Bill Spornitz on Thu, 5 Sep 2002 00:09:58 +0200 (CEST)


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<nettime> transnationals


'sup;

To whit: All this talk of transnational progressives is happening at a
very high level of English language proficiency, betraying an elite
constituency - perhaps a humble torchlight could be reflected in the
direction of other, more various, and (ultimately) more interesting
Transnationals; those speaking English at a more practical level.

To illustrate (vaguely), I will quote from a class of Korean nurses,
studying English in Canada, when asked for some Korean proverbs:



Don't catch the flow of time.

Give mind to me and take my mind.

Birds hear dayspeach and mice hear nightspeach.

If you steal a needle (small things) later you will be a cowthief.

Make money like a dog, spend money like a governor.

Ignorance is always brave.




These *Other Transnationals* are mixing up cultures in their own ways, in
their own new homelands - mix-ups as diverse and individual as their
demography. Any talk of Transnationalism (or the theory therein) must
include calculations for this diverse population, and avoid the pitfalls
of technocracy, over-English-ization, de-constructionalist
re-verber-nation or other pernicious artifacts of the late, once-great
Empire. Za-doobie-doo.


aw-ite
b




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