"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?
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.

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

Jeff