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Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 18:04:11 -0500<BR>From: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: LGPOLICY-LIST digest 1033<BR><BR><BR><PRE> <BR> LGPOLICY-LIST Digest 1033<BR> <BR>Topics covered in this issue include:<BR> <BR> 1) Ossetia's connection to Scotland<BR> by r.amirejibi-mullen@qmul.ac.uk<BR> 2) UK Schools: less literature more functional skills<BR> by "Anthea Fraser Gupta" <A.F.Gupta@leeds.ac.uk><BR> 3) Linguistic hygiene: On the Supreme Court docket: bleeeeeep<BR> by "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp@gmail.com><BR> 4) UK: Vaz campaigns against UK immigration Minister's new policy<BR> by "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp@gmail.com><BR> 5) Referendum battles in US election , including officialization of English<BR> by "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp@gmail.com><BR> 6) South Africa: The ANC and Ideology - IV<BR> by "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp@gmail.com><BR> 7) Raisin Bomber: THE POLITICS OF LANGUAGE<BR> by "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp@gmail.com><BR> 8) UK councils: no Latin lovers<BR> by "Michael L. Friesner" <friesner@sas.upenn.edu><BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 11:04:06 +0000<BR>From: r.amirejibi-mullen@qmul.ac.uk<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: Ossetia's connection to Scotland<BR><BR><PRE>BBC , November 2<BR> <BR>Hundreds of years ago, Ossetians roamed all over Western Europe, from <BR>the Caucasus to Scotland. As Tim Whewell reveals, the folk memories of <BR>these wanderings have lingered down the centuries, so that it can be <BR>hard to tell where myth ends and history begins. When the nights draw <BR>in in the high Caucasus, when the flocks are gathered in the shadow of <BR>the ancient stone towers that dot the wooded hillsides, and there is <BR>no sound outside but the chattering of the fast streams that run down <BR>from Ossetia towards Georgia, there is nothing the people like better <BR>than to settle down on the settee to watch an old DVD of Braveheart. <BR>So much do Ossetians love that 13th Century Scots patriot, that one <BR>told me he had made a pilgrimage to Edinburgh, only to find Wallace's <BR>statue disappointingly small and unimpressive. It is not hard to see <BR>why they identify with a ruthless fighter, romantically cruel, who <BR>defended his small mountainous homeland against a more powerful <BR>southern neighbour. For King Edward I of England, think President <BR>Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia. He attempted back in August to regain <BR>control of the separatist-held territory of South Ossetia, but was <BR>beaten back by Russia, assisted by Ossetian volunteers who cast <BR>themselves as modern Bravehearts. But the Ossetians are not just like <BR>the medieval Scots. As far as they are concerned, they are the Scots. <BR>And the Scots are them. Name that place Centuries ago, possibly during <BR>the great migrations of the Dark Ages, some of their ancestors went <BR>down from the Caucasus and set sail through the Black Sea, the <BR>Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and arrived eventually in a landscape <BR>they recognised: Caledonia. And how do we know they reached Britain? <BR>Easy: place names. Sitting over a pile of flat, greasy Ossetian cheese <BR>pies in a smoky cafe in Vladikavkaz, capital of Russian-ruled North <BR>Ossetia, and again later, sampling a cup of young, home-made wine in a <BR>war-damaged house in Tskhinvali - the capital of the much-disputed <BR>south - I am asked where I am from. "London," I say. "And what does <BR>the name mean?" I am asked. Of course, I do not know. But my hosts do. <BR>In Ossetian, London means "standing water". Belfast, in Ossetian, <BR>could be "broken spade". Orleans in France is "stopping place", <BR>because the Ossetians stopped there. And England's greatest national <BR>hero, King Arthur, was Ossetian too, apparently. His name means "solar <BR>fire". Understanding our ancestry Toponymy, the study of place names, <BR>has never been an overriding passion of the English.<BR>Indeed, the more you travel, the more you realise that one of the more <BR>unusual things about people in the British Isles is their comparative <BR>lack of interest in their national origins. Some children are taught <BR>about the arrival of the first Saxons, or Frisians, Hengist and Horsa. <BR>Very few know the story of our legendary Trojan ancestor Corinius and <BR>his battle on the cliffs of Cornwall with the giant Gogmagog. Ossetian <BR>children know all about their forefathers' wanderings around Europe <BR>and how eventually their territory diminished again to those two <BR>little pockets on either side of the great Caucasian watershed, the <BR>southern one of which we heard so much about, so briefly, in August. <BR>But the Ossetians, in their glory days of continental mastery, were <BR>not known by that name. They were sometimes Sarmatians, and sometimes <BR>Alans. Every third Ossetian you meet now seems to be called Alan, and <BR>the north Ossetian republic, within Russia, is officially "Alania", as <BR>satisfying, I suppose, for Alans as it would be for me to live in <BR>Timia. If you are living in Bristol, Hove, Crewe or another place <BR>whose name you cannot instantly explain, I should start worrying <BR>Meanwhile, the Alans in the south now live, supposedly, in an <BR>independent state, a miniscule country of 50,000 people, recognised <BR>only by Russia, Nicaragua and Somalia. The rest of the world insists <BR>it is still part of Georgia, though the people I met there said that <BR>since the war they could never again live in one country with <BR>Georgians. What some dream of is a greater Ossetia, uniting north and <BR>south, a place where their ancient Iranian-linked language and <BR>swashbuckling culture can flourish, free of Georgia or Russia. And if <BR>they achieve that, they may want to expand still further to their <BR>older, wider stamping grounds. Those of you living in Ox-ford, <BR>New-castle, Red-bridge and anywhere else with an obvious derivation <BR>can sleep easy in the knowledge that you have a right to be there. But <BR>if you are living in Bris-tol, Hove, Crewe or another place whose name <BR>you cannot instantly explain, I should start worrying. The Alans are <BR>very mobile, and they have long memories.<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Subject: UK Schools: less literature more functional skills<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 12:21:42 +0000<BR>From: A.F.Gupta@leeds.ac.uk<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR><BR><PRE>Broadcast on 27 October 2008 on BBC Radio 4's education programme, 'The<BR>Learning Curve':<BR> <BR>English GCSE<BR>Libby Purves speaks to Dr Bethan Marshall, of Kings College London,<BR>about the new English GCSE, currently under preparation for introduction<BR>in 2010. The new exam is set to put more emphasis on "functional skills"<BR>- spelling, grammar, punctuation and less on literature and imaginative<BR>work. <BR><A href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/learningcurve.shtml" target=_blank>http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/learningcurve.shtml</A><BR> <BR>Further information from the government body responsible for this<BR>decision:<BR><A href="http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_18259.aspx" target=_blank>http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_18259.aspx</A><BR> <BR>[COMMENTS FROM ANTHEA: I heard this on the repeat programme on 2<BR>November. Well worth listening to the intelligent interview with<BR>Marshall, who I wanted to cheer at several points. This change is part<BR>of a general trend to arid functionalism in UK education, and very very<BR>sad. Linguists should resist this every bit as much as specialists in<BR>literature.]<BR> <BR>* * * * *<BR>Anthea Fraser Gupta (Dr)<BR>School of English, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT<BR><www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/afg><BR>NB: Reply to a.f.gupta@leeds.ac.uk<BR>* * * * *<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:17:52 -0500<BR>From: hfsclpp@gmail.com<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: Linguistic hygiene: On the Supreme Court docket: bleeeeeep<BR><BR><PRE>On the Supreme Court docket: bleeeeeep<BR> <BR>In FCC vs. Fox TV, the justices take up the future indecency standard<BR>for television and radio.<BR> <BR>By David G. Savage<BR>November 2, 2008<BR> <BR>Reporting from Washington -- The Supreme Court would not be<BR>recommended as the best place in this city to hear a raucous<BR>conversation that makes full use of the F-word, the S-word and<BR>assorted other vulgarities.<BR> <BR>It is a place of decorum. Officers will firmly reprimand a visitor who<BR>errs by leaning an elbow on the next chair. Tuesday morning may be an<BR>exception, however. While the nation focuses on the presidential<BR>election, the justices will discuss the F-word and its variants in a<BR>case that could determine whether these words will be heard more on<BR>television and radio. The nation's broadcasters are fighting fines<BR>imposed by the Federal Communications Commission for airing the banned<BR>words, even if inadvertently. For example, when Cher won a Billboard<BR>Music award, she said it proved her critics wrong: "People have been<BR>telling me I'm on the way out every year, right? So f- - - 'em." Fox<BR>TV broadcast the awards program live.<BR> <BR>The channel's lawyer, Carter G. Phillips, said that "unless someone<BR>tells me not to," he will use in court the actual words that federal<BR>regulators hope to keep off the air. But the case is much more than a<BR>swearing contest, with implications not only for broadcasters but for<BR>viewers and parents. At issue is the future indecency standard for<BR>television and radio. Will these broadcasts remain under strict<BR>federal regulation because a mass audience that includes children may<BR>be watching? Or will a looser standard prevail, giving broadcasters<BR>and audiences more choice in what they see and hear?<BR> <BR>The broadcasters say that the old rules are an unconstitutional<BR>infringement on free speech. Also, about 9 in 10 Americans receive TV<BR>signals via cable or satellite -- yet only the broadcast industry,<BR>because it uses public airwaves, is subject to the legal rules, which<BR>were set in a different era. That means most viewers have a menu of<BR>channels that operate under different legal rules, with cable channels<BR>largely free of government oversight. "The court has not revisited<BR>this issue in 30 years, and we would like broadcasters to be treated<BR>the same as cable TV or the Internet," Phillips said.