Tancredo to boycott tomorrow’s Univision debate.
Tancredo to boycott tomorrow’s Univision debate.
Tomorrow, Univision will be hosting a GOP presidential debate at 7 PM EST. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is boycotting the event, and yesterday put out a statement criticizing the other candidates for attending:
“It is the law that to become a naturalized citizen of this country you must have knowledge and understanding of English, including a basic ability to read, write, and speak the language,” Tancredo said, in a press release e-mailed by his campaign to reporters. “So what may I ask are our presidential candidates doing participating in a Spanish speaking debate? Pandering comes to mind.”
“America has been a melting pot of people from all over the world but it can not survive as a nation if our immigrants do not assimilate. A common language is essential to that goal. Bilingualism is a great asset for any individual but it has perilous consequences for a nation. As such, a Spanish debate has no place in a presidential campaign.“
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
que sera sera
December 8th, 2007 at 12:14 pmno pedro, im bilingual…. there’s a difference!
December 8th, 2007 at 12:16 pmTancredo? What kinda name is that?
December 8th, 2007 at 12:16 pmpandering? guess by their definition, if you dont speak english, you aren’t american….
goddamn USELESS rePUKElicans.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:16 pmI doubt Tancredo will be missed–yawn.
∞
December 8th, 2007 at 12:17 pmSomebody different than me drove by my house.
I’m scared.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:18 pm“Bilingualism is a great asset for any individual but it has perilous consequences for a nation.”
Indeed. Things are just so screwed up in Canada, with all that English/French silliness. And when I was in Wales this year, I noticed that all the public signage was in Welsh and English. It was a nightmare, I tell you.
What a fool. But being on the fringe of a fringe, he can afford to say any stupid thing that comes to mind because NO ONE IS LISTENING!
December 8th, 2007 at 12:18 pmWow….I am sure they are really bummed. Such a high profile name. Perhaps they can get Perez Hilton to replace him.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:20 pmThe Tancredo creed: If you are not exactly like me in every detail, then you are a no-body. The Repugnants should change their symbol from an elephant to a pig! It is a lot closer to describing the modern day Reichtwing party!
December 8th, 2007 at 12:21 pmBilingualism is a great asset for any individual but it has perilous consequences for a nation.
gummitch beat me to the Quebecan example. Switzerland is full of trilinguists. It, too, surely is in great peril.
Where does Tancredo think the name “Colorado” comes from?
December 8th, 2007 at 12:26 pmTancredo….who? *yawn*
December 8th, 2007 at 12:43 pmAssclowns #67- On the Campaign Trail of Tears Edition is up. On the spit this week:
The Bush administration
The US Army
The CIA
Mitt Romney
Mayor Rudy
all this and much, much more.
Amazingly, the Democratic party didn’t make it this week but I took care of them last night.
JP
December 8th, 2007 at 12:44 pmhttp://welcome-to-pottersville.blogspot.com
Say there were no Hispanic immigrants in the United States … what does Tancredo have to say about our Puerto Rican citizens?
When it comes down to it the majority of the crowd railing against the illegal immigrant population are just outright racists. They’ll treat anyone whose first language is Spanish as 2nd class citizens.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:48 pm5. Ur-Fascism is xenophobic and racist.
Ur-Fascism grows up and seeks consensus by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of difference. The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.
Fourteen Warning Signs of a Fascist State
December 8th, 2007 at 12:54 pm-by Umberto Eco
Don’t you wish tommy-the-assclown would just DO what he promised and retire into oblivion!!
NOBODY CARES WHAT HE SAYS!!!
December 8th, 2007 at 12:55 pmTancredo is a one trick pony and no one is listening to him. Why doesn’t he just give it up?
