RE: New spelling rules introduced.
August 19, 2009 at 11:24 pm
(This post was last modified: August 19, 2009 at 11:26 pm by Oldandeasilyconfused.)
America invented it's own form of spelling just to be bloody minded,as the Brits had REALLY pissed them off. They did the same with table manners,which the rest of the world finds hilarious,along the fact that millions of Americans call the main course the 'entree'. This is all perfectly OK; it's by consensus,more or less,as living languages tend to be.
In George Orwell's "1984" the government invented "Newspeak" which made it impossible to express abstract ideas.They also coined the word "doubelthink",meaning the ability to simultaneously hold two opposing ideas. An ancient practice amongst politicians and theists.
Pigeon English was taught to locals in Papua/New Guinea AS POLICY. Officially because natives were considered too primitive to learn full English (they were still eating each other) More cynically,as a form of control,as Pigeon limits the ideas which can be expressed.
Language is a a powerful medium of social control.That is one reason conquerors have often suppressed the local language.
In my opinion,any attempts by a government to formally control language in any way should be opposed. A cynic might observe the exercise is a wast of time anyway:Cell phone texting and twitter are already producing generation of illiterates.
In George Orwell's "1984" the government invented "Newspeak" which made it impossible to express abstract ideas.They also coined the word "doubelthink",meaning the ability to simultaneously hold two opposing ideas. An ancient practice amongst politicians and theists.
Pigeon English was taught to locals in Papua/New Guinea AS POLICY. Officially because natives were considered too primitive to learn full English (they were still eating each other) More cynically,as a form of control,as Pigeon limits the ideas which can be expressed.
Language is a a powerful medium of social control.That is one reason conquerors have often suppressed the local language.
In my opinion,any attempts by a government to formally control language in any way should be opposed. A cynic might observe the exercise is a wast of time anyway:Cell phone texting and twitter are already producing generation of illiterates.
