‘Press 2 for Spanish,’ Similar Programs Cost Billions, but Trump Could End It

[longknife]

Oh Lord but I hope he does. There’s nothing more irritating than the automatic phone answering systems and, if I wanted to speak to someone in Spanish, I would seek a Hispanic business.

A report from The Washington Times has revealed that billions and billions of dollars have been spent providing language support to non-English speakers. Most of those, ironically enough, speak Spanish — and Trump could redirect that funding with a few signatures from the Oval Office.

“The government must stop placing this onerous and costly translation and interpretation burden on Americans, and President Trump has the ability to do so on a speedy basis via a new executive order,” declared Stephen Guschov, who runs the advocacy group ProEnglish.

Much more @ 'Press 2 for Spanish,' Similar Programs Cost Billions, but Trump Could End It

 

[harmonica]

good thread--I totally agree

 

[Pogo]

Oh Lord but I hope he does. There’s nothing more irritating than the automatic phone answering systems and, if I wanted to speak to someone in Spanish, I would seek a Hispanic business.

A report from The Washington Times has revealed that billions and billions of dollars have been spent providing language support to non-English speakers. Most of those, ironically enough, speak Spanish — and Trump could redirect that funding with a few signatures from the Oval Office.

“The government must stop placing this onerous and costly translation and interpretation burden on Americans, and President Trump has the ability to do so on a speedy basis via a new executive order,” declared Stephen Guschov, who runs the advocacy group ProEnglish.

Much more @ 'Press 2 for Spanish,' Similar Programs Cost Billions, but Trump Could End It

'
I don't care if a phone offers Spanish, French, Hmong, whatever. Simply doesn't apply to me. And this is rarely ---- Okay NEVER --- connected with a "business I seek" so that's total bullshit. Had the OP read his own link he would have seen right at the top that this is about government services.

(THINK ABOUT IT --- how the fuck would Rump of all creatures have the power to prevent "a business I seek" from giving me an option in Norwegian? DUH)

In fact right there in the first paragraph ---- again had the OP read his own link --- is the fatal flaw of illogic that crashes the whole page, to wit: referring to the options as a "wasteful government program being used by foreigners".

Speaking a language other than English is not "being a foreigner". DOUBLE DUH.

>> According to the ACS in 2016, the most common languages spoken at home by people aged five years of age or older are as follows (the most recent data can be found via the U.S. Census Bureau's American Fact-finder):

1. English only – 229.7 million
2. Spanish – 40.5 million
3. Chinese (including Mandarin and Cantonese) – 3.4 million
4. Tagalog (including Filipino) – 1.7 million
5. Vietnamese – 1.5 million
6. Arabic – 1.2 million
7. French – 1.2 million
8. Korean – 1.1 million
9. Russian – 0.91 million
10. German – 0.91 million
11. Haitian Creole – 0.86 million
12. Hindi – 0.81 million
13. Portuguese – 0.77 million
14. Italian – 0.58 million
15. Polish – 0.54 million
16. Urdu – 0.47 million
17. Japanese – 0.46 million
18. Persian (including Farsi and Dari) – 0.44 million
19. Gujarati – 0.41 million
20. Telugu – 0.37 million
21. Bengali – 0.32 million
22. Tai–Kadai (including Thai and Lao) – 0.31 million
23. Greek – 0.29 million
24. Punjabi – 0.29 million
25. Tamil – 0.27 million
26. Armenian – 0.24 million
27. Serbo-Croatian (including Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian) – 0.24 million
28. Hebrew – 0.23 million
29. Hmong – 0.22 million
30. Bantu (including Swahili) – 0.22 million
31. Khmer – 0.20 million
32. Navajo – 0.16 million << (Wiki)

--- That's over sixty million Americans speaking languages other than English. Including a President (Martin van Buren).

So this bullshit article is yet another case of cultural arrogance ass-uming that everyone everywhere MUST be just like them.


What I DO mind is that robot mindlessly saying "to continue in English press 1". Hey robot, you JUST SAID THAT IN ENGLISH, dumbass. So I sit and wait until the system gives up and continues, in English. Fuck them.

 

[jwoodie]

In fact right there in the first paragraph ---- again had the OP read his own link --- is the fatal flaw of illogic that crashes the whole page, to wit: referring to the options as a "wasteful government program being used by foreigners".

Speaking a language other than English is not "being a foreigner". DOUBLE DUH.

Foreigners aren't citizens. TRIPLE DUH.

 

[Pogo]

In fact right there in the first paragraph ---- again had the OP read his own link --- is the fatal flaw of illogic that crashes the whole page, to wit: referring to the options as a "wasteful government program being used by foreigners".

Speaking a language other than English is not "being a foreigner". DOUBLE DUH.

Foreigners aren't citizens. TRIPLE DUH.

Reading is truly a lost art. What a fucking dumbass.

 

[Nosmo King]

Has anyone ever tried to ride a subway in a foreign land? Find a hospital? Read a menu?

Walk a mile in their shoes

 

[rightwinger]

Millions of immigrants pay taxes and have access to government services

The Government is obligated to provide information in the language of the people needing it

 

[Pogo]

Has anyone ever tried to ride a subway in a foreign land? Find a hospital? Read a menu?

Walk a mile in their shoes

Or tried to talk to anybody in Québec....

Ah layev har in Appalachia, roun' these parts ain't nobody speaks English.

 

[Mr Natural]

What a horrible fucking tragedy, to have to press a button on a phone.

Grow a pair will you snowflake.

 

[Pogo]

What a horrible fucking tragedy, to have to press a button on a phone.

Grow a pair will you snowflake.

Actually not even that --- the horrific act of terrorism is the knowledge that someone else, somewhere, may be able to press 5 for Portuguese and there's nothing the Fascisti can do to stop them.

 

[rightwinger]

With computerized translation programs, providing printed material in multiple languages takes a couple of keystrokes

 

[rightwinger]

Has anyone ever tried to ride a subway in a foreign land? Find a hospital? Read a menu?

Walk a mile in their shoes

Most have signs in English

 

[Nosmo King]

Has anyone ever tried to ride a subway in a foreign land? Find a hospital? Read a menu?

Walk a mile in their shoes

Most have signs in English

Exactly. Why should America, land of immigrants, be so unaccomodating?

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Has anyone ever tried to ride a subway in a foreign land? Find a hospital? Read a menu?

Walk a mile in their shoes

But if you break into those other countries with the intention of permanent residence and no intention of assimilating while stressing their infrastructure and usurping their culture...