December 8th, 2007 at 1:01 pmRon Paul — More videos and websites devoted to him, in more languages, than ANY other candidate.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:06 pmThey invade, they exploit, they empoverish other countries, then they don’t want the concequnces of their actions on their faces… No one wants to leave their birth place! If they do so is because Europe and US have been exploiting their land since they set foot there. Europe and US have destroyed their economic system and implemented their own. “As Veias Abiertas de la America Latina” has many of these sotires. Europe and US made entire populations of slaves. Entire diverse crops into latifudios. Agora eu quero mais e’ que os Estados Unidos se foda! E que os xenofobicos vao para a Puta que Paril! Viva Cuba, Viva Hugo Chaves, Viva Evo Morales!
December 8th, 2007 at 1:07 pmAdios, Tancredo. Buena suerte.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:11 pmSo what are politicians of both parties doing at an AIPAC rally?
December 8th, 2007 at 1:22 pmWhat comes to mind?
Given a visual lineup, most US Americans can not even identify by name most of their own candidates especially the second tier. Tancredo is the jester of the crew!
December 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pmAs that other great Republican, Arnold Schwarzenegger, used to say:
“Hasta la vista, Baby!”
December 8th, 2007 at 1:28 pmI am a Democrat, and liberal on most issues, but to say that Tancredo’s message, that immigrants must assimilate is not a good message is to attack the wrong part of his sometimes ridiculous arguments. I have nothing against immigrants, Mexican, Muslim, or whatever, but I believe that they must be legal, and they will be better citizens if they assimilate. It is to their advantage to learn the language and customs of this country, and to suggest that assimilation is bad does no justice to new immigrants. If they want to be resented, they will expect other Americans to take the initiative to learn their language and adhere to their customs, rather than vice versa. There are literally millions of success stories about immigrants, but probably not 100 about immigrants who only spoke Yiddish, Italian, Swedish, Spanish, or whatever.
As for tri- and bi-lingual countries, those success stories you are using as examples are not all that altruistic in real, day to day life. Start with Belgium (haven’t had a govt for 6 months, and are thinking of splitting the country), Spain (Catalans and Basques are pure separatists), want to talk about Serbia? Switzerland?( Germans and French speakers don’t mix much at all), Germany: Turks don’t assimilate, and the friction is palatable. Gypsies in several countries…. I could go on. I lived in Europe 30 years, so I have some feeling.
I would also like to advise you that European countries have very stringent employment laws that preclude foreigners from taking jobs from native citizens. If you, an American come to Europe, your employing company must prove that no German, Frenchman, etc, is capable of doing your job.
I must admit that I have no good solution to the illegal immigrant problem, and hope our politicians will have the courage to work out the problems.
I must also admit that I resent the fact that my wife, who speaks English and four other languages perfectly, and worked in Germany for the US government for thirty years, must go through a long, bureaucratic vetting process while 12 million illegal immigrants have your lock-step liberal sympathy.
So, for immigration issues, I ain’t all that liberal…..
December 8th, 2007 at 1:29 pmwell, I DO have a solution for the illegal problem. enforce racketeering laws. next time ‘Multi-Mega Corp’ gets busted for using illegals, instead of letting the company pay a GAZILLION DOLLAR FINE, you put executives in ORANGE JUMPSUITS. easy as pie.
any other problems you’d like solved?
there’s the rub. nobody gives a FRACK about the actual problem, Tancredo and his ghouls least of all. I’ve seen this trick before with Reagan and his ‘welfare queens’
If repubs REALLY cared about this issue, they effectively had all freaking THREE branches of government at their disposal. this issue is a catnip mouse made to drive the kitty kats wild.
.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:56 pmguess by their definition, if you dont speak english, you aren’t american….
Comment by Fan of Man — December 8, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
I guess this counts Brusch out, huh?
December 8th, 2007 at 2:00 pmIt’s too bad TP doesn’t weigh in and tell us exactly what it finds objectionable with the bolded statements. Does TP have a counter-argument? Can TP even formulate an argument based on Tancredo’s statements?
