necoandjeff wrote:

> "Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message
> news:2rgvtdF15v1i2U18@uni-berlin.de...
> 
>>necoandjeff wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:2reuhfF15v1i2U9@uni-berlin.de...
>>>
>>>
>>>>necoandjeff wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Do you wish to compare the number of people in the world who can
>>>
>>>communicate
>>>
>>>
>>>>>in French against the number of people in the world who can communicate
>>>
>>>in
>>>
>>>
>>>>>English? What languages do you use to communicate with people here in
>>>
>>>slj? I
>>>
>>>
>>>>>can understand (and even sympathize with) your dislike of the fact that
>>>>>English has become the de facto lingua franca of the world, but you
>>>
>>>cannot
>>>
>>>
>>>>>change reality my friend.
>>>>
>>>>What's to sympathize with? If they don't like it, then maybe their
>>>>cultures should have spent more time being productive instead of
>>>>thinking up new ways to make cheese stink.
>>>
>>>
>>>Oh God. It was never my intent to convey any sympathy for the frogs. I
> 
> was
> 
>>>sympathizing with Musashi's apparent dissatisfaction with the fact that
>>>English has become the de facto international language.
>>
>>I still don't understand what's to sympathize with. What difference does
>>it make what the international language is?
> 
> 
> Whether or not your own native language, or a language you are familiar
> with, is the international language makes a big difference, don't you think?

Not particularly. Those who are not native speakers would have to make 
the effort to learn it if they wanted to participate in the 
international sphere, but I don't see the big deal about that. There is 
obviously going to be an international language just like there is going 
to be one dominant nation on this planet. I don't see what difference it 
makes if the international language is English, French, or Ebonics.

> I would hate it if Bengali were the international language and I wouldn't
> mind a little sympathy if I had people constantly approaching me on the
> street trying to speak Bengali to me assuming I could understand them.

Why not just learn Bengali, in that case?

> BTW, who or what *do* you sympathize with? Just curious.

Unborn children who get sucked down sinks.

- Kevin