'Speak German at home' row as conservatives target migrants

[BritManToo]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

They are talking about migrants ..... those that attain German citizenship (and can stay in Germany forever).

Expats in Thailand will never be migrants, but for those few that become migrants it would be fair enough.

Why would anyone learn the language of a country they only have permission to stay in for 90 days?

I was thinking of the many "de facto" immigrants that are here living on retirement visa or whatever. I come from USA and always shake my head when some of them start in on hispanics (or other groups) that haven't learned English, yet can barely say hello in Thai after being here for decade or more.

I try to learn as much as I can of language of where I happen to alight, even if only for a few weeks. As it is now, I can be misunderstood in many languages! It shows respect and you have chance to talk with folks who may not have been tweaked by too much shoulder rubbing with foreigners.

There are no 'de facto' white immigrants in Thailand.

When you're living in a whorehouse, no need to respect the pimps, you just give them money.

[micmichd]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

So we can safely assume that you speak Thai in public, and at home?

Maybe bilingual?

[German Viking]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

True dat - but I don't think it's Germany's expats this article is talking about. I think it's Germany's actual legal Immigrants. i.e. Those who have stayed and been granted German citizenship and are now German passport holders, tax payers. etc. Within our homes we must always fight to speak whatever language we want to. Out and about in society - maybe they've got a point. Speaking Thai language is worth 10 points out of 100 when applying for citizenship in Thailand - so not mandatory it seems.

This is over that somebody getting the citizenship of germany without proper spoken and written language skills proved in a pretty hard test. I made once the test, but I was not concentrated and did'nt passed it the first time. I'm sure that over 80% of the immigrants who having already the german citizenship and a very high percentage of natives germans would not pass this test without a proper training. Anyway I agree with this rules no proper language skills no citizenship.

[German Viking]

Let's not forget that the founding members of the CSU and as well the CDU have been members before of the NSDAP, Gestapo and the SS.

Bavaria is still a very brown state in Germany.

IMO the bavarians sometimes only just a kind of stupid nationalists about their

"Freistaat Bayern".

[German Viking]

Oh, what a pity.

Bavarian is not a language, it's a disease. Wa?

To your information a general Bavarian language does'nt exists there are a lot of different sometimes pretty hard dialects. They having several main language groups with a lot of different dialects.

The first map shows a single word in high german in top on the left side, how it is used in different parts of bavaria and as you see is often an total other word. I'm not a bavarian, but used to different of their dialects. If they give me a single word like this without the whole sentence and it is not similar to high german or my dialect then I cannot understand it.

I'm a native german from the southwest and the same can be happen in my province.

[German Viking]

I speak Thai at home.

The general secretary of the SPD has a real upstanding German name. (Inshalla)

Her name is Yasmin Fahimi her father was persian her mother is german.

Her father died in an accident before she was born.

Her mother had to race 2 kids alone, anyway she is highly educated studied electrotechnics and having a master in chemistry.

She made a career in a worker union and the SPD party from the bottom she had no amigos who hold her the ladder.

She is very intelligent speaks a very good high german much better as over 90% of the germans.

I would like we had more politicians as she is, instead for instance an Ministerpräsident of a province who cannot speak proper german and having in top dyslexia who got this position caused of the help of his corrupt Amigos.

To names as Goethe said "Names are just sound and smoke" means nothing worth only the person counts.

For me mission accomplished.

Carpe diem

[MobileContent]

Let's not forget that the founding members of the CSU and as well the CDU have been members before of the NSDAP, Gestapo and the SS.

Bavaria is still a very brown state in Germany.

Unbelievable .... in the sense of "<deleted>' unbelievable".

It seems you have been too lazy to google. After ending a dictatorship every country has some political chameleons and all countries in the world have some stupid neocons.

The German CSU - nowadays compared to the Tea-Party - is the day, the Tea-Party is the night.

- you have absolute no ideas about German politics.

* The NSDAP was founded in Munich and the NSDAP headoffice was in Munich

* IN 1921 Hitler's base was soely used in Munich and he preached in getting rid of the Marxists and Jews

* The National Revolution started in 1923 started in Munich

* HItler was sentenced to five years in 1924 for treason but the Munich courts issued a pardon. (Puck2 if no pardon would have been given Hitler might never took over Germany.

* In 1931 Hitler's Mia Noi committed suicide with Hitler's gun in Munich but he still moved on. Case againt Hitler dismissed

* Mein Kampf from Hitler was written in Munich

* IN 1938 the Sudetenland was given to Hitler by the UK, France and Italy.

Just for your infos the whole NSDAP was born out of Bavaria and German's know that.

Some other issues:

The SS was founded in 1925 and in 1029 Himmler joined as the leader of the SS of course in Munich. Even Goreing had no power over the SS in Northern Germany and always had to get back to Munich for direction.

