language vs. globalization

Sometimes globalization feels like an unstoppable force. But maybe something is actually fighting against it. Maybe language is the saving grace of different cultures and peoples. Sometimes I feel so powerless to stop the merging of cultures, the erasure of differences and histories in favor of a common narrative. There is an increasing sense of reality as instantaneous, and therefore ephemeral .

But maybe people like me have a fellow fighter in this quixotic battle. As long as different cultures speak different languages, there will be a line separating them, acting as a ‘do not cross’ strip of paint around a museum exhibit.

Think about it: if you are searching for some good South American music, the internet seems like a perfect solution. A search in English, however, will reveal only a desultory and incomplete list. But if you have just a bit of Spanish, a few key searches (mi cantante favorito, lo mejor musica argentina) will yield exponentially higher success rates. Simple, but insurmountable without language.
Think about the war on terror. American soldiers on the ground can be rendered completely useless without translators if civilians refuse to cooperate. A man could be standing in front of them, saying, “I can take you to Bin Laden”, but they wouldn’t have a clue. It’s vitally simple

So, while these frustrations are countless, they have a higher purpose. Preservation. Survival. As long as language separates people, cultures will remain distinct. Even in this increasingly connected (and English-speaking) world, nuances and shades of meaning remain in the shadows.

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looking back fondly on the 16th amendment...

Some Constitutional amendments are glamorous, recognizable by a mere number...the 19th (women's suffrage), the 13th (abolished slavery), etc.

Others will never, ever have their moment in the sun, partly because they refuse to reveal their meaning even under a microscope (25: Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.) BLECH.

And some that seem innocuous, like the 16th, or income tax, amendment, actually become the Great Walls of American history, creating a complete and vast separation of the past and future. We don't even give income tax a second thought nowadays, but imagine what it was like before it existed. Individuals were allowed to pursue their personal financial goals without the knowledge of the government.

Your wage and earnings, legal or not, were yours alone. The government had no need to pursue involvement in a person's business or private affairs. A huge inheritance, left to two children, was just that...no estate tax, no paperwork. So that's why all those heroines in old novels are so romantically taken care of.

It almost makes one want to be Republican. But, then again, it's too late for such drastic measures.

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dreaming of travel...

...and picking up some great ideas from www.gonomad.com...russia here i come!

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