[Paleopsych] islamic radicalism

[G. Reinhart-Waller]

Dear Val and all,

I found your post so moving that I've decided to post 
it to my Language-Origins group.  Possibly rather than 
looking for "origins", members might be understand the 
historical implication for language.  Language is 
definitely NOT a closed system as some scientists might 
wish to explain.  I thank you for this reply.

Gerry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Val Geist" <kendulf at shaw.ca>
To: "The new improved paleopsych list" 
<paleopsych at paleopsych.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Paleopsych] islamic radicalism


> Dear Friends,
>
> When I learned Russian everyone about me spoke it, 
> and my aunt praised me for speaking with the accent 
> of a Muscovite. When I learned German I was 
> discouraged from speaking Russian, as it was not safe 
> and even a six-year old can sense it among red and 
> black banners and arms raised in "Heil Hitler". When 
> I learned English and French, it was because my class 
> learned it as it was part of the curriculum - full 
> stop! When I lost my French it was because my high 
> school French teacher in Regina, Saskatchewan, spoke 
> the language less well than I did, and I had nobody 
> to talk to. My Quebecoise grandchildren speak French 
> fluently, and I have not been able to re-learn, 
> courtesy of nobody to talk to here in the boonies in 
> the west. English is my primary language now, and 
> German colleagues are envious because I can so 
> readily publish in English. However, I am angered and 
> saddened by their denial of their German as so much 
> that is relevant in my interests is found only in 
> German. And I appreciate as an author the strengths 
> and weaknesses of German and of English. I could not 
> function without the latter in the modern world, but 
> imperialism? I never saw it that way. If I could get 
> a bit more time I would gladly learn another 
> language, provided I can live in it and imbibe the 
> culture that goes with it. And when I get mad at the 
> USA, and that happens ever so often, I think back to 
> the GI who sat down on the edge of my bed the day the 
> Sherman tanks raced into our village, pulled out his 
> K-rations and gave me something to eat. And the care 
> packages that brightened our days and in the 
> uncertainty gave us hope for a better world. And I am 
> not surprised that the first choice of many 
> Palestinians is to emigrate to the United States, and 
> barring that.......
>
> Sincerely, Val Geist
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ross Buck" <ross.buck at uconn.edu>
> To: "'The new improved paleopsych list'" 
> <paleopsych at paleopsych.org>
> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 12:29 PM
> Subject: RE: [Paleopsych] islamic radicalism
>
>
>> Christian:
>>
>> Right on!  You have a refreshing point of view that 
>> needs to be better
>> appreciated in the U.S. if we are ever to understand 
>> why we are the object
>> of so much bitterness and resentment in the world.
>>
>> Ross
>>
>> Ross Buck, Ph. D.
>> Professor of Communication Sciences
>> and Psychology
>> Communication Sciences U-1085
>> University of Connecticut
>> Storrs, CT 06269-1085
>> 860-486-4494
>> fax  860-486-5422
>> Ross.buck at uconn.edu
>> http://www.coms.uconn.edu/docs/people/faculty/rbuck/index.htm
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: paleopsych-bounces at paleopsych.org
>> [mailto:paleopsych-bounces at paleopsych.org] On Behalf 
>> Of Christian Rauh
>> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 2:44 PM
>> To: G. Reinhart-Waller; Lista Paleopsych
>> Subject: Re: [Paleopsych] islamic radicalism
>>
>> Gerry,
>>
>> I am a Brazilian citizen and I was forced to learn 
>> english because
>> without knowing it I would not be able to get a 
>> decent job in this world.
>>
>> My point was to show the irony of people fearing 
>> having to learn arabic
>> or going to mosques when other people are having to 
>> learn english. What
>> they fear is to be influenced to do things they 
>> otherwise would not.
>>
>> The US exerts pressure in other countries. In other 
>> places, people have
>> to learn English. One can argue that it is not a 
>> deliberate and
>> conscious pressure, however, to the person learning 
>> the language, the
>> prospect of not having a decent job is as coercive 
>> as troops on the
>> street. That's economic pressure.
>>
>> And to the counter-argument that you always have the 
>> individual choice
>> of *not* learning english, goes the answer that you 
>> always have the
>> individual choice of *not* learning arab or going to 
>> mosques. But you
>> will have to face the individual consequences.
>>
>> As a final comment, I don't think that, in general, 
>> American citizens
>> are aware of the amount of influence and pressure 
>> that the US exerts in
>> the world. That is the reason why I believe that, in 
>> general, most
>> Americans can't understand the cynicism that 
>> foreigners have towards
>> "spreading freedom".
>>
>>
>>
>> G. Reinhart-Waller wrote:
>>> Christian Rauh writes:
>>>
>>>> I have been forced to learn English.
>>>
>>>
>>> When?  By whom?  Why?  Which country would do such 
>>> a heinous thing?
>>> France?  Germany?  Sweden?  You aren't buzzin' 
>>> about being an American
>>> citizen and having to speak English, are you?
>>>
>>>
>>> Gerry Reinhart-Waller
>>> Independent Scholar
>>> http://www.home.earthlink.net/~waluk
>>>
>>
>> --