Comments on: When I Get In Trouble With Language, The Fate Of The World Is What’s At Stake http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/when-i-get-in-trouble-with-language-the-fate-of-the-world-is-whats-at-stake-5/ Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:59:36 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Spencer Ackerman http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/when-i-get-in-trouble-with-language-the-fate-of-the-world-is-whats-at-stake-5/#comment-16988 Spencer Ackerman Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:37:24 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4489#comment-16988 My guess is that Barghouti ticks every box necessary to make peace with Israel, liberate Palestine and marginalize Hamas: got the militant street cred & widespread popularity that cuts Hamas' legs out from under it, wants two states, etc. I don't know why Israel doesn't just fucking let him out of jail. Many many many Israeli commentators for years have predicted that such a move is imminent but it never actually happens. My guess is that Barghouti ticks every box necessary to make peace with Israel, liberate Palestine and marginalize Hamas: got the militant street cred & widespread popularity that cuts Hamas’ legs out from under it, wants two states, etc. I don’t know why Israel doesn’t just fucking let him out of jail. Many many many Israeli commentators for years have predicted that such a move is imminent but it never actually happens.

]]> By: Spencer Ackerman http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/when-i-get-in-trouble-with-language-the-fate-of-the-world-is-whats-at-stake-5/#comment-16987 Spencer Ackerman Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:35:22 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4489#comment-16987 wh-wh-where do I sign up! wh-wh-where do I sign up!

]]> By: dadanarchist http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/when-i-get-in-trouble-with-language-the-fate-of-the-world-is-whats-at-stake-5/#comment-16979 dadanarchist Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:22:55 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4489#comment-16979 <blockquote>Language here is a way into the subtleties of how these policies are lived on the ground, which make them or break them</blockquote>. I assume in part what you are getting at is that, as any anthropologist, historian or literature professor would argue, knowing another people's language goes a long way towards knowing that people's culture. Language contains entire philosophies and views of the world in its grammar, syntax, vocabulary and idiomatic and metaphorical expressions. Thus the desperate efforts of groups like <a href="http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=19434&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html" rel="nofollow">UNESCO to stop the extinction of languages</a>. Knowing Pashto, Afghani Persian, and the various Turkic languages would probably help in the 'winning hearts' side of things, though it is probably setting a pretty high standard to expect the leadership to know what are, in the scale of things, obscure languages. It would be helpful though if they had some advisers around them who did, however. On an unrelated note, but a question I was pondering about an article I'd like to see written in the US press: I know that he is a TERRORIST(tm) but what would the implications be for the peace process if Marwan Barghouti were released from Israeli prison and allowed to run for the presidency of the PNA? Why isn't the US pushing for his release as a strategic counterbalance to increasing support for Hamas?

Language here is a way into the subtleties of how these policies are lived on the ground, which make them or break them

.

I assume in part what you are getting at is that, as any anthropologist, historian or literature professor would argue, knowing another people’s language goes a long way towards knowing that people’s culture. Language contains entire philosophies and views of the world in its grammar, syntax, vocabulary and idiomatic and metaphorical expressions. Thus the desperate efforts of groups like UNESCO to stop the extinction of languages.

Knowing Pashto, Afghani Persian, and the various Turkic languages would probably help in the ‘winning hearts’ side of things, though it is probably setting a pretty high standard to expect the leadership to know what are, in the scale of things, obscure languages. It would be helpful though if they had some advisers around them who did, however.

On an unrelated note, but a question I was pondering about an article I’d like to see written in the US press: I know that he is a TERRORIST(tm) but what would the implications be for the peace process if Marwan Barghouti were released from Israeli prison and allowed to run for the presidency of the PNA? Why isn’t the US pushing for his release as a strategic counterbalance to increasing support for Hamas?

]]> By: Teddy Partridge http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/when-i-get-in-trouble-with-language-the-fate-of-the-world-is-whats-at-stake-5/#comment-16975 Teddy Partridge Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:23:41 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4489#comment-16975 Alternatively, the US could award a huge KBR contract, subbed to Rosetta Stone, to teach everyone in Afghanistan English. That's more neo-colonial and paternalistic, don't you think? Frees up our military and diplomats for more pressing tasks, too -- like deciding where next to begin yet another Excellent Adventure. Alternatively, the US could award a huge KBR contract, subbed to Rosetta Stone, to teach everyone in Afghanistan English. That’s more neo-colonial and paternalistic, don’t you think?

Frees up our military and diplomats for more pressing tasks, too — like deciding where next to begin yet another Excellent Adventure.

]]> By: wins32767 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/when-i-get-in-trouble-with-language-the-fate-of-the-world-is-whats-at-stake-5/#comment-16968 wins32767 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:13:15 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4489#comment-16968 It also applies to soldiers. What percentage of our military speaks Pashto? Of that group, how many are in Afghanistan. Of those, how many are on patrol most of the time. Isn't one of the points of COIN that the Corporals are making policy, at least on the local level? What kind of policy can they make if they don't speak the language? It also applies to soldiers. What percentage of our military speaks Pashto? Of that group, how many are in Afghanistan. Of those, how many are on patrol most of the time. Isn’t one of the points of COIN that the Corporals are making policy, at least on the local level? What kind of policy can they make if they don’t speak the language?

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