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[rossby]

He advocates military tribunals against brown people and border security to keep brown people out.  I haven't heard him advocate a Canadian border fence.

Do we have a [perceived] "immigration problem" with Canada?

Then again, why inject color into the discussion?

[rossby]

And the general Laziness of most Americans (and the failure of schools to prepare students for a Global Trade Economy) should not be an excuse to impose a national language by fiat.

Laziness is an excuse I don't buy. Most Americans simply have no substantial reason to speak another language. And you really cannot speak a language if other people around you aren't speaking it.

[Ed]

Why should we be forced to pay for translations?

Frankly, I don't actually care about that, since it makes up a teensy part of state and national budgets (hiring translators). But I the argument doesn't make sense to me.

That is of course only in the case where "establishing a national language" only means that our government bureaucracies will deal only with English. Now, issues with schools, employment laws, and anti-discrimination laws are a whole 'nother bag of potatoes.

[Ed]

I want to learn Spanish - but all the classes always teach it with writing. Which adds an extra mental-processing step, so you don't really learn to speak the language.

Anyone know where the hell I can find ORAL Spanish classes? Does such a thing exist? I've only heard of Rosetta stone.

[FreedomFred]

I want to learn Spanish - but all the classes always teach it with writing. Which adds an extra mental-processing step, so you don't really learn to speak the language.

Anyone know where the hell I can find ORAL Spanish classes? Does such a thing exist? I've only heard of Rosetta stone.

The best way to learn a language is by total immersion. If you can find a bunch of people that speaks Spanish on a regular basis -- not hard to do -- and befriend them, that would be perfect. Listen to Spanish programming daily. Just turn on the radio and play in in the background and listen.

I've been trying to learn French, but this is harder to do. Very few French radio stations in Southern NH for me to receive, and aside from a couple of French Meetups and what not, not much in the way of total immersion to be had. Tres mal.

[creaganlios]

Laziness is an excuse I don't buy. Most Americans simply have no substantial reason to speak another language. And you really cannot speak a language if other people around you aren't speaking it.

I'm not sure about that, BD...when you combine the number of Americans living in California, the Southwest, Florida, and the urban, ex-urban, and even suburban areas of the northeast, that's an AWFUU LOT of Americans living in proximity to those who speak a language other than English as a first language...

[creaganlios]

I've been trying to learn French, but this is harder to do. Very few French radio stations in Southern NH for me to receive, and aside from a couple of French Meetups and what not, not much in the way of total immersion to be had. Tres mal.

There is actually a French radio station you can get in the Monadnock area (around 91.1, I think) early in th emorning (6 - 7:30 am) that i listen to fairly frequently. 

Where in the state are you?  I've actually run into three other people who wanted to get a French conversation group together (beginner's level).  I used to teach French and was considering facilitating it....

[KBCraig]

There is actually a French radio station you can get in the Monadnock area (around 91.1, I think) early in th emorning (6 - 7:30 am) that i listen to fairly frequently. 

XM channels 88 & 89 are French. There might be others.

Edit to add: 97, 125, and 172 are also French.

[Uncle Walt]

On my cable ... there's a Spanish station that shows movies/TV shows that have been translated to Spanish.
Try watching Seinfeld in Spanish.  lol

You can also use the foreign language installs on video games. 

Other than Rosetta Stone ... I think Berlitz has a similar system?
I'm looking for a system that doesn't focus on writing, as well.

BTW - "Klingon" is a recognized language by the state of Oregon.  If you ask for an interpreter, they will provide one.

[10stateswithnh]

I've been trying to learn French, but this is harder to do. Very few French radio stations in Southern NH for me to receive, and aside from a couple of French Meetups and what not, not much in the way of total immersion to be had. Tres mal.

I had thought you might be able to get AM stations from Quebec there. Sometimes at night I get stations on my car radio from Denver, and that's about the same distance away for me. You might try shortwave I suppose.

