Discussion Forums > The Lounge
Are you bilingual?
newy:
--- Quote from: xfreidax on February 01, 2011, 04:29:02 AM ---...
--- End quote ---
It might be true that China is the first trading partner for those that you mentioned. But you do know that China is keeping the exchange value of the Yuan low artifically to make their exports cheaper? And that will have unforeseen consequences if they keep that up.
And lol about "colonialism" and English being spoken in the US. You are lucky that not German became the official language in the States thanks to the death of a majority of the German immigrants in the US. Otherwise the referendum to choose the official language in the 1900s(?) (or was it 1800s?) would have ended differently.
duskfairy:
--- Quote from: Meandola on February 01, 2011, 01:28:34 AM ---What iindigo said isn't racism. When you move to a country and intend to stay there I'd expect you to learn the language, to atleast some degree.
(click to show/hide)Moving to a localized area of a city where people of similar/same cultures lives happens everywhere. It's not because we bully them into ''their corner of the city'' it's because they find it more comfortable being with people of their own culture. We did not make that area ''the islamic part of town'' and said ''you should all move there, where you belong''.
I suppose it doesn't really help that those areas are somewhat cheaper to live than in other areas. But truth be told, a fair number of these people don't have jobs. This is due to various reasons, among those is that our system is piss poor for providing work for the unemployed (regardless of nationality, it's just a shit for the dutch as for everyone else), we give them money to ''look'' for jobs, this money is enough to get by in the cheaper areas. This provides no motivation for them to actually find said jobs, get a higher income and move to a better place.
--- End quote ---
Well, it is racism when we distinguish in terms like "we" and "them" till that extent that some think that "they" shouldn't living in the same area as "ourselves"; you saying "they" wish to group together ethnically... and that they doesn't have any job... Wonder why they doesn't have any jobs? And wonder why your last name decide how the locals will treat you? HM... who's the culprit here I wonder...
--- Quote from: AceHigh on February 01, 2011, 01:48:58 AM ---I know all I need about colonialism and I know that the reason why many Americans know only one language and don't feel like they need to learn a second or third, has nothing to do with how many people died during colonization hundreds of years ago. You side tracked the topic really well there.
--- End quote ---
LOL. Since none of us are gods we can never know everything about anything.
"Don't feel like" and "doesn't have the opportunity for" is a big different; for Americans not everyone have education, lesser and lesser in fact goes throughout basic school.
No I didn't side tracked cause you can't speak about languish without speaking about countries/ cultures/ society etc... I ahve to admit I did turned the conversation into a deeper discussion, but it's still within the theme and also interesting ^-
--- Quote from: AceHigh on February 01, 2011, 01:48:58 AM ---The only thing that is pre-derement by colonial age, and that is the official language used in countries that used to be former colonies. It has nothing to do with the desire to learn new languages at present time.
Right.... I am sure you will have a great time discussing the evil Europeans that advanced the world to this point with losers from 3rd world countries like Pharismo.
--- End quote ---
LOL, again. It's not about hating this or that; I'm an European myself so that doesn't make any sense; and actually I doesn't care cuz I'm more interested in the global changes than about whom I should or shouldn't like...
And dunno if i should cry or launch at your silly comment about "losers from 3rd world countries like Pharismo". Honestly; because of whom are they this so called 3rd countries? And what and which do you actually mean by "3rd countries"?
We were talking mainly about Chine before; China definitly aren't a 3rd/ developed country.
Here's some texts that might be of interest...or starters at least...
(click to show/hide)Alvstam, C., Ström, P. & Yoshino, N. (2009) “On the economic interdependence between China and Japan–
challenges and possibilities”. In Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 50(2). pp. 198-214.
Andreosso-O’Callaghan, Bernadette (2009) How is the EU-ASEAN FTA viewed by ASEAN stakeholders? In Asia
Europe Journal. Vol. 7, No. 1. pp. 63-78
Business Week (2005) A New World Economy. The balance of power will shift to the East as China and India
evolve. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948401.htm
Huang Yukon and Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi (2009) Reshaping Economic Geography in East Asia. The World
Bank: Washington D.C. Yukon. Cpht.20. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default
/main?pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&
searchMenuPK=64187283&theSitePK=523679&entityID=000333037_20090127230524&
searchMenuPK=64187283&theSitePK=523679
Marshall, Richard (2004) “Asian Megacities”. In Robbins Edward & Rodolphe El-Khoury (eds.) Shaping the city: studies in history, theory and urban design. Cpht. 10. New York, NY : Routledge. pp. 194-211.
xfreidax, well written post!
(click to show/hide)
--- Quote from: xfreidax on February 01, 2011, 04:29:02 AM ---Those empty city reports are one dimensional Ace. China since opening up, has one major glaring problem. The lack of a social safety net. Because of this, the Chinese save more than anyone else in the world. And they park their money in long term investments. The growing middle class there have been snapping up a 2nd property like crazy and leaving them empty. That's part of the explanation of the empty city. Is there a property bubble forming in China? Yes there is and they are very aware of it and trying to fix it. Whether or not they will manage this or it will blow up in their face, we'll see. But to say all their economic figures are cooked up is silly. A good part of China's economic growth is real. Have you ever been to China? Go to places like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Tianjin. I'm sure it will open your eyes.