<BR> <BR>The broadcasters say federal policing and the prospect of high fines<BR>for airing banned words poses an everyday threat. "I don't want to say<BR>all live sporting events or all live broadcasts will come to a halt,<BR>but what happens if an expletive gets on the air?" Phillips said. The<BR>FCC "can impose a huge fine on the network and on all the local<BR>stations that broadcast it."<BR> <BR>Parents groups counter that children should be shielded from profanity<BR>and sex on TV, and maintaining a standard of decency is a small price<BR>to pay for access to public airwaves.<BR> <BR>"They are using the public airwaves for free. We don't think we should<BR>have to tolerate a race to the bottom to see who can go further," said<BR>Timothy F. Winter, president of the Parents Television Council in Los<BR>Angeles. He said he joined the group after watching TV with his young<BR>daughter and finding it offensive. The group claims more than 1<BR>million members, who in turn have launched a wave of complaints to the<BR>FCC to protest vulgarity and sex on TV.<BR> <BR>"As long as the law [against indecency] is on the books, we want it<BR>enforced," Winter said. "And because of our efforts, the FCC has<BR>stepped up and enforced the law."<BR> <BR>Since the advent of national broadcasts on radio, it has been a<BR>federal crime to "utter any obscene, indecent or profane language"<BR>over the public airwaves. The FCC is authorized to enforce that law.<BR>At the same time, the 1st Amendment says Congress "shall make no law .<BR>. . abridging the freedom of speech."<BR> <BR>During the 1960s, the Supreme Court agreed that, despite the 1st<BR>Amendment, radio and TV broadcasts could be regulated because they<BR>made use of the public airwaves.<BR> <BR>In 1978, the court narrowly upheld the FCC's fine against a radio<BR>station for broadcasting comedian George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words"<BR>monologue during the afternoon. One justice called Carlin's skit a<BR>"sort of verbal shock treatment." However, the court's opinion<BR>suggested that an "isolated use" of a vulgar word would not violate<BR>the law.<BR> <BR>But four years ago, in response to complaints from the parents groups,<BR>the FCC announced a crackdown on the broadcast of expletives that<BR>described "sexual or excretory" activities. The commission said that<BR>these words were always shocking and graphic, even if used fleetingly,<BR>and that any broadcast of them could subject the network to fines of<BR>more than $325,000.<BR> <BR>"Any use" of the F-word "inherently has a sexual connotation," the FCC<BR>said. It also banned the use of the word "bulls- - - -er" on the<BR>grounds that it "invariably invokes a coarse excretory image."<BR> <BR>Broadcast industry leaders called this conclusion shocking. They said<BR>it was ridiculous to say that Cher's emphatic rebuke to her critics<BR>was an invitation to sex.<BR> <BR>The FCC also cited singer Bono, who exulted upon winning a Golden<BR>Globe that the award was "really, really f- - -ing brilliant!"<BR> <BR>The FCC also has seemed inconsistent in following its own rule.<BR> <BR>Its members made an exception for the broadcast of "Saving Private<BR>Ryan," because the soldiers' coarse language on the D-day beaches was<BR>integral to the story, but it refused a similar exception for coarse<BR>language from the musicians profiled on Martin Scorsese's TV<BR>documentary "The Blues."<BR> <BR>Congress has strongly supported the FCC's crackdown, with lawmakers<BR>voting to raise the fines for violations after singer Janet Jackson's<BR>breast was briefly exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show in<BR>2004.<BR> <BR>CBS was fined $550,000 for that incident, but the network has won an<BR>appeal, though the case is still pending.<BR> <BR>Last year, the broadcast industry won a tentative victory in its fight<BR>with the FCC when the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York blocked the<BR>new policy against "fleeting expletives" on the grounds that it was<BR>arbitrary, vague and possibly unconstitutional.<BR> <BR>The Supreme Court could rule narrowly on whether the FCC had<BR>adequately explained its shift in policy, or broadly on whether the<BR>1st Amendment limits the government's power to police TV and radio.<BR> <BR>The justices will hear the government's appeal Tuesday in FCC vs. Fox TV.<BR> <BR>Savage is a Times staff writer.<BR> <BR>david.savage@latimes.com<BR> <BR><A href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/scotus/la-na-scotus2-2008nov02,0,6098477.story" target=_blank>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/scotus/la-na-scotus2-2008nov02,0,6098477.story</A><BR> <BR>-- <BR>**************************************<BR>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to<BR>its members<BR>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner<BR>or sponsor of<BR>the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<BR>disagree with a<BR>message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<BR>*******************************************<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:19:46 -0500<BR>From: hfsclpp@gmail.com<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: UK: Vaz campaigns against UK immigration Minister's new policy<BR><BR><PRE>Vaz campaigns against UK immigration Minister's new policy<BR> <BR>London (PTI) Leading NRI labour MP Keith Vaz has joined issue with<BR>British immigration Minister Phil Woolas saying it was "totally<BR>untrue" that Labour would seek to restrict foreign workers as<BR>suggested by the minister. Woolas's call for a tough new approach last<BR>month sparked a furore in the Labour Party and led to the Home<BR>Secretary Jacqui Smith, banning him from appearing on Question Time.