So, here’s a test for TP. Read his full remarks, and then try to come up with a counter-argument, if you can:
http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/333894.html
December 8th, 2007 at 2:00 pmwhile 12 million illegal immigrants have your lock-step liberal sympathy.
Comment by FloodPlainNitwit — December 8, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
“Lock-step liberal sympathy”… talk about yer self-serving fantasies.
Just a good excuse to carpet-condemn everyone who comes here, huh?
Try again, and do a little “thinking” first. It’ll make yer head hurt for a while, but you’ll feel much better in the morning.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:02 pmThe old saying “two countries separated by a common language” springs to mind whenever I hear people like Tancredo talk about speaking English.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:03 pmI think we can assume that at least some portion of whatever Latino votes Tancredo might have received just went bye-bye.
News bulletin for Tancredo…when running for President, it’s not a good strategy to deliberately refuse an opportunity to promote yourself and especially not when your stated reasons for doing so cause you to shoot yourself in the foot. What Tancredo totally fails to grasp (which is no surprise) is the fact that English is without question one of the world’s hardest languages to learn and gain fluency in — especially as an adult — because the grammar is very inconsistent. Gaining true fluency in a language not your own is also not simply a question of grammar and vocabulary but also requires at least some command of idioms and colloquialisms, some of which don’t translate well or even translate at all from one language to another — and the fact is that many native English speakers don’t speak “properly” but rely more heavily on regional usage than even they themselves might realize both in terms of pronunciation and in terms of idiom. Other native English speakers will still understand them, of course — but I don’t think that the same can automatically be assumed of someone who’s learned English as a second language. I think there’s always the possibility that some of the concepts in a debate would get lost in translation for a native Spanish-speaker who’s still in the process of developing his or her English skills — and that for this reason, a debate carried on a Spanish-speaking channel is by no means a bad thing if it helps voters to be better informed.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:08 pmAnd who cares whether Tancredo was there or not…he is less than 1% on the electability scale. And I think that’s generous.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:09 pmTancredito est irrelevente!
December 8th, 2007 at 2:15 pmIt’s too bad TP doesn’t weigh in and tell us exactly what it finds objectionable with the bolded statements.
Comment by Immigration2008DotCom — December 8, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
“So what may I ask are our presidential candidates doing participating in a Spanish speaking debate? Pandering comes to mind.â€
So was Brusch pandering???
“President George W. Bush made bilingual history last weekend when he delivered his first regular radio address in English and Spanish, both with a Texas twang.”
On top of that, Brusch can barely speak English…
And this is the Reagan Admin’s contribution…
“History is also not on the side of the open borders crowd. Consider the last amnesty approved by the Reagan administration in 1986; it didn’t resolve the illegal immigration problem. In fact, experienced border agents told me, it only encouraged more illegal immigration.”
2 years ago I did some construction work on an arch right-winger’s house. If you so much as criticized Brusch for ANYTHING, he’s throw such a hissy fit. Of course, as soon as he was through, he’d go back to telling the illegal Guatemalans digging dirt in the basement what to do next…
So, what point were you trying to make?
December 8th, 2007 at 2:17 pm23 – maybe you should’ve added that those European countries you mention, to a one, have very robust organized labor movements – which is how and why their working-class interests are so well protected.
union-busting opened the floodgates, and no Havemore is going to turn down a chance to make more on the backs of illegals.
lots of illegal immigrants are what happens when you leave the “free market” to do for itself, and let businesses “police themselves”
December 8th, 2007 at 4:10 pmBut pandering to the anti-constitution religious fundamentalists is somehow OK Tommy boy?
December 8th, 2007 at 4:15 pmTancredo is Italian. One or more of his grandparents probably couldn’t speak English. They probably sing the national anthem in Italian at their family get togethers. Just sayin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo#Early_life_and_political_career
December 8th, 2007 at 4:54 pmI know the polls reflect our Hispanic friends bailing from the rethugs in big numbers, but are there actually any who still support that party? I live in Orange County, California, and we have a large Asian community. My Asian neighbors are all rethugs. They actually believe it’s a status symbol to be a republican. It’s helplessly sad!
