Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Benny B on April 29, 2010, 07:02:12 AM
-
April 29, 2010
The Candidate From Xenophobia
As primary elections approach across the land, the award for best bottom-feeding campaigner surely belongs to Tim James, an Alabama gubernatorial candidate who vows to put an end to that grave threat posed by driver’s license tests being conducted in any language but English. “This is Alabama. We speak English,” Mr. James warns in a make-my-day growl.
“If you want to live here, learn it,” he declares in a video ad attacking the simple fact that the test is now offered in multiple languages, the same as in other states.
Running in a four-way Republican nomination race, Mr. James, a business executive, is transparently intent on tapping into the anti-immigrant, anti-government mood of malcontent voters. “We’re only giving that test in English if I’m governor,” he promises.
A primary race, in which politicians compete to pander to the basest instincts of their party’s base voters, can be a fantasy universe. In the case of Mr. James’s version of Alabama, it ignores the fact that the state has been quite successful in wooing foreign automakers to take root with workers who speak Japanese, Korean and German. And English.
The state is now ethnically rich enough to offer tests in those languages plus Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Greek, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese and American Sign Language.
Mr. James’s spin on the Know Nothing Movement has a track history reflected in an English-only driver’s test amendment already in the State Constitution. This dates to an earlier xenophobic exercise, but the state wisely declines to enforce it because court rulings suggest that doing so could cost taxpayers considerable federal aid.
Mr. James insists that he is not pandering to voters partial to hateful rhetoric about alien newcomers. He’s worried about safety on the roads and the ability of drivers to understand signs, according to his campaign.
Alabama voters should be insulted. The ploy is right out of the playbook of Willie Stark, the fantasy gubernatorial candidate in Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.” Stark heeded campaign advice to low-road the voters: “Stir them up and they’ll love it and come back for more, but, for heaven’s sakes, don’t try to improve their minds.”
-
Speak English or die guy!
-
Speak English or die ####!
::)
-
Benny: go to Juatamala and demand that everything be put in English to suit you and see how far you get.
-
it's funny how speak english or die has become a somewhat parroted verse. I sincerely hope those who use it realise it's a satirical statement meant to get a rise out of people. There are a few cover versions out there which SOD have said they enjoy like "Speak Japanese or Die" etc. Kind of funny how you've misconstrued the meaning of the lyrics to fit your own warped view.
-
Benny: go to Juatamala and demand that everything be put in English to suit you and see how far you get.
Typically ignorant xenophobe. People don't seem to understand that the impetus to make services available in other languages is NOT done primarily for the benefit of those who speak those languages, ...but for the benefit of those providing the services.
At my bank, we have tellers and employees fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, punjabi, Gujerati, Tagalog, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Polish etc., etc.,
If they insisted on English only, they would not get the business of all those who speak other languages.
All those additional services & investments they market... mutual funds, money market accounts etc would not have as big a market share. Whenever business does something supposedly "to accomodate"... you can rest assured that "accomodation" comes with a big profit motive behind it. Bottom line is all these people who speak other languages pose huge potential dollar signs for business, and they will capitalize on that regardless of how xenophobic the baser elements in society are.
If you were smart, you'd hire yourself a Spanish speaking employee and tap the hispanic marketplace. I'm sure many hispanic businesses have debts they want collected too, ...and their money is just as green as anyone elses.
ps: it is spelled Guatemala.
-
Most of those people get nothing in writing, work without licenses, and are usually in the worst position legally in court. ;D
-
At my bank, we have tellers and employees fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, punjabi, Gujerati, Tagalog, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Polish etc., etc.,
If they insisted on English only, they would not get the business of all those who speak other languages.
Where do you live?
-
Where do you live?
I live in the greatest country on the planet, the one the UN listed as the best place to live at least 8 yrs in a row.
...the True North strong & free. :)
(http://www.jaguarenterprises.net/images/proud_wp.gif)
-
yeah...u live in a country that doesn't matter...America's hat.
-
yeah...u live in a country that doesn't matter...America's hat.
(http://www.jaguarenterprises.net/images/canadatop.jpg)
-
(http://www.jaguarenterprises.net/images/canadatop.jpg)
LOL
-
Ur military fits into Ralph Wilson stadium with room to spare....
-
Ur military fits into Ralph Wilson stadium with room to spare....
They got the mounties
-
I agree 110% with this guys positions. The problem is that he comes off like a total redneck. Juan Williams was sitting in for Bill O'Reilly yesterday and this guy made me cringe everytime he opened his mouth.
-
Ur military fits into Ralph Wilson stadium with room to spare....
That's a peace dividend a war mongering nation like yours could never enjoy.
When you're the most hated nation on the planet, you gotta have a big military.
When you are the most beloved nation on the planet, your military can fit in Ralph Wilson stadium.
You HH6 are the spawn of hatred. How does it feel to be spawned from the pits of hell?
-
They got the mounties
Mounties are very cool, ...and very very HOT!!!! :P
Here's the original pilot episode that started it all
When a veteran Canadian Mountie is killed in what appears to be a hunting accident, his son travels to Chicago in search of the killer. Little does he know that he will discover a vast cover-up, but will he be able to finish the investigation that his father started?
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 1
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 2
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 3
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 4
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 5
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 6
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 7
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 8
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 9
Due South 1x100 Pilot pt 10
-
Jag: How could you post those without one of these?
-
That's a peace dividend a war mongering nation like yours could never enjoy.
When you're the most hated nation on the planet, you gotta have a big military.
When you are the most beloved nation on the planet, your military can fit in Ralph Wilson stadium.
You HH6 are the spawn of hatred. How does it feel to be spawned from the pits of hell?
I agree that our military needs to back the F off. However, you can enjoy your tundra and I'll keep enjoying my tropical weather.
-
I agree that our military needs to back the F off. However, you can enjoy your tundra and I'll keep enjoying my tropical weather.
ouch! >:(
That was a hit below the belt. . . . . and it's only tundra in the winter time. Summers are downright balmy. :D
-
I live in the greatest country on the planet, the one the UN listed as the best place to live at least 8 yrs in a row.
...the True North strong & free. :)
(http://www.jaguarenterprises.net/images/proud_wp.gif)
::)
There are more than 20,000 Canadians migrating to the U.S. every year. Canada ranks 9th in the number of immigrants in the U.S; right behind the Dominican Republic and ahead of Korea. We're projected to have 920,000 of them this year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States
-
That's a peace dividend a war mongering nation like yours could never enjoy.
When you're the most hated nation on the planet, you gotta have a big military.
When you are the most beloved nation on the planet, your military can fit in Ralph Wilson stadium.
You HH6 are the spawn of hatred. How does it feel to be spawned from the pits of hell?
Ur right u stupid naive wack job...ur right. And we've been protecting ur unworthy ass for more years then I can count.