I mean, on the one hand it’s easy to mock the European Union about their latest translation problem. On the other hand, you try translating the entire legal code of a multinational political entity into a variety of languages, including Maltese (a language whose rank on the Most Popular Tongues list is in serious danger of being overtaken by Klingon). On the gripping hand, I’m not seeing how the EU hopes to keep things coherent when it has to provide every law in umpteen different languages. Two, I can see (and probably will see; I suspect that the USA will go officially bilingual English/Spanish in my lifetime); three, maybe. Ten? Twelve? I suspect that this will act as a fairly powerful block for full integration… at least, until they decide to bite the bullet and pick an official language. Which would be about half a century from now, so don’t hold your breath.
‘Course, even when they pick an official tongue, I don’t know which one they should pick – well, that’s a lie. I know which one that they should pick, but I don’t think that the European Union’s all that interested in setting policy to make my country’s life easier.
(Via Drezner)
Moe
I’m curious. Why do conservatives feel a need to constantly attack the EU, even when there isn’t a war in the offing?
“I’m curious. Why do conservatives feel a need to constantly attack the EU, even when there isn’t a war in the offing?”
If you think that qualifies as an attack, Mithras, then I suggest that you avoid all forms of popular media until after the November election.
No, no. I wasn’t referring to the post per se. I meant in general.
Just logistically, it would make perfect sense for the EU to decide that there should be four official languages, and these four should be (alphabetical order), English, French, German, and Spanish: while making it an obligation to provide translation for all and any written material into any EU language on request.
But one of the strengths of the EU is its diversity combined with economic strength. I don’t know how they’ll resolve this, but I’m fairly sure they’ll work it out.
Mithras, I suspect the answer to your question is: Conservative Americans see that the EU is the only economic power that can rival the US, and it’s a growing and youthful power that is only to increase down the decades. Combine economic strength with military strength, and the US has reason to fear that it will no longer be the world’s only superpower. Conservatives who want the US to run the world without any significant power to challenge US authority, anywhere, will naturally fear the challenge represented by the EU: and where conservatives fear a challenge, they attack viciously.
I think we should make it Latin.
Jesurgislac: How far off do you think China might be from becoming a superpower?
“No, no. I wasn’t referring to the post per se. I meant in general.”
Oh. Well, then, in general conservatives no more feel the need to constantly attack the EU than liberals feel the need to, say, push for stronger gun-control laws: which is to say, the loud cries coming from the respective fringes tend to obscure the much larger percentage who aren’t all that exercised about the issue.
Moe
Moe.
You get major props for using “on the gripping hand” correctly in a sentence. 😀
Personally, I think the wisest course is for the EU to adopt one or two languages as the “official” langauges for the conduct of official business. People in Europe, in general, are a lot more likely to be bilingual in the first place, and there’s certainly precedent–English being the language of international air travel, for instance.
If I were to make a recommendation, I’d say (keeping in mind that precedent) English and French. But I’m not in Europe.
“You get major props for using “on the gripping hand” correctly in a sentence.”
Gracias. As to your recommendation… this may be a case where the best option is the least-bad one. The amalgamation of Europe still seems inevitable, based on current trends: a too-rigorous language policy could very easily backfire and produce ethnic/nationalist strife. But easing their way into a official language program is going to hamper their efficiency. (Shrug) They’re making it up as they go along, and I’m curious to see where they end up. Not quite where anybody (optimist or pessimist) expects, I fancy.
It’s going to get worse, not better. Soon there will be more native speakers of Turkish in the EU than native speakers of Spanish. And there are many other candidates
Though interestingly, there are fewer living languages in Europe than in any other region. They just have much more parity.
Though interestingly, there are fewer living languages in Europe than in any other region. They just have much more parity.
Hmmm…in the region right around my house, it’s just English. If you go out more than a quarter mile, though, Spanish starts to vie for English for most popular.
Personally I don’t think that much of what gets called EU bashing ought to count as bashing. Noticing that part of their economic success comes from free-riding off of US defense expenditures isn’t bashing. Saying that they want more control of international events through institutions like the UN, but that they want the US to pay for it, isn’t bashing. Pointing out that European countries claimed to think Afghanistan was important, are currently complaining that it isn’t being handled well, but are not seemingly interested in dramatically increasing their own expenditures in Afghanistan isn’t bashing.
It is just pointing out difficulties in transatlantic reations.