December 8th, 2007 at 5:19 pm.
Umm…
So it’s perfectly acceptable to use religion in measuring a person’s character, as a qualifying factor to become the president (A TEST) – but it’s not acceptable to mingle with dark skinned people?
Tancredo’s view of America is a perverted view. Nay, an UNAMERICAN view. He’d rather forgo his ancestry to be able to join an ideology based on supremacy of body color and belief in spirit.
I deeply his ability to faithfully PROTECT and PRESERVE the Constitution of the U.S.A.
.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:46 pm.
Oops… should be
I deeply question his ability to faithfully PROTECT and PRESERVE the Constitution of the U.S.A.
.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:48 pmTancredo, an Italian- American who hates Mexicans. Last time I looked half the world speaks Spanish. We were at war with Italy(Mussolini) yet no deternment camps for Italians. I do love the Godfather and the Sapronos(see the pattern) and that cute little cook with the big knockers. And the “Americas” don’t have Italy in it. Tancredo says “Forget about it”.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:34 pmTancredo is Italian. One or more of his grandparents probably couldn’t speak English. — Roket
****************************************
Interesting, isn’t it, how soon they forget? It doesn’t seem to take very long for people whose families are comparatively recent arrivals to the United States to start lambasting more recent arrivals for failing to “assimilate”. Hell, unless you’re a full-blooded Native American, at least one of your ancestors came from some form of immigrant stock — and a good many of them (such as, for example, some of my ancestors from Ireland) were hardly welcomed with open arms! They eventually assimilated, that’s true — but typically, it’s the children of the people who immigrated here rather than the actual immigrants themselves who manage to do so with relative ease. Depending on when Tancredo’s family first came to this country — and it’s by no means impossible that it was a hundred years ago or more by now — his family might well have assimilated generations ago preventing him from seeing that it’s not quite as easy as he would like to believe it is and especially not if you come to this country as an adult instead of as a child.
And while we’re on the subject…isn’t it interesting that Tancredo, as an Italian, is primarily complaining about people from South and Central America? Did Columbus or any of the European explorers worry about “assimilating” when they discovered the New World? Hardly — they barged right in and did everything they possibly could to tailor-make the New World to their own specifications without giving two hoots in hell what the indigenous people thought about it or what impact it had. For that matter, did the Europeans make any effort to “assimilate” when they colonized North America? A few, perhaps — but by and large, quite the reverse. In fact, they did everything possible in order to force the Native American population into assimilating to European cultural mores…and when the Native Americans understandably resisted, they were vilified as “savages” and only succeeded in inciting the Europeans to double their efforts.
Also, since people of Tancredo’s ilk often embody the image of the “Ugly American”. does anyone honestly believe that Tancredo would make any effort to “assimilate” if he were to decide to move to another country? I doubt somehow that he’d be inclined to make even the smallest effort.
If illegal immigrants are indeed plotting to “take over” America — a plot which I frankly doubt actually exists much outside the minds of paranoid and xenophobic white middle-class/upper-class Americans — has anyone ever considered the possibility that this might in a sense be cosmic payback for the arrogant way in which indigenous peoples on just about every other inhabited continent have been forced or at least pressured to adapt Western European cultural mores even within their own countries? Of course not. True, we can’t be held responsible for the faults of our ancestors — but if we continue to be as arrogant as they were in our own way, we can hardly be surprised if people from other countries attempt to exploit us in the way that they might understandably feel we have exploited them. What goes around, comes around!
