A forecast not backed by anything other than wishful thinking and which runs counter everything that has always happened.
Claiming that English will forever be the “international language of trade” is like putting up a statue and under it the message: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”"
You see, I don’t even have to show any evidence of anything, it’s those who are claiming that “This time is different” and that this specific trading language, right now specifically (by an amazing coincidence, right when they live and make said claim, never before and - given that claim being “forever” and “global” - logically never again for a different one) will, unlike all trade languages before hold that position and endure, not just 100 years, not just 1000 years, but “forever”.
Such a huge, massive, gigantic forecast needs equally huge, massive, gigantic proof.
So far, against that theory we have History, not just of trading languages but of languages themselves and nations showing that until none of those things lasts forever. On the side in favor of it we have … *crickets*
That whole forecast stinks of jingoism and ignorance.
By saying forever they’re talking about the future, not the past.
A forecast not backed by anything other than wishful thinking and which runs counter everything that has always happened.
Claiming that English will forever be the “international language of trade” is like putting up a statue and under it the message: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”"
More in general, nothing lasts forever.
You can’t really look at past examples now that globalization is a thing. An ubiquitous language wasn’t really possible before then.
You see, I don’t even have to show any evidence of anything, it’s those who are claiming that “This time is different” and that this specific trading language, right now specifically (by an amazing coincidence, right when they live and make said claim, never before and - given that claim being “forever” and “global” - logically never again for a different one) will, unlike all trade languages before hold that position and endure, not just 100 years, not just 1000 years, but “forever”.
Such a huge, massive, gigantic forecast needs equally huge, massive, gigantic proof.
So far, against that theory we have History, not just of trading languages but of languages themselves and nations showing that until none of those things lasts forever. On the side in favor of it we have … *crickets*
That whole forecast stinks of jingoism and ignorance.