[KBCraig]

On my cable ... there's a Spanish station that shows movies/TV shows that have been translated to Spanish.
Try watching Seinfeld in Spanish.  lol

I went to a two week Spanish immersion course, and our nightly entertainment was movies that had been overdubbed in Spanish. The funniest was Forrest Gump. Imagine an exagerrated Southern accent speaking Spanish: "Corre, Forrest, corre!" (pronounced "koh-ray-uh"  )

[FreeStyle]

Here in Tilton when we moved in there was nothing but radio.  We easily get a french speaking quebec station.  It was quite enjoyable.

I enjoy hearing languages other than my own.  If people like Ed feel that we need some sort of national language so that government has an easier job with paperwork and road signs then perhaps you'd feel the same if someone chose that language to be something other than English.  Maybe Chinese.

If you don't want to pay for the numerous translations, perhaps you should not pay at all, or force your government to stop requiring people to fill out their forms.  Road signs?  Weren't they moving towards pictures anyways?

I'm not interested in a national language.  It's a pretty pompous idea to force others into learning your language simply to make life easier for government people (and less costly to you, who choose to keep paying).

[FTL_Ian]

Sorry, but while Ron is for ending the War on Drugs, Rand is not.  The guy is nothing to write home about, and no friend to liberty.

[Sovereign Laissez-faire LeRoux]

Voting might be a potential tool up in NH for affecting change toward more liberty, but progress seems slow. The governor vetoed the decriminalization of marijuana up there? One a-hole trumps how much work from the FSP? Now imagine the effectiveness of a political movement oriented towards voting and liberty in the national elections. There isn't even anyone to vote for. The only real tools in the hands of the People now to oppose the tyranny is jury nullification and civil disobedience, combined with intellectual activism. But, to be effective, the CD must be organized, united, and comprehensive. It shows great courage to risk or even intentionally obtain an arrest for yourself, but its a whole new level of Balls to go in to the 'court' and face the 'judge' in his mighty robe dress up on his grande pedestal of power. But, this is what it will take to really change things. The attorneys aren't going to surrender their power.

If you break the immoral statutes and then go in the 'court' and "plead" and otherwise obfuscate your purpose, accept their attorney as if you are a child who can not speak for yourself, you nullify the benefits of the CD in my eyes, you delegitimize yourself. If you are going to do CD and accept/instigate an arrest, than Stand up in 'court', without an attorney, and make your case that the statute/code/ordinance is unjust and/or unconstitutional. The 'attorney' will NOT make a case for jury nullification for you as it will put his unconstitutional "license to practice law" at great risk and may even get him a 'contempt' charge. They will NOT argue the injustice of the rule. They will throw you on the 'mercy' of the scumbags, delegitimizing the CD. Don't play their game.

[FreedomFred]

Voting might be a potential tool up in NH for affecting change toward more liberty, but progress seems slow. The governor vetoed the decriminalization of marijuana up there? One a-hole trumps how much work from the FSP? Now imagine the effectiveness of a political movement oriented towards voting and liberty in the national elections. There isn't even anyone to vote for. The only real tools in the hands of the People now to oppose the tyranny is jury nullification and civil disobedience, combined with intellectual activism. But, to be effective, the CD must be organized, united, and comprehensive. It shows great courage to risk or even intentionally obtain an arrest for yourself, but its a whole new level of Balls to go in to the 'court' and face the 'judge' in his mighty robe dress up on his grande pedestal of power. But, this is what it will take to really change things. The attorneys aren't going to surrender their power.

If you break the immoral statutes and then go in the 'court' and "plead" and otherwise obfuscate your purpose, accept their attorney as if you are a child who can not speak for yourself, you nullify the benefits of the CD in my eyes, you delegitimize yourself. If you are going to do CD and accept/instigate an arrest, than Stand up in 'court', without an attorney, and make your case that the statute/code/ordinance is unjust and/or unconstitutional. The 'attorney' will NOT make a case for jury nullification for you as it will put his unconstitutional "license to practice law" at great risk and may even get him a 'contempt' charge. They will NOT argue the injustice of the rule. They will throw you on the 'mercy' of the scumbags, delegitimizing the CD. Don't play their game.

Agreed.

We must all learn the details of going pro-se to protect our liberties in court. It takes some time to learn the  ropes, but you'll be better off for it.

And you can tell all those lawyers what to do with themselves. You can be just as effective as they can be, perhaps even more so.