December 9th, 2007 at 1:16 amComment by HighPlainsJoker — December 8, 2007 @ 1:29 pm:
As for tri- and bi-lingual countries, those success stories you are using as examples are not all that altruistic in real, day to day life. Start with Belgium (haven’t had a govt for 6 months, and are thinking of splitting the country), Spain (Catalans and Basques are pure separatists), want to talk about Serbia? Switzerland?( Germans and French speakers don’t mix much at all), Germany: Turks don’t assimilate, and the friction is palatable. Gypsies in several countries…. I could go on. I lived in Europe 30 years, so I have some feeling.
Well, Belgium’s lack of government is no great problem as Italy (a country which is largely monolingual–if you discount all the various dialects) has had periods in which it had 2 or even 3 DIFFERENT governments within a single year. As to the “thinking of splitting the country”, that talk has been going on for DECADES and nothing serious has come of it yet.
As to Spain’s Basques and Catalans, both groups suffered for 40 years under the Franco regime in which their local languages were ENTIRELY PROHIBITED. Basques could be arrested if they spoke Euskara in public for NO other reason. (Notably, there is another language spoken in Spain–Galician–which is more closely related to Portuguese than Spanish.) The Basque people are NOT “Spanish”; they are a completely different ethnic culture. The Catalans, like the Basques, have a culture and language that is distinctive from the Spanish.
What about Serbia? The overbearing Serb leaders were responsible for the breakup of Yugoslavia in the first place. After the country had finally stabilized into “Serbia and Montenegro”, the Montenegrins finally had enough of the Serb bullying and general overbearing attitude towards the minority Montenegrins (ethnically and linguistically, they’re related to the Serbs, but they’re still a distinctive people with as long a history of independence as the Serbs) that Montenegro finally seceded as well. The Serbs have continued their persecution of the Albanian-related Kosovar population which has led to the Kosovars to begin their own preparations for formal secession, with or without international recognition.
Re: Switzerland. And your point would be……..? One could make the same comment about Israel simply swapping the languages with religious ethnicity. Israeli Jews have little dialogue with Israeli Muslims and vice versa.
About Germany, it’s worth noting that in some areas of the former GDR, minority groups who HAVE attempted to assimilate with the mainstream population have been attacked by nationalists on the extreme left and extreme right. (I’d note that there are areas in THIS country where certain people–Hasidic Jews, Amish–would just as soon not be bothered with “outsiders”. Yet these people are largely ignored by government officials or allowed to handle their own affairs with minimal “outside” interference unless THEY request “outside” help.)
What about Gypsies? The Rom people don’t accept the idea of government in general, feeling that “borders” are artificial constructs (which they are). They HAVE made efforts to deal with the reality of the modern world, but, at the same time, they feel they should have the SAME rights of ethnic distinction as any other group of people. (Note that Jews believe the very same thing, the only difference being the Jewish claim is a product of a divine contract. Since theirs also falls into a religious aspect, most Western countries now offer Jews a protection that is largely denied to the Rom.)
I would also like to advise you that European countries have very stringent employment laws that preclude foreigners from taking jobs from native citizens. If you, an American come to Europe, your employing company must prove that no German, Frenchman, etc, is capable of doing your job.
And yet, you’ve noted that Germany has a “problem” with Turks not assimilating. If they’re just “guest workers” (which one would presume based on these “very stringent employment laws”–the Turks MUST be doing some work that “no German is capable of doing”), then they have no incentive to assimilate. If they’re something MORE than a “guest worker”, then Germany shouldn’t expect them to assimilate at any particular rate.
As Europe has undergone a number of changes in the past decade (largely due to the breaking down of the barriers within EC member states), I would guess that some of those “stringent employment laws” have changed as well.
Incidentally, one might note that the British extreme right-wing has had no problem in the last quarter century with demonizing British subjects of other ethnicities (most notably, Pakistanis but also West Indian) for taking jobs away from “real” Britons–even when some of those West Indians were 2nd and 3rd generation residents/citizens of Great Britain.
I must admit that I have no good solution to the illegal immigrant problem, and hope our politicians will have the courage to work out the problems.