<BR>Friends of the minister have since insisted that he was speaking with<BR>the Prime Minister's backing.<BR> <BR>Woolas had said that the government should be ready to go further in<BR>limiting migration and favoured introduction of an Australian-style<BR>points system which will ensure that high-skilled migrants are<BR>welcomed while non-European Union nationals with no useful job skills<BR>are barred. Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee,<BR>voiced unhappiness at Woolas's comments during a visit to India where<BR>he told businessmen that there would be no cap on the number of people<BR>allowed to migrate to Britain.<BR> <BR>The Leicester East MP is leading an inquiry by the select committee<BR>into how the new system has been working since being introduced in<BR>April. It assesses applicants on criteria such as age, earnings,<BR>education and language ability. India was the first nation where it<BR>was introduced. Vaz pledged that the system would help the UK curry<BR>industry by allowing it to recruit more skilled employees from India.<BR>However, Woolas said the points based system "does allow you to<BR>control numbers."<BR> <BR><A href="http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200811022089.htm" target=_blank>http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200811022089.htm</A><BR> <BR>-- <BR>**************************************<BR>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to<BR>its members<BR>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner<BR>or sponsor of<BR>the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<BR>disagree with a<BR>message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<BR>*******************************************<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:24:52 -0500<BR>From: hfsclpp@gmail.com<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: Referendum battles in US election , including officialization of English<BR><BR><PRE>Referendum battles in US election<BR> <BR>By Max Deveson<BR>BBC News, Washington<BR> <BR> <BR>When American voters go to the polls on 4 November, they will not just<BR>be choosing a president. The issue of same-sex marriage has divided<BR>opinion in California In many states, they will also be faced with a<BR>number of referendum questions, known as propositions or ballot<BR>initiatives. If passed, they will change state laws. And many of them<BR>deal with issues on the frontline of American politics, from gay<BR>marriage to abortion.<BR> <BR>The most high-profile ballot initiative in this election cycle is<BR>probably California's Proposition Eight, or Prop Eight, as it is known<BR>for short. If passed, it would amend California's constitution to say:<BR>"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in<BR>California." The proposition has been put forward by opponents of gay<BR>marriage in the state, in response to the California Supreme Court's<BR>decision in May 2008 to overturn a law introduced by a 2000<BR>proposition, which had defined marriage in state law as being between<BR>a man and a woman only. Opponents of same-sex marriage want to place<BR>their definition of marriage in the state's constitution, thus<BR>preventing the state's Supreme Court from overturning it.<BR> <BR>California's Proposition Two would outlaw battery farming<BR> <BR>Although Californian voters opted in 2000 to outlaw same-sex marriage,<BR>the battle this year is very tight. Polls suggest that voters now<BR>oppose attempts to amend the constitution, albeit by a very small<BR>margin. Opponents of the measure say they may be helped by the<BR>popularity of Barack Obama at the top of the ballot - but also harmed.<BR>Mr Obama will bring out liberal voters who support same-sex marriage,<BR>but he will also increase turnout among African-Americans, many of<BR>whom oppose it. Voters in two other states - Florida and Arizona -<BR>will also consider constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.<BR> <BR>'Right to know'<BR> <BR>In California - which has a long history of direct democracy - voters<BR>will also be asked to approve measures to raise renewable energy<BR>targets, and "prohibit the confinement of farm animals in a manner<BR>that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up,<BR>and fully extend their limbs" - a move aimed at outlawing battery<BR>poultry farming. And Californians will also be faced with a<BR>proposition to introduce a so-called "Sarah's Law", which would<BR>prevent minors from getting an abortion until 48 hours after their<BR>parents or guardians had been notified.<BR> <BR> Parents have a right to know about their daughter's abortion<BR> <BR>Orange County Register<BR> <BR>The proposition has divided opinion in the state, with the latest poll<BR>suggesting 46% of voters are in favour, with 44% opposed and 10%<BR>undecided. Newspapers in the state are also on opposition sides of<BR>the debate: the Los Angeles Times advises a "No" vote, for fear that<BR>"some girls will seek out illegal abortions rather than notify their<BR>parents", while the Orange County Register urges a "Yes" on the basis<BR>that "parents have a right to know about their daughter's abortion".<BR>Two other states will also be voting on propositions dealing with the<BR>issue of abortion.