I can’t stand when Europeans get uppity about the USA’s culture being imported there.
My dudes, you’ve been importing your culture to the USA for 400 years.
What dominant language do Americans speak? Where do burgers, pizza, and beer come from? You think Americans just came up with that stuff on their own?
Actually, since 1492, you Europeans have been colonizing the whole world. You weren’t just importing your cultures, you were making it downright mandatory.
Here are some reasons many countries in Europe are trying curb the englishification of society:
(This could also be the status of african and asian countries)
People are afraid of national languages, and especially local and indiginous languages to go lost. Many european countries do a lot of work to incorporate local and indiginous languages, which americans countries like USA and Canada doesn't really do as much (except for french maybe). This is through mandatory regulations
@atomicpoet to include language options in the private sector, in the state, county & commune, but also through political resolution and other regulations that boost non-english speaking use.
Media and internet is overwhelmingly Americanized and englishified for ease of distrubution and development. Non-english products don't have the the same oppertunities, and english speaking products don't take the costs to translate their products.
@atomicpoet This has lead to goverments to regulate things like Netflix to have to have a certain amount of local language content if they should be able to do business in the country.
Language is also seen as reflecting the cultural mindframe, views and history of it's people. The attack of the english language and media is seen as an attack pushing
@atomicpoet American views and culture, where most european countries feel that they might have better, more just and progressive societies and cultures in their country. Making one want to see more of ones own culture and language on the world stage
@atomicpoet and regarding the point about european colonialism, and how european countries should just take the hit.
I think as european countries have converted from kingdoms to democratic countries, they have also turned less colonialistic.
I therefore think it's weird to talk about it this way.
It's not people are unhappy because what european countries does finally is used against them. Most european countries except Russia and Belarus try to go against colonialism.
@talleraas No, Europe hasn’t suddenly become more enlightened. And no, you’re not suddenly anti-colonial. Everything you are saying is easy to debunk and downright hypocritical.
Spain is doing nothing to protect Basque. Breton is not an official language in France. European colonies still exist.
The only reason you feel “attacked” by English is because European colonization has been very successful.
@atomicpoet this would make sense if I talked about those countries specifically. But you are using the term european, which covers a wast array of countries, some of wich that were victims of colonial rule.
I'm from scandinavia, so I don't really take it personally at all. Scandinavia (+ findland) sees itself somewhat culturally seperate from Europe. And no country in the world is as just, or good on language persevation or as progressive as them.
@talleraas What are talking about? Denmark still has colonies. There’s more land in Greenland than Denmark itself.
But all of this is bloody funny because, for a good long time, Scandinavians were the biggest European colonizers of them all. The French and English weren’t the first Europeans in Canada. It was the Vikings.
@atomicpoet it's not correct to call greenland a colony. In that sense, Australia is a colony of the UK. These are autonomous regions with their own government.
I think it's also smart to percieve how vindictive you act. When I say that european some european countries have been victims of colonialism, it's hardly fair to act as if I think all scandinavian countries have not been colonist powers.
And it's not very useful to call vikings colonist powers, then every nation...
@atomicpoet Has been colonist. But colonism refers to a specific time in period where world stage imperial factions claimed land around the world. Many old cultures certainly would take over land and act colonistic. But this way the term stays useful, or else the Aztec empire was a colony power, which is hardly useful to common people.
@talleraas No, not every nation has been a colonial power. I’d point out many to you, but at this point I’m tired of doing all the work for someone so set in their opinions.
Colonialism is not in the distant past. Its effects are still real. Many European nations still colonize.
Talking about these facts doesn’t make me “vindictive” just because it makes you uncomfortable.
@atomicpoet have some time to think about it at least. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I'm not calling you vindictive because you are krass, but because you are acting unfairly. But you don't need to act likeable to me, but other people will probably dislike you as well
Anyhow we do it, most people recognize european countries to be far superiour places be and live in than Canada. It's kind of pointless to discuss that. But the background on the european perspective on languages and colonialism is a bit more useful
@thepoliticalcat@talleraas If anything, this thread is a welcome opportunity to remind certain people that the Fediverse isn’t a safe space, nor an intrinsically better space, for marginalized people than other forms of social media.
Eurocentrism and white supremacy is very much a thing over here. And when I say this, I’m apparently “unlikable”. 😄
@atomicpoet@thepoliticalcat
I'll unfollow you and leave you alone. I hope you are in a healthier frame of mind in the future, even though you clearly also are dishonest and vindictive after, I think, being met with some very reasonable retort and perspectives
Calling me eurocentrist, when I from the start framed this as not necessarilly inherently a european thing, and that countries in Asia and Africa possibly feeling simirarly
Talk about being petty & too much ego to admit you are wrong 😟
@thepoliticalcat well, I felt compelled to express myself as a former follower (for some time too) and standing up for myself to such an awful characterization.
At least I should be offered that little humanity
But this is clearly the shameless part of the fediverse, where people just turn petty and make bad characterizations of other people when it becomes apparent you are just an ignorant person
But I think most reasonable people see that as well, so i'm not too bothered by characterization
@mxtthxw@atomicpoet True, but it's not like the CIA travels the globe forcing people to listen to Bon Jovi, or the RCMP go to Portugal and force people to listen to Nickelback at gunpoint
European settlers came to the "New World", and forced the people who were already here to talk like them, dress like them, listen to their music, and like it, on pain of death
Add comment