And if that “courage” involves a realization that the best course is to work WITH illegal immigrants (and their home nations) instead of treating them as “criminals” and, at the same time, punishing the people who SHOULD be punished (the companies that hire illegals), will you accept that?
I must also admit that I resent the fact that my wife, who speaks English and four other languages perfectly, and worked in Germany for the US government for thirty years, must go through a long, bureaucratic vetting process while 12 million illegal immigrants have your lock-step liberal sympathy.
Well, refer back to my point about the COMPANIES that HIRE illegal immigrants and you might decide to focus your resentment in the direction in should go. NOT A SINGLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT enters a “bureaucratic process” in order to work here. They’re hired “under the table”. They’re paid “under the table”. They come here with help from people working for these companies.
Oh, for the record, this country allows certain people to come here through channels which for others would be “illegal”. If you’re a Cuban, merely CLAIMING persecution, you get to enter the US with NO PROBLEM. If you’re of any other Latin American extraction and you have physical evidence of persecution, you’ve got to PROVE that persecution to the satisfaction of a bureaucracy that is set up to not believe a single word you say.
Are you willing to demand that all Cuban-”Americans” be returned to Cuba, no matter how long they’ve been here since there’s no truly valid reason for the vast majority to even be here in the first place? If not, get over the other “illegals”.
So, for immigration issues, I ain’t all that liberal…..
Comment by HighPlainsJoker — December 8, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
Well, I’m not really certain that you’re liberal on any matter. All we have in evidence is your word and that really isn’t worth all that much.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:11 amThis man is an embarrassment to the human race.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:34 amComment by HighPlainsJoker — December 8, 2007 @ 1:29 pm:
Spain (Catalans and Basques are pure separatists)… I lived in Europe 30 years, so I have some feeling.
I can’t but laugh at your silly reasoning. Everyone at Catalonia and Euskadi “pure separatists”? Say a minority, better. A great share loves autonomy, but separatism is very different. Think of the states of your country. The Republicans (you sound a lot like one), love the autonomy and independency of the separate states, but that means sedition? I think not, or maybe only a small fringe of moonbats digging a bunker in the Ozarks.
And, I doubt you have a great knowledge of Europe. US personnel (specially the military) overseas tend to be VERY reclusive in their bases and condominiums. They tend only to relationate with people of their countries, and rarely speak anything but English and, with luck, some escarce phrases in the language of the country) Even a great percentage of the food they eat is flown from the USA. They need thirty varieties of milkshakes to feel they’re not in some foreing country (I’m not exaggerating here, I had friends in the Spanish Military Police who sometimes had to go to the canteen in the USA bases we have). I think is fear of the unknown.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:38 pm@ Joe W: What I am for is assimilation of immigrants. I am not for continued encouragement of illegal immigrants. As I said, I don’t have a solution, and I agree with what you seem to be saying about better enforcement of hiring practices. How far off from what you are saying is all that??
As for Cubans: If they came here legally, what’s your point? I don’t have a problem with that.
Last but not least, why trash talk an otherwise decent response with doubting my own liberal beliefs? We were talking about immigration. For my views on the corrupting influence of pure capitalism or weak position of the American labor force, or my views on recent rape of our Constitution, torture, or habeas corpus, find another thread.
@ Evil Spaniard: I used separatists incorrectly, limited autonomy would have been better but I was trying to make the point that not all bi-lingual countries get along without problems. I am not trying to make the point that they should all split up, but that some difficulties should be expected. America should be aware of those difficulties. Bi-lingualism contributes to lack of understanding, whether you wish to acknowledge that or not.
You do not need to lecture me on American military in Europe or world-wide, and you should also not stereotype them. Just one point, and I will not belabor your stereotyping: how many of these Americans marry foreigners and how much to you think they learn about the respective countries and contribute to diversity, mutual understanding and even, yes, assimilation??