<BR> <BR>In South Dakota, voters will be asked to approve an amendment to the<BR>state's constitution that would ban all abortions in the state except<BR>in cases of rape or incest or to protect the woman's health. And in<BR>Colorado, there is a proposition to define "personhood" as beginning<BR>at the moment of fertilisation, rather than when an egg is implanted<BR>in the uterus. Opponents of the measure say it would outlaw certain<BR>forms of contraception, which prevent implantation (but not<BR>fertilisation). The proposition - known to its supporters as the<BR>"Equal Rights Amendment" - is unlikely to pass.<BR> <BR>Electoral ploy<BR> <BR>Aside from the issues of abortion and gay marriage, few subjects<BR>excite so much passion in US politics as immigration.<BR>Some Americans have become increasingly fearful that - as Hispanic<BR>immigration increases - the English language is in decline.<BR>Two states will vote this year on propositions aimed at reversing this<BR>perceived decline. In Oregon, Ballot Measure 58 would prohibit schools<BR>from teaching foreign students in their native language after one year<BR>in elementary school or two years in high school. And in Missouri,<BR>Constitutional Amendment One would "establish English as the official<BR>language for all government meetings where public business is<BR>discussed or decided or where public policy is formulated". Neither<BR>measure has much likelihood of being passed.<BR> <BR>But, like this year's other ballot measures, they might succeed in<BR>bringing people out to the polls, thus helping candidates elsewhere on<BR>the ballot. Indeed, many commentators have suggested that putting<BR>controversial propositions on the ballot has been used as an electoral<BR>ploy in recent years to bring out the base. In particular, observers<BR>say the large number of anti-gay marriage measures on the ballot in<BR>2004 may well have been put there in order to increase turnout among<BR>social conservatives and give George W Bush a boost in the<BR>presidential election - a factor which may well have pushed him over<BR>the top in marginal states like Ohio.<BR> <BR>This year, the Democrats may be attempting to use similar tactics:<BR>voters in Colorado and Missouri will be considering propositions on<BR>union rights, which could encourage blue-collar Democrats to come to<BR>the polls. In total, there will be 153 propositions or initiatives on<BR>the ballot in 36 states this year. How Americans vote on them will<BR>tell us just as much - if not more - about public opinion in America<BR>than will the results of the presidential election.<BR> <BR> <BR><A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7696178.stm" target=_blank>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7696178.stm</A><BR>-- <BR>**************************************<BR>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to<BR>its members<BR>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner<BR>or sponsor of<BR>the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<BR>disagree with a<BR>message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<BR>*******************************************<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:27:37 -0500<BR>From: hfsclpp@gmail.com<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: South Africa: The ANC and Ideology - IV<BR><BR><PRE>The ANC and Ideology - IV<BR> <BR> <BR>In my 'The ANC and Ideology – I' of 9th September I pointed out how<BR>blind and unthinking ideology can completely negate the good<BR>intentions behind the framing of social, political and other systems<BR>of thought. The ANC has shown itself to be particularly adept at this<BR>form of intellectual suicide. Many years after winning the fight with<BR>which it so exclusively identified itself, the ANC still has to make<BR>the transition from a 'liberation' movement to an effective and<BR>consistent party worthy of the role and responsibilities of national<BR>government and regional – even global – leadership in line with the<BR>economic infrastructures inherited from its former enemies.<BR> <BR> <BR>Through a mix of plain old incompetence and a more sinister campaign<BR>of deliberate 'blind-eye' politics (for example, denial of the link<BR>between HIV and AIDS, denial of the scale and severity of runaway<BR>crime in South Africa, denial of the existence of a crisis in Zimbabwe<BR>and its impact upon South Africa, etc.), the ANC has deluded itself<BR>into believing that it need never change from the simplistic and<BR>authoritarian politics of the fear-inducing slogan and street marches<BR>which it believes fully and completely characterises the outlook and<BR>demeanour of the South African population.<BR> <BR> <BR>Recent events on the South African political landscape (viz: the<BR>schism developing within the ANC) might be demonstrating to all and<BR>sundry that the ANC may well have been fooling itself for a little<BR>longer than many ordinary South Africans are prepared to accept.<BR>However, this post is not about the splintering of the ANC (perhaps I<BR>shall indulge myself another time), but rather about the ANC's<BR>language policies. Much as it might desire to be otherwise, South<BR>Africa is very similar to the rest of the African continent in that,<BR>for very good historical, geographical and social reasons, it is<BR>hugely fragmented linguistically.