Comments on: New Secretary-General Ban: I like the reform rhetoric, at least (and then there’s the French…)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 00:23:44 +0000

Burp.

[This post seems to have given troll stevie indigestion.]

Edited By Siteowner

By: bugs

bugs — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 02:04:51 +0000

France *requires*?

Pardonnez moi as I retrieve my lower jaw, which has just dropped to the floor and bounced across the room.

Maybe Ban should “require” the rest of those nosepickers to speak Korean. I’d throw in for a set of Berlitz tapes if it would help.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 02:43:11 +0000

corruption is rampant there and reform is sorely needed.

They need to reform it so that corruption is harder to find. Whether corruption actually goes lower, that is something else, Neo. Doublespeak words, galore.

Yes, you heard me right; apparently France requires all Secretaries-General to speak French.

Remember Neo, the French think we are arrogant in America. Just remember that, next time you are in Paris. (which I hope to be never)

Bugs, you didn’t hear about Chirac walking out of a cabinet meeting because one presenter was speaking English instead of French in France?

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 03:05:42 +0000

French has been the diplomatic language for a few hundred years. That’s what this is about.

Should it be supplanted by another language, like, say, English? I would think so.

By: bugs

bugs — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 05:35:35 +0000

Ah, facts. Facts are good. They make this not outrageous anymore - just a little bit sad for proponents of French.

Whatever happened to Esperanto?

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 05:47:16 +0000

bugs: the whole part about France requiring Ban to speak French comes from the linked Slate article. I put it in there somewhat tongue-in-cheek–I probably should have made it clear the phrase was from the article.

I myself recall learning back in my school days that French was the language of diplomacy. I also recall that in recent years English has been making encroachments. That may be the origin of the “require” phrase–France is probably reluctant to let go of this trace of its former glory.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 07:41:07 +0000

Probably? France banned the word e-mail and came up with a french word to officially replace it.

By: harry

harry — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 10:36:14 +0000

Are they still torching cars over there, or did they run out of Renaults?

Its probably not a coincidence the international language of diplomacy is Fwench. It makes for elegant surrender documents.

When its time to talk to Iran, that’s the language our guys should be speaking.

By: douglas

douglas — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:05:11 +0000

Officially, the French have an academe that certifies all new words in the French language. Problem is they can’t actually do it fast enough. ‘Le e-mail’ comes into common usage before they even know what it is to come up with a ‘purely’ French term. It’s hubris to the nth degree.

French WAS the official language of diplomacy. Before WWII, at best. Since then it’s de facto English. Just try and travel somewhere and use the native language. Those in tourist areas inevitably WANT to speak to you in English to practice it more, and because it’s easier than hearing you butcher their language. It also serves as the moderator between people of differing languages, but who both speak a little english (pretty much the whole educated world).

A little side anecdote- it’s been said that in the German speaking world, if you ask ‘Do you speak English?’ you’ll get one of two replies- “a little” which means they are fluent, or “yes” which means their English is better than yours!