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ORIGINAL: calamitysandra

Hippie, you have got mail.

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

Smith:
I don't know when your father was in Okinawa but I spent a little time there and I never found a bar that would not serve you if you spoke English.  I guarantee you if there were one we would have gone there and changed it.  The reason being was that we outnumbered them.
Japan on the other hand had Japanese only bars.  It was not a function of if they would serve you if you spoke Japanese it was a function of you could not get in if you were not Japanese.  These bars represented maybe 1/10 of 1% of the bars. 
thompson

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

Smith:
Your statement that I asked you to clarify was that Mexico "gave" the land to the U.S.   Your response to my question states clearly that the U.S. forced Mexico to "give" this land to the U.S.  This would seem to strain the meaning of the word.  How do you justify the use of the word give if the party doing the giving has a gun to his head?
I am sure you are aware that the U.S. had tried to buy California from Mexico for $50,000,000 (1.1 billion in 2006 dollars) which Mexico declined.  The U.S. then proceeded to take by force what they could not buy.  Instead of California for 1.1 billion they got California,Arizona,Nevada,New Mexico,Texas and parts of Oklahoma and Colorado for 313 million in 2006 dollars.  Roughly six times the land mass for about one third the original offer that was declined.  I am sure you have done your research and know that the 68 million in claims were paid off at pennies on the dollar and that many were dismissed by the courts as having no merit.  So please let us not be disingenuous as to how the land was acquired. 
I have no problem with a country who creates an empire and proudly claims its position as an imperial power.  Don't you find it disingenuous in the extreme to thug another country out of its land and then claim that it was given freely.
thompson

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

Funny, an entire country can speak english, but mexicans can't be bothered to learn it.

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

Smith:
Just what part of being prejudice do you think is a good thing or in your words "not a bad thing"?
thompson

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

Funny, an entire country can speak english, but mexicans can't be bothered to learn it.

Generalise much? 

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ORIGINAL: Gemini1766
Oh, and there's the fact that we, as Americans, are so self absorbed that we don't consider the usefulness of learning other lanugages. I used to speak German, and I want to relearn it, and I want to learn Spanish too.

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

Arguing how it was vs. how it is now is pointless.
Since you have never been there how would you know?  We are not talking about now we are talking about when your dad was there which was more or less contemporary to when I was there.



Yes they changed, and yes a large part of Japan speaks english.
While I never mentioned who or how many people in Japan speak English I will point out that mandatory English classes start in the sixth grade in Japan.  It is required for one to continue up through graduation from college.  I know this because I taught English at Ehemi University in Japan in the late sixties.


Funny, an entire country can speak english, but mexicans can't be bothered to learn it.
Perhaps it is because the Mexicans who come here to do stoop labor are for the most part illiterate and many do not read and write in their native language.  Many are "los Indios" and command Spanish only imperfectly.  My experience has been that within six months of crossing the border they can carry on a conversation well enough to buy their necessities and do what is necessary to survive...not bad for someone who is illiterate. 

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

Often. I find it more amusing to watch others' knee-jerk reactions to my generalizations. It's like watching a movie, but with no popcorn.

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

Smith:
Your statement that I asked you to clarify was that Mexico "gave" the land to the U.S.   Your response to my question states clearly that the U.S. forced Mexico to "give" this land to the U.S.  This would seem to strain the meaning of the word.  How do you justify the use of the word give if the party doing the giving has a gun to his head?
I am sure you are aware that the U.S. had tried to buy California from Mexico for $50,000,000 (1.1 billion in 2006 dollars) which Mexico declined.  The U.S. then proceeded to take by force what they could not buy.  Instead of California for 1.1 billion they got California,Arizona,Nevada,New Mexico,Texas and parts of Oklahoma and Colorado for 313 million in 2006 dollars.  Roughly six times the land mass for about one third the original offer that was declined.  I am sure you have done your research and know that the 68 million in claims were paid off at pennies on the dollar and that many were dismissed by the courts as having no merit.  So please let us not be disingenuous as to how the land was acquired. 
I have no problem with a country who creates an empire and proudly claims its position as an imperial power.  Don't you find it disingenuous in the extreme to thug another country out of its land and then claim that it was given freely.
thompson

How or why they chose to gave it is irrelevant. It goes back to my "we won, they lost" point. I don't care if they're upset we won. The fact is we won. They can't use that as an excuse to why they sneak in here everyday without learning our language and trying to become legal citizens.

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ORIGINAL: Smith117
Often. I find it more amusing to watch others' knee-jerk reactions to my generalizations. It's like watching a movie, but with no popcorn.

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

Smith:
Just what part of being prejudice do you think is a good thing or in your words "not a bad thing"?
thompson

That is something that's different for everyone. The way the world is becoming, if you're not at least a little prejudiced, you're naive. And if you're naive, you're a target.

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ORIGINAL: domahpet

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ORIGINAL: Smith117
Often. I find it more amusing to watch others' knee-jerk reactions to my generalizations. It's like watching a movie, but with no popcorn.

 here you go smith ;)

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ORIGINAL: Smith117

Oh you misunderstand the crux of the problem. Many *do* want to learn another language. However, we don't want to be forced to learn a specific one just to do business or interact with people in our own country.

See....if I had a vacation planned for Japan, I'd start looking for the Japanese-english dictionary....perhaps get that rosetta stone program, etc. Same as if I were going to any country where the dominant language wasn't english.

However, I feel (and maybe I'm just cynical) that when I go to a BURGER KING a mile from my residence, in the upper central area of Dallas, Texas, I should be able to order a number 4 without the cashier looking at me like she has no clue what I'm saying. It's funny, the hispanic couple in front of me ordered completely in spanish and there was no isue at all. I get up to the counter, in an AMERICAN eatery, in the middle of an AMERICAN CITY.....and speak english and I am not understood.

THAT is what I have a problem with.

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

quote:

ORIGINAL: Smith117

Oh you misunderstand the crux of the problem. Many *do* want to learn another language. However, we don't want to be forced to learn a specific one just to do business or interact with people in our own country.

See....if I had a vacation planned for Japan, I'd start looking for the Japanese-english dictionary....perhaps get that rosetta stone program, etc. Same as if I were going to any country where the dominant language wasn't english.

However, I feel (and maybe I'm just cynical) that when I go to a BURGER KING a mile from my residence, in the upper central area of Dallas, Texas, I should be able to order a number 4 without the cashier looking at me like she has no clue what I'm saying. It's funny, the hispanic couple in front of me ordered completely in spanish and there was no isue at all. I get up to the counter, in an AMERICAN eatery, in the middle of an AMERICAN CITY.....and speak english and I am not understood.

THAT is what I have a problem with.

Smith:
It would seem a simple thing to do to simply ask for the manager.  If he cannot solve your problem a call to corporate headquarters.  You see BK is in business to sell food to who ever will pay them.  They want your money and will respond to your needs.  If BK finds that they have employees who cannot get your money in the most expeditious manner you may rest assured that that employee will be looking for another job...dare I say "pronto"
thompson