<BR> <BR> <BR>Spearpoint has no clear idea of how many different languages and<BR>dialects there are in South Africa, other than there are a lot. Most<BR>of these are fairly clearly defined geographically with plenty of<BR>overlap. The main exceptions are, of course, English and Afrikaans<BR>which, by and large, extend throughout the entire country (although<BR>there are still areas in South Africa where English is not known<BR>enough to enable ordinary conversation and Afrikaans is the fall-back<BR>– inconvenient for Spearpoint-types who, for one reason or another,<BR>cannot or will not speak what can be a baffling Creole tongue with<BR>apparently randomly variable grammar, syntax, spelling and<BR>pronunciation that oft-times appears to defy any logic known to Man).<BR> <BR> <BR>No doubt with the initial intention of inspiring feelings of<BR>inclusiveness, the ANC, upon its donning the cloak of power in the<BR>mid-1990's, decreed the policy of recognising fully eleven official<BR>languages (including English and Afrikaans) in South Africa.<BR>However, Spearpoint would contend that the ANC, in adopting and<BR>promoting such a wide range of official languages, has seriously<BR>stepped on its own shoe laces in attempting to convince people that it<BR>was capable of giving everyone what they wanted.<BR> <BR> <BR>Consider the implications.<BR> <BR> <BR>An official language is one that has to be accommodated in all legal,<BR>parliamentary and commercial transactions.<BR> <BR> <BR>In theory, any such language must be available, on demand, in any<BR>official literature, correspondence and dialogue. Translations must be<BR>produced; translators must be schooled, trained and paid; equipment<BR>and resources must be provided.<BR> <BR> <BR>The cost implications – particularly for our emerging Third World<BR>economy – are staggering and, quite simply, unaffordable.<BR> <BR> <BR>The entire system is also unwieldy, cumbersome and very time-consuming<BR>in the production of its end result. It is also prone to political<BR>manipulation.<BR> <BR> <BR>However, these are not the main concerns.<BR> <BR> <BR>What exercises Spearpoint regarding South Africa's language policy is<BR>that it is doing nothing to prepare and equip ordinary South Africans<BR>for interaction with the rest of the world.<BR> <BR> <BR>Notwithstanding considerations of national pride and the wishful<BR>thinking of the ANC, the lingua franca of the planet is the English<BR>language. Other important historical languages are French, Spanish and<BR>Portuguese but it is English that is predominant. Even Mandarin,<BR>spoken by a majority of the world's population, is not foisted upon<BR>the world simply because it is too damned difficult to master<BR>sufficiently for even ordinary commercial and political intercourse.<BR>English, by comparison, is simple in its alphabet, grammar and logic<BR>whilst being fully capable of expressing the most intricate and<BR>complicated concepts yet devised by Man.<BR> <BR> <BR>With this in mind – and from a practical standpoint - what then is the<BR>logic in educating our children in what are effectively local and<BR>parochial languages? School children and university students will<BR>never use, for example, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa or iSotho outside of<BR>their villages and provinces. Commercial and political discourse<BR>beyond those places will never be in anything other than English or,<BR>less and less as time goes by, the other colonial tongues.<BR> <BR> <BR>Spearpoint is not here advocating that local and indigenous languages<BR>should be allowed to wither and die – quite the contrary, in fact.<BR>Such languages are tremendously important in the identification and<BR>transmission of any number of cultures and perspectives. Let those<BR>languages be taught and studied – but not at the cost of mastery in<BR>the English language.<BR> <BR> <BR>Keep in mind, also, that every local African (and non-African)<BR>language, once exposed to English, has adopted a host of English words<BR>and expressions as convenient shortcuts – some so much so that some<BR>tongues now resemble more Pidgin languages rather than the linguistics<BR>of their ancestral tongues.<BR> <BR> <BR>Written and spoken fluency in English is one of the keys to the<BR>treasure box of international knowledge and skills so desperately<BR>needed in the Third World. Our children can never hope to have access<BR>to the myriad of international opportunities if they are unable to use<BR>and understand the written English language or if they are unable to<BR>speak it without some horrendous and caricatured dialect or accent.<BR> <BR> <BR>The ANC fails its people when it actively works to promote indigenous<BR>languages at the expense of the lingua franca of the world. It denies<BR>ordinary people those tools which would be otherwise available to<BR>enable individuals to better fulfill themselves and it denies the<BR>economy of this emerging Third World country the expertise to venture,<BR>with confidence, into the wider world of education, commerce and<BR>politics. The ANC holds back its supposedly beloved South Africa by<BR>its insistence on what it perceives to be the only politically correct<BR>ideology of encouraging a legion of relatively unknown tongues to seek<BR>equality with the only language that is, to all intents and purposes,<BR>universal.