this list Barak Obama argees with:

** Government sets prices better than the free market.

** Profits mean there's a loophole somewhere that needs to be closed.

** If you threaten oil executives enough, more oil will suddenly appear and at lower prices.

** Investing in oil futures is speculation, but constraining energy development and production worldwide based on the belief that global warming is man-made is not speculation.

** The federal government's primary role is to advocate wealth transfer to those who have not earned it, but to actually transfer most of that wealth to itself.

** Excess currency creation (paper dollars and e-dollars) is not inflationary.  Excess profits cause inflation.

Mark

Well said Mark!

He contradicted himself as well.  By saying that it is rude for us not to force our children to speak Spanish and is unacceptable he turned around and said that we should also know the language of the nation we travel to.  Well, shouldn't that be the case when someone comes to the US that they should know English, making the first part of his argument invalid in the first place?  Should people be encouraged to learn a foreign language?  Absolutely.  Should they be forced?  Absolutely not.  If we go to Germany, of course we should know the basics of the German language. Making yourself more marketable for jobs is a good thing and extra skills are good as well.

However, we have an absolute need to strengthen to teaching of English here.  We've seen the problems Canada has with Quebec trying to break away from the nation every so often.  It become extremely expensive and burdensome to our system when communication is broken down and can cause tremendous problems.  A statement like this is stupid for a multitude of reasons. 

Can Obama speak spanish?

I think there are actually very few things Obama said in the first part of the campaign that he hasn't contradicted in the past couple weeks.

I'll be willing to bet the Green Party presidential nominee McKinney's running mate, Clemente I believe her name is, a Puerto Rican Hip Hop person from the Bronx, can speak spanish better than Obama. 

While everyone could use some improvement in language skills, the last thing we want to do is mandate it by law.

Mik Robertson

I follow the Green Party pretty close, and am so glad McKinney won.  This is going to be great.  I know her too from GA where she was beyond socialist red.  Perfect fit.  Did anyone watch the convention, debates and elections?

Sadly, she will not be on the ballot in PA. I think she could have pulled a few votes.  I had a herd time finding convention coverage. I think the GP is in a bit of disarray at the moment, and this nomination didn't help.

Mik Robertson

McKinney is bat shit crazy, pardon the expression.  Most of the Greens I know are.  They consider themselves progressive as most far left wingers do, but they are really regressives.  Even with things such as banning family beach fires out in Oregon and Washington because of "global warming."  They go beyond all rationality.  Personally, I think there is a balance but humans come first.  I for one, will not be living in an adobe in my lifetime no matter how bad someone feels for the spotted owl.