Canada to firmly re-assess its status as a British colony

[ulmont]

How can that be "further"? Are you of the opinion that it *is* about private conversations (and not really a big deal, being equivalent to "please recycle") or that it is *not* about private conversations?

I am of the opinion that it is about conversations between restaurant attendees and staff at the same restaurant.  These are conversations between private parties occurring in a semi-public space in the context of a commercial transaction.  I don't consider them "private," but I do consider the call to be no more than to "please recycle."

[Razgovory]

the article is quite misleading, as usual from everything related by Canadian medias.
Legault mostly wants Québécois to insist on using French in Montreal instead of switching to English as soon as they hear the language.
Just as you wouldn't try to speak Mandarin when walking in a Chinese restaurant.
I fail to see what's wrong with that.

Either you wrote this wrong or I'm reading this wrong.  Please clarify.

[Razgovory]

Pretty sure they're not talking about private conversations.

What other sort of conversation does one typically hold in a Chinese restaurant? 

The conversations with the waiter?

Then it sounds like the 7-up thing in reverse.  If I go in to a restaurant in Quebec and try to order something in English the waiter shouldn't switch to English if he knows it?  That can't be right.

[Ed Anger]

Having been to Quebec, I just speak English. And if I get a funny look, I repeat it REAL LOUD AND SLOW. Then get run over by insane Montreal drivers.

[ulmont]

the article is quite misleading, as usual from everything related by Canadian medias.
Legault mostly wants Québécois to insist on using French in Montreal instead of switching to English as soon as they hear the language.
Just as you wouldn't try to speak Mandarin when walking in a Chinese restaurant.
I fail to see what's wrong with that.

Either you wrote this wrong or I'm reading this wrong.  Please clarify.

I had to read it a couple of times to get something I thought I understood.  As I understand it, it works something like:

"If you walked into a Chinese restaurant and heard people speaking in Mandarin, you wouldn't automatically switch to Mandarin.  Similarly, if you walk into any restaurant and hear people speaking in English, you shouldn't automatically switch to English."

The flaw, of course, is that a lot of Mandarin speakers actually would automatically switch to Mandarin if they heard it on entering a Chinese restaurant.

[Razgovory]

But I can't speak either Mandarin or French.   If the people at the restaurant refused to switch to English (even if they actually knew it!), I'd probably leave.

[Ideologue]

Yeah...I don't know if Languish is a good barometer for what the general population of a group feel.  I just presumed you were not basing all of this on what people on Languish say.

I speak for South Carolina.

[Ed Anger]

Yeah...I don't know if Languish is a good barometer for what the general population of a group feel.  I just presumed you were not basing all of this on what people on Languish say.

I speak for South Carolina.

Send me a coconut cake from the Peninsula Grill. Thanx.

[Grallon]

...I repeat it REAL LOUD AND SLOW. Then get run over by insane Montreal drivers.

Oh I'd run over you real slow. 




G.

[jimmy olsen]

Creepy

[Zoupa]

So he wants people to follow the law? 

You are one of those just following orders types arent you?

or should I have used ?? at the end?

What?

I'm having a hard time seeing what your point is. I also don't understand your last line.

Are you tired, depressed, drunk? Maybe try again in the morning. 

[Ed Anger]

Creepy

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

[Malthus]

Pretty sure they're not talking about private conversations.

What other sort of conversation does one typically hold in a Chinese restaurant? 

The conversations with the waiter?

And in your mind, that's not a "private" conversation? 

[Malthus]

How can that be "further"? Are you of the opinion that it *is* about private conversations (and not really a big deal, being equivalent to "please recycle") or that it is *not* about private conversations?

I am of the opinion that it is about conversations between restaurant attendees and staff at the same restaurant.  These are conversations between private parties occurring in a semi-public space in the context of a commercial transaction.  I don't consider them "private," but I do consider the call to be no more than to "please recycle."

I disagree on both counts: a conversation between a restaurant attendee and staff is still a "private" conversation; and it is in no way analogous to "please recycle". Your choice of recycling for the analogy demonstrates the difference pretty clearly.

Some actions have public consequences - such as garbage collection. They generally involve public, social funding. Thus the public, through politicians, has an interest in the matter, and even in private behaviour that affects the matter - such as recycling.

In contrast, a private conversation between private, non-governmental-employees is a private matter between them. As long as the content of that conversation isn't some sort of criminal conspiracy, that conversation ought not to be anyone's business but the people involved, as long as there is consent. It is no business of anyone but the waitstaff and the customer if the two of them mutually decide to speak in English, French, Cantonese or Swahili. Hence the rational reaction of "mind yer own business" to governmental attempts to control it, which doesn't really work for garbage collection. Garbage collection, by contrast, really *is* partly societies' business, for the simple reason that society pays for it. Society is not paying for the customer's meal at the restaurant.

I swear, this argument will make a very Berkut out of me.   

[Malthus]

Pretty sure they're not talking about private conversations.

What other sort of conversation does one typically hold in a Chinese restaurant? 

The conversations with the waiter?

Then it sounds like the 7-up thing in reverse.  If I go in to a restaurant in Quebec and try to order something in English the waiter shouldn't switch to English if he knows it?  That can't be right.

Moreover, that switching to English should be officially discouraged by politicians in some way, if not positively made illegal (this point still is not clear), even if both the staff and the customer *want* to do it.

Sounds crazy I know - but many, for some reason unknown to me, are defending this as rational.