I did not say “great knowledge”, I said some understanding. Just as I suspect you do not have great knowledge outside of Spain.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:05 am@ Evil Spaniard: I might have added that I understand Europe enough know that you are intellectually dishonest to lump the Eskadi with the Catalonians. One has limited autonomy and the other is using terrorists methods to become separate from the Spanish government. And let me add, since I know you will just have to remind me, which you need not, that not all Eskadi are terrorists, nor may even want separation. And yes, I know that they are ethically not Spanish, and speak a different language, etc….
December 10th, 2007 at 9:13 am@ Evil Spaniard: I used separatists incorrectly, limited autonomy would have been better but I was trying to make the point that not all bi-lingual countries get along without problems. I am not trying to make the point that they should all split up, but that some difficulties should be expected. America should be aware of those difficulties. Bi-lingualism contributes to lack of understanding, whether you wish to acknowledge that or not.
And this is dishonest of you. The “problems” you allude aren’t greater than the ones that you have in your country between Democrats and Republicans, and between red and blue states. And you can bet that you’ve your own fringe, see the Unabombers, the abortion clinics haters (who phisically attack clinics, pregnant women, doctors and nurses) and the ecoterrorists (who casually only cause material damages).
And bilingualism isn’t such a problem in our country, because it enriches the cultural background of people. The problem are the ideals and the “acceptable” means to reach these ideals. And this last hardly can be interwined with language. If not, explain me the difference between the generic liberalism of Canada (in the whole, not only the french province), and the generic conservativism of the USA, if both speak the same language. Of course there exist degrees, but, as a whole, I see Canada as far more progressive than the USA.
You do not need to lecture me on American military in Europe or world-wide, and you should also not stereotype them. Just one point, and I will not belabor your stereotyping: how many of these Americans marry foreigners and how much to you think they learn about the respective countries and contribute to diversity, mutual understanding and even, yes, assimilation??
Lecturing you on American military? No need of. Probably you’re an ex- or military type. As many of the progressive posters in this blog. I’m only pointing to you some facts, because they are there. Is or isn’t true that many military bases in foreing soil are very enclosed and military personnel there has little or no contact with the exterior, even in Europe, being it for a phisical or social issue? Oh, probably they go outdoors to have some drinks, but tend to choose the same places than everybody else in the base, and they end entoured by USA people only, not assimilating a bit of the local culture?
In the other hand I’ve no doubt about military personnel marrying foreing people. Thinking otherwise would be naïf. But they’re a minority, and that doesn’t mean that they are eager automatically to learn something about the culture of the fiancé or fiancée, maybe is more likely that they use your concept of “assimilation” on them, concept that looks very popular in your culture (read “melting pot”).
I did not say “great knowledgeâ€, I said some understanding. Just as I suspect you do not have great knowledge outside of Spain.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, how patronizing. Yet most probably I’m better informed about international issues than the average american (that is USA “legal” inhabitant).
@ Evil Spaniard: I might have added that I understand Europe enough know that you are intellectually dishonest to lump the Eskadi with the Catalonians. One has limited autonomy and the other is using terrorists methods to become separate from the Spanish government. And let me add, since I know you will just have to remind me, which you need not, that not all Eskadi are terrorists, nor may even want separation. And yes, I know that they are ethically not Spanish, and speak a different language, etc….
Comment by HighPlainsJoker — December 10, 2007 @ 9:13 am
Yet you fail to understand Europe enough to know that Catalonia and Euskadi have the same level of political autonomy, as have the other Autonomies of Spain under our Constitution (even more because both are “Historical Autonomies”). And, speaking of generalizations, you talk as if the terrorists methods were used by the Euskadi government as if the terrorists were the official military of Euskadi, a thing that isn’t the truth, because they’re a fringe movement. But, hey, I know, you’ve a limited knowledge of the problem. Speaking of lecturing the other about their own country and compatriots…
December 10th, 2007 at 11:49 amEVil Spaniard: You said “Eskadi government” not me. Arguing with yourself again???
December 11th, 2007 at 10:17 am