20220909 : global domination

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"The Queen is dead, long live the King" is all I have seen on every news channel from world over today.

I might be wrong, but I think the English were the most successful of colonial rulers the world over. Yes, there were many others - Spanish/ French/ Dutch etc., but I think the English were the most successful.

Colonial rule has dwindled very much and very very few territories left over. Territorially speaking, the writing is on the wall. However, have the colonies really ended!

I have a nurse currently, who is the silent/ quiet type. She is one of the sharp/ smart nurses I have had. She speaks and is comfortable in Hindi and her local language. She speaks and understands little English. When I have to explain something, we chat in Hindi.

I often wonder though - when did she become the silent type. Has she been seen as "not smart enough" because she struggled with understanding/ conveying things to others and it has been hammered in regularly. It may not be very overt, but I know folks are usually given a lower status if they can't handle english - be it school/ college/ work/ society in general.

I had another nurse sometime back. In my opinion, she was probably the smartest/ sharpest nurse I have had till date. She knew 0 other languages other than her native language - which I can't manage. Even if I did, I wouldn't have been able to communicate with her. She used a button phone and no WhatsApp. So I have exchanged 0 words with her.

Common factor - she was also the quiet types.

Every country/ nation in the world has some local/ predominant language. We can argue till the cows come home which is national language, but I don't think there will be much argument about which is the inter-national language.

If we end up in any place, irrespective of the local language, one can somehow manage if they know English. If we need to transact/ and do business, usually English becomes the accepted language.

Certainly, practically, one's prospects (economically speaking) will substantially improve if they are comfortable with English. No matter the smartness, literacy will prevail.

How many times do we fall prey to the same confusion between smartness and literacy and judge folks.

So, I think the English were most successful in colonisation even if they don't control the physical territories anymore.

It's "Global Domination" if you are familiar with the game of RISK...

Comments

  1. Vinod KD13/9/22 00:10

    Would you say the same for the export of american, japanese and korean (and to some extent chinese) culture happening now? Are they going to dominate in the future? Would english have continued to be as popular if America spoke some other language?

    ReplyDelete

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