The SS guards of Munich moved onto Berlin to protect your Deal Leader Hitler after he swept to power in 1993. Hitler only trusted the Bavarian Nazi troops.

All bodyguards came from Munich and Bavaria. Remember Hitler was not a German so Bavarian SS troops were the most fanatics.

Don;t talk to me about some Tea Party linked to the US.

Without Munich their would have never been a 3rd Reich.

[RubbaJohnny]

How do they enforce that?

Have ways of making you talk

[Wat dee]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

I wonder how many German expats live off Thai welfare because they can't speak Thai?

[sanuk711]

How do they enforce that?

Ve Have Vays & Means of making you talk-----first Ve cut out your tongue, & if you still don't talk....Ve torture you more........

[draftvader]

How do they enforce that?

Ve Have Vays & Means of making you talk-----first Ve cut out your tongue, & if you still don't talk....Ve torture you more........

No! That's the Americans!

[German Viking]

Let's not forget that the founding members of the CSU and as well the CDU have been members before of the NSDAP, Gestapo and the SS.

Bavaria is still a very brown state in Germany.

Unbelievable .... in the sense of "<deleted>' unbelievable".

It seems you have been too lazy to google. After ending a dictatorship every country has some political chameleons and all countries in the world have some stupid neocons.

The German CSU - nowadays compared to the Tea-Party - is the day, the Tea-Party is the night.

- you have absolute no ideas about German politics.

* The NSDAP was founded in Munich and the NSDAP headoffice was in Munich

* IN 1921 Hitler's base was soely used in Munich and he preached in getting rid of the Marxists and Jews

* The National Revolution started in 1923 started in Munich

* HItler was sentenced to five years in 1924 for treason but the Munich courts issued a pardon. (Puck2 if no pardon would have been given Hitler might never took over Germany.

* In 1931 Hitler's Mia Noi committed suicide with Hitler's gun in Munich but he still moved on. Case againt Hitler dismissed

* Mein Kampf from Hitler was written in Munich

* IN 1938 the Sudetenland was given to Hitler by the UK, France and Italy.

Just for your infos the whole NSDAP was born out of Bavaria and German's know that.

Some other issues:

The SS was founded in 1925 and in 1029 Himmler joined as the leader of the SS of course in Munich. Even Goreing had no power over the SS in Northern Germany and always had to get back to Munich for direction.

The SS guards of Munich moved onto Berlin to protect your Deal Leader Hitler after he swept to power in 1993. Hitler only trusted the Bavarian Nazi troops.

All bodyguards came from Munich and Bavaria. Remember Hitler was not a German so Bavarian SS troops were the most fanatics.

Don;t talk to me about some Tea Party linked to the US.

Without Munich their would have never been a 3rd Reich.

You are in a lot of things right, but not everything.

First Hitler was an Austrian born in Braunau am Inn close to the german border and not far to much from Munich, caused of their similar dialects easy to communicate, also a similar mentallity.

Göring was for sure one of the first supporters of Hitler from the early 19 twenties.

Also a problem that a lot ppl of don't know the difference between "SS" and "Waffen SS"

"SS" = Schutzstaffel was in the first time from the early twenties an instrument to bring Hitler into power often with violence against Kommunists and Socialists under the order of "SA".

"SA" = Sturmabteilung was a paramiltary organisation with similar duties as the "SS",

before Hitler took over the power in 1933.

Then the "SA" got to powerful and Hilter and Göring planed to wipe the leaders.

This was carried out in June/July 1934.

Röhm(Leader SA) and about 90 others mainly leaders "SA" was assinated by "SS", "Gestapo" and "Reichswehr.

The excuse of Hitler and Göring was Röhm tried to take over the power.

Later the "SS" was Staff an rulers in the Concentration Camps.

"Waffen SS" was Elite Troups like US Marine Corps etc.

To bodyguards Hitler in Berlin Führerbunker named "Hitler Leibstandarte"

1000 men only "Waffen SS" and not only bavarians I was knowing 4 ppl around may hometown close to Mannheim who served in Berlin.

I got the chance over the years to talk to all of them.

I think is going to far off subject now.

[German Viking]

Nothing wrong with politicians if they say what they believe, I really miss politicians like Franz-Josef Strauß. Unfortunately, politicians tend to make laws out of their ideas.

This Bast... was the most corrupt german politician of his time, but almost all bavarians liked him very much across all levels of the bavarian society, caused he was acting like a man not like a diplomat pussy real outspoken to everybody and he was also very intelligent.

They called him sometimes "King of Bavaria" and acted sometimes like a king follow only his own rules.

I remember 1 time he was robbed by hookers in New York.

This story was going true the whole german press in germany normaly not a good reputation for a politician.

