3 ms·

I realize we're wandering way off on a tangent here, but. . . I don't know that folks are in favor of stasis, per se. I get the impression it's more a by-produ

I realize we're wandering way off on a tangent here, but. . . I don't know that folks are in favor of stasis, per se. I get the impression it's more a by-product of the collective guilt a lot of Americans feel about the knowledge that the country was built by displacing and destroying a great many cultures. Loss of languages in particular is associated with the Carlisle school. So folks are used to thinking of this stuff in terms of imperialism and ethnic cleansing. That maybe leaves them less likely to recognize that the issue has other facets as well.

thaumasiotes 11y ago
In my analysis, they are in favor of stasis per se; I see this as the same wish that drives most of the modern environmental movement. The arguments for preserving linguistic and ecological diversity tend to be the same, and quite often are nothing more than "if you can identify the agent, change is bad".
- schoen 11y ago
  Appiah's Cosmopolitanism was interesting on this point, and you might find it worth reading.
- intopieces 11y ago
  It's safe to assume that, with the ever-expanding TEFL-abroad programs, those in favor of linguistic stasis are not particuarly impactful.