i wonder how much we spend to be politically correct

[hedgefinder]

One of my pet hates just popped up again today, working from home today and just had a leaflet pushed through the letter box.
Its from the local authority regarding crime prevention.
So i have a quick read through it - most of the "advice" would be obvious to anyone with more than half a working brain, but then on the back page the final box asks the following...

Please ask us if you would like this document summarised in another language or format -
Arabic,
chinese,
Urdu,
Polish,
Punjabi,
Spanish,
Bengali,
Hindu,
german,
French,
Turkish,
Malay

WTF..apart from the question of how someone would be able to read that offer if they required it...
why the local authority should be paying for such services, it much cost a fortune.

[krisdelta]

We live in a very multi-cultural society (in places), allowing for that isn't a bad thing to my mind. It's easy to be complacent as English is "everywhere" and also default language of the air and sea. Perhaps see it less as "PC" and more "pragmatic".

[chrisw666]

hedgefinder said:

why the local authority should be paying for such services, it much cost a fortune.

Because we are decent people and don't want to leave anyone out.

It doesn't cost much though because things are only translated on demand and the actual demand in most councils is tiny.

[SidewaysSi]

I'll have a Hindu one please.

[V8RX7]

Millions possibly billions when you multiply the stupidity across all the councils, courts etc

You live in England - speak English / pay for an interpreter or suffer the consequences.

If you go to the vast majority of other countries that is their attitude and their systems work fine.

The UK seems to think it is still a world power and acts accordingly - we aren't and charity starts at home.

Then we get to the lunacy of Welsh - either break away or stay but FFS choose one or other.

[Captainawesome]

If my mrs went over to a muslim country and wore her tiny little skirt, I doubt if their government would bend over backwards to make sure she could wear it without being raped/killed/stoned to death. Just saying, I think it's money wasted.

Take this mornings news story about the mental patient outfit asda was selling for halloween. The backlash from the use of the word 'mental'. I feel sorry for my child being brought up in this world where apparently common sense, tolerance, and a sense of humour seem to have been completely quashed by a minority of tree-hugging, do-gooding, jump-on-the-latest-bandwagon idiots. Life is too short. Are we not allowed to use the word mental anymore????? that's just mental!

[chris182]

People that live here should be able to speak and read English, otherwise they should bugger off back from whence they came. Ergo, yes it is a massive waste of money.

[dave7692]

I can rapidly see this thread turning into a meeting place for the EDL pondlife among us.

[DMN]

hedgefinder said:

One of my pet hates just popped up again today, working from home today and just had a leaflet pushed through the letter box.
Its from the local authority regarding crime prevention.
So i have a quick read through it - most of the "advice" would be obvious to anyone with more than half a working brain, but then on the back page the final box asks the following...

Please ask us if you would like this document summarised in another language or format -
Arabic,
chinese,
Urdu,
Polish,
Punjabi,
Spanish,
Bengali,
Hindu,
german,
French,
Turkish,
Malay

WTF..apart from the question of how someone would be able to read that offer if they required it...
why the local authority should be paying for such services, it much cost a fortune.

Thats not called "being politically correct", thats called: making life a little bit easier for some people. Although its about time the phrase "political correctness" was replaced with the phrase "don't be a dick to other people".

[valais]

chris182 said:

People that live here should be able to speak and read English, otherwise they should bugger off back from whence they came. Ergo, yes it is a massive waste of money.

Suppose they were born here and grew up in an area surrounded by people that only spoke, say, Urdu, as did all their classmates, friends and family - and they left school with few qualifications and severe literacy issues with regards to English?

Where would you "send them back to"?

[tomsugden]

Personally if I decided to go and live in Spain, France or some such foreign land, the first thing I'd do is get on top of the language, and I certainly wouldn't expect them to translate everything for me, due to my ignorance.

[dave7692]

valais said:

chris182 said:

People that live here should be able to speak and read English, otherwise they should bugger off back from whence they came. Ergo, yes it is a massive waste of money.

Suppose they were born here and grew up in an area surrounded by people that only spoke, say, Urdu, as did all their classmates, friends and family - and they left school with few qualifications and severe literacy issues with regards to English?

Where would you "send them back to"?

Its the classic "If you're not a working class White English Male then you need to leave" attitude.

[HonestIago]

dave7692 said:

I can rapidly see this thread turning into a meeting place for the EDL pondlife among us.

So expecting immigrants to be able to speak English and not place undue demands on public services makes one "EDL pondlife"? I'm guilty as charged then.

[chris182]

krisdelta said:

It's easy to be complacent as English is "everywhere" and also default language of the air and sea.

Well in England I would hope English is everywhere, it's the default language for a reason (the clue being in the name). If I went to live in another country I would expect to learn the language, use it as my primary language and attempt to fit in with the local culture, not find a ghetto full of English people and not bother. The same does not appear to be the case in reverse.

[dave7692]

HonestIago said:

dave7692 said:

I can rapidly see this thread turning into a meeting place for the EDL pondlife among us.

So expecting immigrants to be able to speak English and not place undue demands on public services makes one "EDL pondlife"? I'm guilty as charged then.

Immigration is vital to our country and its economy, more than you seem to think anyway, like it or not we live in an ever-changing constantly diversifying world. You either have to roll with it and take the bad that comes with the good that it provides or stay stuck in the dark ages.

[Pistom]

I'm just grateful that the Welsh are good enough to translate virtually everything into English for those of us who don't learn their language.

[chrisw666]

Captainawesome said:

If my mrs went over to a muslim country and wore her tiny little skirt, I doubt if their government would bend over backwards to make sure she could wear it without being raped/killed/stoned to death. Just saying, I think it's money wasted.

Breaking the rules in a country is very different to not being able to speak their language.

If your wife went to a Muslim country and respected their cultural and legal differences they'd try to help her overcome the language problem.

[HonestIago]

dave7692 said:

HonestIago said:

dave7692 said:

I can rapidly see this thread turning into a meeting place for the EDL pondlife among us.

So expecting immigrants to be able to speak English and not place undue demands on public services makes one "EDL pondlife"? I'm guilty as charged then.

Immigration is vital to our country and its economy, more than you seem to think anyway, like it or not we live in an ever-changing constantly diversifying world. You either have to roll with it and take the bad that comes with the good that it provides or stay stuck in the dark ages.

Immigration of third world, non-English speaking refugees is in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM "vital to our country". Desirable immigrants (skilled professionals) can all speak English anyway. British taxpayers should not be expected to fund such translation services.

[valais]

HonestIago said:

Immigration of third world, non-English speaking refugees is in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM "vital to our country". Desirable immigrants (skilled professionals) can all speak English anyway. British taxpayers should not be expected to fund such translation services.

Again, ignoring the large number of 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants living in areas when English is very much a 2nd or 3rd language. Again, people born and raised here.

[SidewaysSi]

As a brown guy, I really can't see the problem. Rightly or wrongly the UK is a very tolerant society.

It may cost a few pennies but I am sure there are inefficiencies going on in the average council office that make any such cost look somewhat trivial!