CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez’s government is taking its battle against U.S. ‘‘imperialism’’ into Venezuelans’ dictionaries, urging state phone company workers to avoid English-language business and tech terms.
Through a campaign launched Monday, newly nationalized CANTV hopes to wean employees and others from words like ‘‘staff’’ (‘‘equipo’’ is preferred), ‘‘marketing’’ (‘‘mercadeo’’) and ‘‘password’’ (‘‘contrasena’’).
Stickers and banners printed up by the company exhort Venezuelans to ‘‘Say it in Spanish. Say it with pride.’’
The Communications and Information Ministry said in a statement that Venezuelans must recover Spanish words that are ‘‘threatened by sectors that have started a battle for the cultural domination of our nations.’’
Other English words targeted include ‘‘mouse’’ (the company prefers ‘‘raton’’), ‘‘meeting’’ (‘‘reunion’’) and ‘‘sponsor’’ (‘‘patrocinador’’) — all of which have become common in Latin American countries.
The leftist president has sought to counter what he calls U.S. cultural imperialism on all fronts, financing Venezuelan cinema as an alternative to the ‘‘dictatorship of Hollywood’’ and forcing radio stations to play more Venezuelan music.English is still taught in schools alongside other languages, however.
Chavez himself often breaks playfully into English during speeches, sometimes to salute his close friend, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, saying: ‘‘How are you, Fidel?’’
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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17 comments:
Makes sense. Most of europe is doing the same thing, but it is a hopeless struggle.
Those who control the language of technology will prevail. Notwithstanding that, Chavez is a psychotic nutcase and Venezuela will be better off without him.
I wonder in 5 years if it won't be us saying chinese words to describe that new gimcrack that we bought for our computers.
If you want to see something funny, look at all the Canadians in Quebec who are very upset with the english words that are slipping into their french language. A little island of people speaking french in a northern hemisphere of english speaking people.
Not falling for the bait another time.
Interesting read, thanks for posting it.
Respectfully,
outside looking in
Most of the hispanics and all of the illegal aliens in Ark City stealing jobs from hard-working deserving american citizens are from Venezuela. Hundreds of them. They came in from Conoco, the Venezuelan oil company. Smuggled in on oil tankers. They routinely abuse all of the illegal americans in their country, so it is OK to discriminate against against them here.
Thought it might be good for a laugh.
Or.........maybe it's true??????
Can we get back to posts that are more directly related to AC? They seem much more productive.
How about a post on what do with Curry Field if they build a new stadium.
How about a post on what do with Curry Field if they build a new stadium.
>>>
Ill work on it
it may be that the posts directly about AC are more productive, but you gotta admit , these are more entertaining.
Yes:) I will agree they are entertaining!
But they are a little old now... maybe one or here there thrown in just too keeps things spicy.
I think I am a little too tired that last post was totally incoherent.
ht it might be good for a laugh.
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Pretty hilarious i thought.
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Or.........maybe it's true??????>>>\
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you never know :)
"Most of the hispanics and all of the illegal aliens in Ark City stealing jobs from hard-working deserving american citizens are from Venezuela."
That is totally untrue!!!!!
Everybody knows it is Citgo, not Conozco that is the Venezuelan oil compony!!!
well im glad you cleared that up.
around 1900, when he was 60 years old, buckskin joe - one of the founders of arkansas city - went to venezuela to mine for gold.
he was also in honduras.
he got caught up in a revolution and had to leave a fortune in gold behind, he wrote in his book.
buckskin joe was the scout that led the party that founded arkansas city, and he was a key figure in the building of the city.
so, there is an ark city connection to this post.
Chavez has a good idea, keep the language native, don't let outsiders in.
What is wrong with that?
dddfan
Chavez got called down on his sabre rattling over oil - the majors sought action to freeze something like 12 billion in his assets.
We get 10% from Venezuela - but it is heavy "Sour" crude and with the cost of transportation and the additional costs to refine - he backed off on his threat to cut off the supply to the US. His product isn't that competitive in other parts of the world!
He is just trying to find another way to promote his Anti-American agenda and to justify his reason for being in authority!
"Poke the Elephant with a stick"
The real problem - I like to follow the oil companies - is that some of the small countries that have oil reserves that want to nationalize their operations and even kick out the "Majors" don't have the expertise or technology to maintain them to get the maximum production.
Mexico pumped one of their reserves and production dropped by half - now they are trying to angle drill the formation to try and get back supply?
Wonder if they could screw it up worse?
Stay tuned!
Probably not. Every time one of these tinhorn dictatorships wants to show off they nationalize (steal) the assets of the oil companies and try to run it themselves. 10 years and massive losses later, they then beg the oil companies back to operate the fields, but many times they have ignored oil depletion and have ruined their major fields.
Just for discussion, when everyone wants to talk about how we educate hispanics in Gringolandia. How do the hispanics feel about it?
Definition: Pocho
"The term is used abusively in Mexico to describe Mexican Americans living in the United States who are thought to be badly educated and without a "proper" sense of Mexican culture, having forgotten or rejected their Mexican heritage.
It is used specifically for those Mexican-Americans that do not use Spanish in a proper way but with a particular series of mistakes related to their english education...
in Ciudad Juarez, the moniker is very much a term of abuse, referring in particular to (what residents of Cd. Juarez see as) "uncultured" Mexican-Americans living across the border in El Paso, though this is certainly not universal."
How about that?
Man, illegal aliens in this country make for some hilarious banter. Keep laughing.
"Man, illegal aliens in this country make for some hilarious banter. Keep laughing."
There is a news report on the tragic economic impact in the U.S. titled "The Human Cost"
splice the two lines together in the browser address line
http://www.theonion.com/content
/video/immigration_the_human_cost
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