<BR> <BR> <BR>Given the character of the ANC leadership and the manner in which it<BR>understands, exercises and applies power, it is, perhaps, no great<BR>surprise that the ANC has chosen this excessive language policy. There<BR>is little appetite in the ANC for the intellectual empowerment of any<BR>group outside of the ANC elite – people tend to become troublesome and<BR>difficult to gull when they are overly educated and exposed to ideas<BR>and concepts not sanctioned by the ruling politburo; government then<BR>becomes difficult and more open to unwelcome scrutiny by those not<BR>sharing the benefits of being in charge and control of national<BR>resources. To divide, conquer and suppress one's own constituency<BR>requires economic, geographical and intellectual isolation of whatever<BR>groupings may exist within one's own borders – and, if the<BR>pronouncements and actions of the ANC over the past fifteen years or<BR>so are anything to go by, such isolation is the very bedrock of ANC<BR>theory and practice.<BR> <BR> <BR>Spearpoint. 2nd November 2008<BR> <BR><A href="http://spearpoint.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/the-anc-and-ideology-iv/" target=_blank>http://spearpoint.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/the-anc-and-ideology-iv/</A><BR>-- <BR>**************************************<BR>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to<BR>its members<BR>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner<BR>or sponsor of<BR>the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<BR>disagree with a<BR>message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<BR>*******************************************<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:33:01 -0500<BR>From: hfsclpp@gmail.com<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: Raisin Bomber: THE POLITICS OF LANGUAGE<BR><BR><PRE>THE POLITICS OF LANGUAGE<BR> <BR>Between us, Michaela and I speak English, German, French, and enough<BR>Spanish to get by in a pinch. What we don't know – and which would<BR>obviously come in very much handy here – is either Albanian or<BR>Serbian. Because of this, we hired a translator. Fluent in Albanian,<BR>Serbian, English, and German, Kesi worked as a professional translator<BR>in Germany for many years before moving to Kosovo to start a business<BR>as an environmental engineer. He's quick enough to do simultaneous<BR>translations, which really helps keep the flow of an interview going.<BR>He is culturally sensitive to the idiosyncrasies of both Serbian and<BR>Albanian culture. He is fun to be around, which is a big bonus since<BR>we are all spending so much time together. As the person we had<BR>planned on working with turned out to have taken another job when we<BR>arrived, we are especially lucky to have found Kesi through the friend<BR>of a friend.<BR> <BR>In the United States, the idea that language is political is usually<BR>framed in terms of "freedom of speech" or of a powerful person<BR>strategically using euphemisms or vagueness to conceal or prevent<BR>thought or action. Both of these issues were relevant in Yugoslavian<BR>Kosovo too: conditions were hardly conducive to people expressing<BR>themselves freely or hearing their realities reflected in the words of<BR>those who governed them. But there was also another dimension to the<BR>politics of language, which was that although Albanians made up almost<BR>70% of the population, the language of public life was Serbian.<BR> <BR>This meant that while Albanians were free to speak their own language<BR>at home, outside the home - at school, at work, and for any business<BR>related to the State - they were forced to use Serbian. This had been<BR>the case since the Yugoslav state was formed in 1918. Although Tito<BR>eased this a bit by stopping the "Serbian-izing" of Albanian names and<BR>allowing some Albanian-speaking schools to be established, Serbian<BR>nationalism rose again after his death and saw many of those changes<BR>reversed. The Albanian-language university in Pristina was closed in<BR>1991. Government funding was withdrawn from the few existing<BR>Albanian-language schools. Street signs were renamed in Serbian and<BR>written in Cyrillic script. No state-owned television or radio was<BR>allowed to broadcast in Albanian. In the U.S. it is easy to forget<BR>this language aspect of human rights, because English is a world<BR>language and it would be almost impossible to take away our right to<BR>use it when we please. In Kosovo the effect of this policy was to<BR>reinforce a structure where Albanians and Albanian culture were<BR>continually suppressed – something which greatly contributed to ethnic<BR>tensions and resentment.<BR> <BR>Since the end of the war, Albanians have regained the public use of<BR>their language, and Albanian now stands with Serbian and Turkish as<BR>the country's official languages. Additionally, Kosovo recognizes<BR>Gorani, Romani, and Bosnian. Sadly, the legacy of the language<BR>policies of the Serbian nationalists who long controlled the region is<BR>still divisive: although many Albanians learned both Albanian and<BR>Serbian in order to get by, few Serbs of the same age group speak<BR>Albanian - which helps make it difficult for Serb communities to<BR>become a part of the new Kosovo. And unfortunately, fewer and fewer<BR>young people of either ethnicity are fluent in both languages. Young<BR>people of both groups are usually working very hard on their English<BR>or German, as most of the few well-paying jobs are with<BR>internationals, and knowing these languages can be a ticket to<BR>opportunity. As Kesi pointed out one day, it will soon be easiest for<BR>people to speak to each other in English, which isn't even one of the<BR>country's official languages.