A lot of Asian countries came out of the recent financial meltdown in US relatively unscathed why? Because we have been riding on the back of strong Chinese growth. Do you hear of massive bailouts or debt crisis anywhere in Asia? No. In fact, economy in my country grew last year by 10%.
Take a look at some of the advanced economies in Asia. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore. Largest trading partner? You would think USA. Wrong, it's China.
ASEAN's largest trading partner? China. Indochina? China. India? China number 2. Indonesia? China number 2.
Going further afield. Largest economy in South America, Brazil. Largest trading partner? China.
None of these figures can be cooked up Ace.
On topic,
What language is relevant as a 2nd language will largely depend on your neighbors. For example in my country apart from English, no one really learns European languages. Why? Because it's irrelevant. More useful for us to know Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Indonesia for example. Most Singaporeans are bilingual, some of the older generation trilingual. If we are going to learn any foreign language, picking up an Asian language will make 10X more sense. Examples of popular foreign languages to pick up here, Japanese and lately Korean.
--- End quote ---
some more random articles that's worth reading...
(click to show/hide)http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-consumer-investments-2010-3# and http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-consumer-investments-2010-3#dont-miss-20
http://www.chinese-culture.net/html/chinese.html
xfreidax:
--- Quote from: newy on February 01, 2011, 04:59:50 AM ---
--- Quote from: xfreidax on February 01, 2011, 04:29:02 AM ---...
--- End quote ---
It might be true that China is the first trading partner for those that you mentioned. But you do know that China is keeping the exchange value of the Yuan low artifically to make their exports cheaper? And that will have unforeseen consequences if they keep that up.
--- End quote ---
(click to show/hide)http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/feldstein32/English
This article points out certain things about Chinese Yuan manipulation that makes the issues less clear cut.
Of particular interest,
"A stronger renminbi would reduce the import bill, including prices for oil and other production inputs, while making Chinese goods more expensive for foreign buyers and foreign goods more attractive to Chinese consumers. This would cause a shift from exports to production for the domestic market, thereby shrinking the trade surplus, in addition to curbing inflation.
China’s trade surplus and the renminbi’s exchange rate were high on the list of topics that President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama discussed when Hu visited Washington earlier this month. The Americans are eager for China to reduce its surplus and allow its currency to appreciate more rapidly. But they should be careful what they wish for, because a lower surplus and a stronger renminbi imply a day when China is no longer a net buyer of US government bonds. The US should start planning for that day now."
Is China's undervaluation of the Yuan a problem? Yes it is. But it's not nearly as big a problem as the politicians would like you to believe. Much of that is rhetoric, to deflect the attention from internal malaise which is politically hard to address. So the easy way out? Look for a bogeyman, preferably someone foreign.
Why, for the amount of attention it's getting, is China's Yuan peg not acted upon by US or EU for example? Why no significant retaliatory measures? Because they fear a trade war? No.
It's because the politicians know it's rhetoric. Even if the Yuan was allowed to float, the jobs that the West have been losing will not flow back home. They will just go to the next huge supply of cheap exploitable labour of which there is no lack of in the world.
fohfoh:
--- Quote from: xfreidax on February 01, 2011, 07:09:01 AM ---
--- Quote from: newy on February 01, 2011, 04:59:50 AM ---
--- Quote from: xfreidax on February 01, 2011, 04:29:02 AM ---...
--- End quote ---
It might be true that China is the first trading partner for those that you mentioned. But you do know that China is keeping the exchange value of the Yuan low artifically to make their exports cheaper? And that will have unforeseen consequences if they keep that up.
--- End quote ---
(click to show/hide)http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/feldstein32/English
This article points out certain things about Chinese Yuan manipulation that makes the issues less clear cut.
Of particular interest,
"A stronger renminbi would reduce the import bill, including prices for oil and other production inputs, while making Chinese goods more expensive for foreign buyers and foreign goods more attractive to Chinese consumers. This would cause a shift from exports to production for the domestic market, thereby shrinking the trade surplus, in addition to curbing inflation.
China’s trade surplus and the renminbi’s exchange rate were high on the list of topics that President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama discussed when Hu visited Washington earlier this month. The Americans are eager for China to reduce its surplus and allow its currency to appreciate more rapidly. But they should be careful what they wish for, because a lower surplus and a stronger renminbi imply a day when China is no longer a net buyer of US government bonds. The US should start planning for that day now."
Is China's undervaluation of the Yuan a problem? Yes it is. But it's not nearly as big a problem as the politicians would like you to believe. Much of that is rhetoric, to deflect the attention from internal malaise which is politically hard to address. So the easy way out? Look for a bogeyman, preferably someone foreign.
Why, for the amount of attention it's getting, is China's Yuan peg not acted upon by US or EU for example? Why no significant retaliatory measures? Because they fear a trade war? No.
It's because the politicians know it's rhetoric. Even if the Yuan was allowed to float, the jobs that the West have been losing will not flow back home. They will just go to the next huge supply of cheap exploitable labour of which there is no lack of in the world.
--- End quote ---
Supposedly.... Pushing low currency
China did it
Japan did it
USA also did it
Brazil wanted to do it, wasn't allowed to, so bitched about it.
Seriously though, start a thread in the politics forum, you guys are way off topic.
Burkingam:
Native: French
Fluent: English
Learning: Japanese
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version