You know what the most of the bavarian folks said to this case "this is a real man" and he gained a lot of more popularity, that bavarians a special kind of ppl and Franz-Josef Strauß knowed how to handle his folks.

In the rest of germany he would be probably dumped for case in New York.

[German Viking]

Well the Krauts should try this unique brand of English.

Maybe before you blame the germans with their english blame first all the ex colonies of the english in top the americans.

One nice story several years during my holiday I met some nice guys on Naiharn Beach

Every evening we was sitting there and drinking some sundowners on the beach and had real nice conversations until the sun was down and I could understand them except some slang words from OZ.

Anyway one evening some of us met in bar near chalong pier with a nice bay view.

1 english man who lived also long time in OZ, 1 canadian and me.

When we met in bar there was a Texas man already pissed like hell who tried to talk with us, but it was more a monolog. After a while I was looking in the faces of my mates and then I asked them "Do you having any idea what a kind of language he speaks".

Answer "No idea". The irony is my question was just a joke, but the answer was serious they could'nt like me not understand 1 word.

We was laughing like hell, anyway this is just real story about native english speakers no reason only to blame the germans alone.

[micmichd]

Oh, what a pity.

Bavarian is not a language, it's a disease. Wa?

To your information a general Bavarian language does'nt exists there are a lot of different sometimes pretty hard dialects. They having several main language groups with a lot of different dialects.

The first map shows a single word in high german in top on the left side, how it is used in different parts of bavaria and as you see is often an total other word. I'm not a bavarian, but used to different of their dialects. If they give me a single word like this without the whole sentence and it is not similar to high german or my dialect then I cannot understand it.

I'm a native german from the southwest and the same can be happen in my province.

And each one fighting each other

[Thai at Heart]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

Impossible to enforce. Does this apply say Japanese management coming to work?

[FritsSikkink]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

How is your Thai?

[Bob Downe]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

If your thinking is to prevail, well, better get working on my Thai as we speak English at home here in Chiang Mai.

or how about, what goes on in my home is my business, if you would like to come in a tell me what to say, i will politly knock your teeth down the back of your neck

Why are you so angry?

[SABloke]

Germany's come so far over the past 60 years...NOT

[cup-O-coffee]

"The CSU draft proposal says "people who want to remain here on a permanent basis should be encouraged to speak German in public and within the family".

I see no reason why a country cannot encourage people, who come to live there, to embrace its language, as studies prove that a culture and its language are so inextricably woven together that one cannot exist without the other.

"I want my daughter to grow up bilingual and so we use both English and German with her. Why not also speak German at home, whatever your native language is? If we as immigrants see our long-term future in this very supportive country, then the old adage 'practice makes perfect' is appropriate here," he said.

This, in my opinion, is a proper way of thinking. There is no harm in showing gratitude to your supportive hosts, and eventual adoptive family, by embracing their language, and thus their culture.


But Steve Coombs, a Briton living in Wiesloch, said that "as far as the language goes, my employer considers me to be German - however, the language I speak within my own four walls is my own concern".

No one is asking one to lose their own culture, but then, if one wishes to place their own culture over their host and perhaps even their adoptive family, then the intentions of the adopted come under question. Is it that one simply wants a handout at the expense of the other without any regard for the giver's own sense of history, purpose, identity, traditions and values? This is not seemly, and the taker remains foreign, and even somewhat wanting to live under their own authority, as if to spite the kindness extended to them by their supportive givers and potentially supportive and adopting host. It is even more thoughtless for one not to engage in being supportive of the supporter, and subsequently to politely allow ones self to be "encouraged" to speak the language, than it is to say, "No thanks. I'll take your support and freebies, but I'll stick to my own ways." If this is the case, then I say people like this should be nursed to health and released back into the wild, in an effort to preserve THEIR identity.

"We all have our freedom of language.... I believe this (proposal) reflects the failure of integration in Germany and the resulting frustration."

And I could not agree more. Mixing cultures will never work. When the question is asked, "What makes Germany Germany and Germans Germans, and at what point is Germany not Germany and Germans not Germans?" then the answers tend to make me think that you cannot begin dividing something exponentially and expect its original self to remain anything other than extinct. If facing extinction is not a good reason for fighting back, then I do not know what is. Fighting to preserve identity, tradition, values, history, memories, etc. is far more noble than fighting over what invisible friends tell others.

Merely a few thoughts on that.

Edited December 27, 2014 by cup-O-coffee

[Tycoon]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

They are talking about migrants ..... those that attain German citizenship (and can stay in Germany forever).

Expats in Thailand will never be migrants, but for those few that become migrants it would be fair enough.

Why would anyone learn the language of a country they only have permission to stay in for 90 days?

At last somebody can read and comment with a few brains. Never known a forum like this for misunderstandings and misinterpretation.