<BR> <BR>Posted by RAISIN BOMBER FILMS at 12:00 PM<BR> <BR><A href="http://raisinbombernews.blogspot.com/2008/11/politics-of-language.html" target=_blank>http://raisinbombernews.blogspot.com/2008/11/politics-of-language.html</A><BR> <BR>-- <BR>**************************************<BR>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to<BR>its members<BR>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner<BR>or sponsor of<BR>the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<BR>disagree with a<BR>message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<BR>*******************************************<BR></PRE><BR><BR>--Forwarded Message Attachment--<BR>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:45:21 -0500<BR>From: friesner@sas.upenn.edu<BR>To: lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR>Subject: UK councils: no Latin lovers<BR><BR><PRE>LONDON – It's a bona fide scandal.<BR>Britain's Latin and Greek aficionados are outraged at a decision by some local<BR>councils to veto the use of Latin words and phrases — including bona fide, ad<BR>lib, et cetera and e.g. — in official documents.<BR>The councils say Latin is no longer widely understood. But classicists say axing<BR>Latin phrases is an attack on the foundations of English — the linguistic<BR>equivalent of "ethnic cleansing."<BR>"Think of the number of words from Latin that are now part of the English<BR>language: alias, alibi, exit, terminus," said Peter Jones, a retired professor<BR>of classics at the University of Newcastle and founder of Friends of Classics.<BR>"Are they going to cut out those words?"<BR>"The English language is a hybrid animal that has adopted any number of words<BR>and phrases from other languages which have become a part of English," he<BR>added. "To deny the hybrid nature of the English language is almost like ethnic<BR>cleansing of English."<BR>The council in Bournemouth, a town of 170,000 on England's south coast, has a<BR>"plain language" policy that lists 19 Latin words and phrases to be avoided,<BR>and suggests replacements. The council recommends "improvised" instead of ad<BR>hoc, and "genuine" for bona fide.<BR>Salisbury City Council in southern England also advises staff to avoid ad hoc<BR>and et cetera, as well as French phrases like "in lieu" and "fait accompli."<BR>British local authorities have been under pressure from their umbrella body, the<BR>Local Government Association, and others to cut their use of jargon and<BR>confusing language.<BR>The Plain English Campaign, which has been fighting official jargon for three<BR>decades, said a majority of councils had adopted some form of plain-speaking<BR>guidelines, although few appear to have gone as far as Bournemouth in<BR>eliminating Latin.<BR>The campaign said it supported the council's policy.<BR>"We are talking about public documents where people need to read, understand and<BR>take action that may affect their lives," spokeswoman Marie Clair said Monday.<BR>"This is information that everybody needs to know about, regardless of their<BR>level of education."<BR>Latin and ancient Greek were once considered the cornerstones of a first-class<BR>education. But the languages are no longer widely taught in Britain. Friends of<BR>Classics says Latin is taught in only 15 percent of state schools — a modest<BR>increase from a few years ago.<BR>But Latin's backers say thousands of common English words have Latin roots, and<BR>argue the replacement phrases can be even more difficult to understand. To some<BR>ears "existing condition" is less harmonious than "status quo," and "the other<BR>way round" less snappy than "vice versa."<BR>No one from the Bournemouth council was willing to speak to The Associated Press<BR>on Monday, but a spokeswoman said the language guidelines have been in effect<BR>for two years without attracting notice.<BR>Despite the policy, the town retains a Latin motto on its crest: "Pulchritudo et<BR>salubritas" — beauty and health.<BR>Linguistic controversies are nothing new in Britain, cradle of the English<BR>language, where people have strong opinions on what constitutes proper usage.<BR>In recent years officials have moved to avoid language that gives offense to<BR>ethnic minorities, disabled people and other groups.<BR>Predictably, some feel the drive has gone too far. Many were bemused earlier<BR>this year when it was reported that a town council had banned the word<BR>"brainstorm" because it might offend people with epilepsy, a condition that<BR>involves periodic electrical storms inside the brain. Tunbridge Wells council<BR>advised using "thought showers" instead.<BR>London's Harrow Council says banning Latin is a step too far.<BR>"I would have thought banning phrases which have been part of the texture of our<BR>language for centuries is frankly the least of a town hall's problems when it<BR>comes to communicating with the public," said Paul Osborn, the council's head<BR>of communications.<BR> <BR><A href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081103/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_no_latin" target=_blank>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081103/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_no_latin</A><BR></PRE><br /><hr />Free upgrade for your Windows Live Messenger! <a href='http://get.live.com' target='_new'>Click here!</a></body>
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