Austria goes "German Only"

by Adam 35 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  LB

  In case you didn't know it LB, your parents probably also took advantage of freebies the governement offered when they were younger.

  You are very mistaken. The only help they received was from the salvation army. This consisted of a couple of meals during the first month here. They had to find work and they took anything that came along. My parents learned the language starting on the boat ride over. My mother worked as a kitchen worker and my father took work in a hat factory for a dollar a day.

  It's ok, I don't pay nearly enough in taxes now. By the way, there were no federal income taxes when my parents came over. It was do or die.

  America, land of the free ride. Except for tax payers

  
  Never Squat With Yer Spurs On
• 

  Adam

  Oh, LDH. I realize that we are in agreement on many points. I even agree about the free classes you put in bold and italics, read my fist post. However, here are a few points I think you need to consider.
  1. Contrary to your last statement, I do NOT assume that people aren't learning the language on their own.
  2. While true that the world is moving to a universal economy, the international language of business is already English.
  3. The statement that I am using the language issue as a "red herring argument to limit immigration into this country" is simply not true. I bring up the language issue for the very clear reasons I have already stated in previous posts. Again, you're running to defend the helpless who are not even under attack.
  4. Should people in Southern Britan feel bad that they don't know Italian? The Romans were once there. Should the Mexicans feel bad that they don't know Aztec? The Spanish came second This arguement is rediculous. Consider this: You said "...when the immigrants from Europe came here. As a group, did they make an effort to learn those languages? No, they didn't. Period." You seem to feel that they should have made that effort. Why then shouldn't the immigrants coming to America today make that same effort you feel the Europeans should have made? Are two wrongs making a right here?
• 

  LDH

  Adam,

  I agree with the majority of your points, I really do. It's just that I keep in mind that there are many others reading posts like these and they may be prone to EXTREME thoughts, especially when reading posts like Princess' (sorry girl) that are prone to make negative nationalism flare up. They'll just sit behind their screen and think, "Dammit yer right! Damn these Asains, they are taking over the country!" (I am NOT criticizing Princess here, only the story she related.)

  Do you know how hard it is to get a franchise? Taken directly from their corporate website, here are the minimum requirements.

  Minimum Financial Requirements
  
  Requirements may vary according to market. The liquid assets and net worth required is per unit opened. For example, the liquid assets in NY is $250K per store and the net worth per store is $500k. The NY market has an additional requirement of 2 units per new franchisee. In this example a new franchisee would need $500 liqiud assets and $1 million in net worth.

  &
  

  What type of training will I have to attend before I open my store?

  You will be required to successfully complete the appropriate brand(s) training program prior to opening your store. Depending on the brand(s), training will take place in California and/or Massachusetts. You will also be required to attend the company's business course within six-months after your store opens in Massachusetts.

  I'm thinking these people were just workers but I could be wrong.

  I have noticed, particularly XJW think the world is either black or white, due to years of cult indoctrination. HOWEVER, the real world does not operate that way, there is give and take. Misconceptions only give way to more stereotypes, whether gender or ethnically based.

  I absolutely wish everyone in this country spoke perfect English, but when it comes down to it, it pisses me off *more* that little Johnny and Susie (that were born here) can't even pass a friggin' high school exit exam and yet they look down their noses at immigrants who speak broken or heavily accented English.

  My whole point about the First Nations/English argument is that given lots and lots of time (which is all history is comprised of) the language of ANY given region may change. For whatever reason.

  Lisa
• 

  expatbrit

  Adam:

  The invisible R, hey? I know what you mean, as I used to frequently be asked about my pronunciation of Jehovah as Jehover.

  I don't think there is any real answer to that, except that it's just the way Brits tend to pronounce vowels in our various accents, and the way it sounds to the North American ear. North Americans tend to emphasize the "a" sound, and Brits tend to slur it a bit like we are chewing a bit of crumpet while speaking.

  An equivalent question I could ask from the other direction is "what about all those t's pronounced as d's?

  For instance, the word "daughter", to my ear, sounds like "dorder" when spoken by a North American. "Attic" sounds like "addic", and so on.

  I think it's just in the ear of the hearer, as well as the mouth of the speaker. After a length of exposure, you get used to it and don't notice it any more. Then you notice that you are starting to do it yourself, because it's easier to alter your own pronunciation than repeat yourself three times.

  Consequently, in Canada I now ask for a "Cohwk" rather than a "Coke", and find myself lengthening my vowel sounds. I also speak Chinese quite a lot, and have extremely confused spelling.

  Expatbrit
• 

  fodeja

  Princess-

  We should at least have a law that to own a business you must speak the language of your customers, but I do agree with you Adam.

  Er, excuse me - is anyone forcing you to buy your ice cream there, or is there some kind of amendment to the US constution that you have a right to buy your ice cream there? If a business doesn't speak the language of its customers, it will fail, end of story. If your local Baskin-Robbins succeeds even though the guys selling ice cream only speak Baha Indonesia, then it's obviously a good business, and it's contributing to the country's wealth by providing jobs and paying taxes. That's capitalism. That's how free markets are supposed to work. And that's the heart and soul of the American way as preached throughout the whole wide world, isn't it?

  (Unless we're speaking of protecting a structurally deficient steel industry from too much international competition, but I digress ;-))

  f.
• 

  LoneWolf

  LOL, expatbrit and Adam. I've always loved the different accents.

  Reminds me of when I was highschool years ago. (1954-1958) The English teacher got mad at me one day. "Tom Howell, do you or do you not want to learn English?" She demanded.

  "Heck no!" Came my answer. "I speak American." She didn't appreciate it.

  LoneWolf