Buscaraons

21.2.03

On France and its bashing: finally common sense is returning

Over at Innocents Abroad Collin May cited this article by Daniel Mahoney for everyone to calm down and stop the French bashing.

That the barbs and insults detract both the U.S. and France from common interests: namely to eradicate islamojishadism and its threat to the West. I'm glad that common sense is finally returning after taking a brief hiatus and that I'm not the only one who's fed up with the bashing by both sides of the Atlantic.

However, I generally concour with Collin that the French government committed a fatal mistake by antagonizing the Americans needlessly with a petulant opposition to a war and compounding the error by insulting the Eastern Europeans for their pro American position. France will be a very big loser and for some time in the foreseeable future.

¶ 14:17

19.2.03

Turkey:the ferret?

I'm contented to see that Turkey's ~~extortions~~ demands for evermore economic and military aid haven't escaped the notice of the American bloggers.

How interesting that while many of the American bloggers shriek with moral indignation and vogue their disgust with 'Axis of weasels' over their veto to supply Turkey with defensive weapons and to honour their treaty obligations, Turkey is squeezing the Americans for as much 'Danegeld' as possible before allowing the former to station their troops. Further, the Turks have already denied permission for the British troops to deploy; hence delaying whatever war plans the Americans and British had for Northern Iraq.

Is that the proper behaviour of an ally? Turkey's behaviour certainly provides some rationality to the 'Axis of weasels' original veto. In any case, it could be argued that Turkey is acting like a ferret: a small, vicious animal that darts from place to place to catch its prey and to avoid other predators. Under the circumstances: it's money and military aid and avoiding American wrath.

Update:
There's a comment made by a Czech diplomat that one of the lesson its country learnt during is that no more security guarantees from France What about Britain?! Isn't Chamberlain a byword in the Anglosphere for naive appeasement? Didn't he also sell out Czechoslavkia too in the hopes of sating Hitler? Didn't the British also show the same reluctance to deter Hitler over the reoccupation of the Ruhr? Or is there a progressive, irrational anti-French attitude that's engulfing Eastern Europe? France pretty much deserves it; especially with Monday's intemperate outburst by Chirac. Let's not scapegoat France alone for the events of the 20s-30s in Eastern Europe.

English Grammar books: why no historical background

English grammar books are flawed. Their principal lacunae is that while they provide the readers with the mechanics of correct grammar in English; not one of those provide historical background of why? Why for example does the word city change the y to i before e adding -es to form the plural while Mary in its plural form doesn't? Bad enough that English is a difficult language to learn sometimes and I certainly empathize with my students who view the language as irrational with an illogical grammar.
I've told my students, half in jest, half seriously that I'll have to write the English language equivalent of Grevisse or more modestly, the more concise Précis
My booklet would at least demystify and answer those perennial English grammar questions that everyone- especially students of English as a second language- ask but to which the answer is: because it's always been like that in English.

¶ 17:42

17.2.03

Sopar amb Mas: alguns commentaris

Tal com us he promès, aní al sopar com a convidat d'Artur Mas. Primera constatació, Artur Mas no vindria pas al sopar per causa d'un problema tecnic del motor del avió. Segons que havia entès, el motor desenvolupà un problema que provocà el pilot de tirar endarrera a Paris. A més, a Paris com sempre ara els personal de l'aeroport feien vaga o protestaven d'una cosa o altra.

Quan era temps a assentar-se, aprengué que el món es petit sobretot quan es tracten de catalans de la disaspòria . Hi havia una persona i quan ens introduirem, em pregunté si era relacionat amb Estanislau Basora el conegut jugador de la Barça. Es veu que l'altre convidat venia originalment de Manresa- poble d'on es troba moltíssim parents de la família paternal. Coneixo bastants però Estanislau es un que mai ens hem coneguts encara que sigui cosí de papa. També coneixia el germà- Joaquim que es veu fou encara millor jugador que Estanislau fins l'accident acabà amb la carrera. Pregunté als pares, si coneixia Joaquim i papa respongué que no.

L'altra cosa que sempre em fa somriure tant per gratificació com de sorpresa es que a la meva taula les altres convidades pensaven que venia de Barcelona. Quan els hi informé que nasquí ací, la cara de sorpresa que feien, era molt bònica. Elles me felicitaren de la meva excel.lent català parlat (escriure-lo es algú diferent; la trobo més exigent) i me preguntaren d'on l'havia après. Respongué en la família, del fet que hi havia dues famílies catalanes al veïnat i que m'havia de espavilar-me a aprendre parlar-la quan ma família hi viatjava a Espanya car ni els avis, tiets (ara bé Miquel si parlava el francès però vegades no entenia les nostres expressions quebequeses) i cosins no parlaven ni francès ni anglès. En tot cas, quan la delegació del Turisme Catalunya m'introduí al conseller de cultura- Jordi Vilajoana- tingué la mateixa sorpresa.
Ha sigut un sopar molt agradable i molt d'agraït.

¶ 14:26