What price culture?........

[xjsdriver]

I began to wonder what most on think about what we spend as a country on own our cultural values, for example keeping our native languages alive and in use (Doric, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish).
I guess some will put a purely monetary value on it and decide in our times of austerity that we should scrap any future funding - since it is only a small percentage of the population that speak these languages.
Then there will be some who hold a more enlightened view that it is a topic, not only worth spending on currently, but maintaining in the name of culture.

[Justayellowbadge]

xjsdriver said:

I began to wonder what most on think about what we spend as a country on own our cultural values, for example keeping our native languages alive and in use (Doric, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish).

No you didn't.

As you have already dictated what an 'enlightened' view would be, you just want agreement from those who do, and an argument with those who do not.

This thread is a proclamation, not an entreaty to discourse.

[xjsdriver]

Justayellowbadge said:

xjsdriver said:

I began to wonder what most on think about what we spend as a country on own our cultural values, for example keeping our native languages alive and in use (Doric, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish).

No you didn't.

As you have already dictated what an 'enlightened' view would be, you just want agreement from those who do, and an argument with those who do not.

This thread is a proclamation, not an entreaty to discourse.

It is my opinion that it is an enlightened view, as to not invest in our own culture is simply philistine. I heartily welcome the views of others, what's your own view on this? I only ask, as you didn't offer your own opinion up for discourse.

[Pints]

There was an interesting discussion on something similar on Radio 4 yesterday. Something about Welsh emigrants who had settled (I forget where) and had retained more of their Welsh language and culture than is evident in Wales today.

Will see if I can find a link.

[Sonic]

Justayellowbadge said:

xjsdriver said:

I began to wonder what most on think about what we spend as a country on own our cultural values, for example keeping our native languages alive and in use (Doric, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish).

No you didn't.

As you have already dictated what an 'enlightened' view would be, you just want agreement from those who do, and an argument with those who do not.

This thread is a proclamation, not an entreaty to discourse.

I'm glad i only had to read the next post to see in black and white what i was thinking after the OP.

IMO cultural change over time - if somebody wants to maintain a certain set of them for historical values then by all means, but I'm not sure that needs to be dictated at a national level.

[xjsdriver]

Eric The Camel said:

Patagonia, can't remember which programme it was on though.

I was listening to the very same program - I was surprised that the native Welsh speaker found that Patagonian Welsh was more pure than it's home grown variety. That said, I have Dutch and South African friends who tell me that Afrikaans is like Dutch of 300 years ago. My wife is Brazilian and she finds native Portuguese strange too.......

[xjsdriver]

An example from relatively recent times of a language simply being lost is modern Turkish. Attaturk did away with any Turkish words of Arabic descent in his attempt to modernise the country, so someone today, reading Turkish written 60/70 years ago would struggle with the text presented to them. Cultural vandalism in my book.

[xjsdriver]

Justayellowbadge said:

No you didn't.

As you have already dictated what an 'enlightened' view would be, you just want agreement from those who do, and an argument with those who do not.

This thread is a proclamation, not an entreaty to discourse.

Come on Jayb, join in the discourse, let's have your opinion. Or are you just one for spouting forth, will total failure to back up what you've posted?......

[Morningside]

But couldn't you say the same about dying dialects? The Suffolk of today is totally different to 50 or even 20 years ago.

[Moonhawk]

Language is a communication tool.

Whilst there may be academic interest in maintaining a language - I don't think they should be maintained as a living useable language just for the sake of "culture".

It's just one more thing that can be used for nationalistic division - and we need less of that in this day and age - not more.

[Moonhawk]

double post

[anonymous-user]

Justayellowbadge said:

xjsdriver said:

I began to wonder what most on think about what we spend as a country on own our cultural values, for example keeping our native languages alive and in use (Doric, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish).

No you didn't.

As you have already dictated what an 'enlightened' view would be, you just want agreement from those who do, and an argument with those who do not.

This thread is a proclamation, not an entreaty to discourse.

Spot on. He's just starting another meaningless argument to try and force his view across.

[NicD]

I am all for it provided it isn't a job creation scheme for unemployables and the foreign tongues are not forced on public signage or papers.

By all means, encourage interested people to keep the languages alive,but that should be about it.

[Dracoro]

I'll bite Another way of putting it (not necessarily my view...):

Part of our culture is music, so should the state pay for me to have piano lessons?
Part of our culture is walking, so should the state pay for my hiking boots?
Part of our culture is cricket, so should get state pay for my cricket bat/lessons?
I could go on....
Why should languages get the privilege of state funding to support its existence?

If these "enlightened" people want to really keep these languages alive they need to encourage others to speak/learn the lingo, pass it on to their childres/family/friends etc.

Basically if it's that valuable a part of your culture, it will stay alive, with or without the state paying out for it.

[McTory]

Can you read english?


Well you don't need a road sign in welsh

[Morningside]

McTory said:

Can you read english?


Well you don't need a road sign in welsh

2nd most common language spoken in the UK is Polish. Maybe all road names need to be altered.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/30/polish-b...

[PRTVR]

Morningside said:

McTory said:

Can you read english?


Well you don't need a road sign in welsh

2nd most common language spoken in the UK is Polish. Maybe all road names need to be altered.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/30/polish-b...

Can you imagine the size of the roadsigns if they covered multiple languages, what is wrong with English and symbols? Everything else is pandering to minorities, a language is a living thing, it evolves or dies, to maintain it on life support helps nobody, it builds divisions and serves no purpose.

[Einion Yrth]

I, for one, find the celtic languages fascinating and would (will) be saddened upon their demise, I am happy to contribute the few pence it costs me to support their promotion. However, I am also no tyrant and thus if more would wish to offer the languages no support then they will just have to survive on their own. They may be able to do that.

[MrBrightSi]

Is xjdriver xjfliers even more mental cousin?

[Einion Yrth]

MrBrightSi said:

Is xjdriver xjfliers even more mental cousin?

I actually think he lacks some credibility. You could address the point rather than leaping straight to the ad hom, though.