Re: Academic/scientific journals in Esperanto?

From: Christopher Culver (christopher_culver_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 02/05/05 

Date: 4 Feb 2005 17:45:39 -0800

Manuel M Campagna wrote:
> No language is natural (notwithstanding the linguistics manuals I
studied
> in the university), as every language that is actually in use is a
product
> of its society, therefore a cultural fact

There is a difference between a language created by natural processes
by a culture, and a language created ex nihilo by a 19th-century
eccentric.

> It's business as usual for an ordinary American to contribute to
> quarrels.

How amusing that you attack me for my national origin, nevermind that I
actually spend the majority of my time outside of the United States and
have been seeking for some time to get some foreign passport. Do you
think that I would have lasted so long in the Esperanto movement if I
was an "ordinary" American? Do you think my solitary travels would be
so productive and fruitful if my company was unpleasant to Europeans?
Do you think I having an interest in multilingualism makes me a typical
American, for after all they rarely bother to learn foreign languages?

> Public education in the US actively promotes dissention
> (if not quarreling) and competition. Cooperation just isn't their
> bag (they insist others should "contribute" [i.e. obey their orders],
> though). When at age 13 I spent part of a summer in a summer camp in
the
> US, they (they being RC brothers) promoted quarrels between kids, and
> then suggested that they don boxing gloves on Saturday evening for
the
> enjoyment of the rest of the kids.

Meanwhile, I was once treated badly by a French person myself,
therefore all French people must be bad. Does such an argument make
sense to you? Propagating national stereotypes serves the conversation
no good. What happened to the inter-ethnic tolerance which Esperantists
are so proud of?

> Lavx la kongresa raporto en la revuo "esperanto" li faris publikan
> adiavxon _en_ Esperanto dum la solena fermo de la kongreso. Imagu,
iuj
> estas informitaj.

He read from a prepared text with little knowledge of the language, as
outside visitors often do at UK (like President Mesic of Croatia in
2001, the Chinese representatives last year, etc.)

> Would you have spat (another stupid irregular verb) at him,
Christopher?

You misunderstand. I am holding Durand up as an example of the kind of
people Esperantists should welcome. Even if they are not interested in
Esperanto itself, their defence of strong multilingualism is the only
way to defend regional cultures. Unfortunately, few respected his
presence.

> I, for one, see Esperanto as an eventual protection for my language
(French).

It doesn't seem to protect French very well. Try speaking French at an
Esperanto congress and see how quickly you are scolded.

> I don't think English will protect my language. Don't give me ***.

I am not saying that English will protect your language. But Esperanto
won't help it either.
 
Christopher Culver

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