The end of diversity
The next few decades will see increasing loss of animal and plant species because of climate change. These localized tragedies, unintended consequences of humanity’s ongoing environmental transformation, are harbingers of our own future. Biodiversity is a planetary survival strategy; the greater variety of life that exists, the more likely it is that something will always survive. Similarly, cultural diversity is under threat from the same forces that are wreaking havoc on our climate.
Pervasive industrialization and consumerism are homogenizing our humanity, making it ever harder for indigenous cultures to sustain themselves and making our own lives ever less integrated with the global ecosystems of which they are a part.
We human beings are doing to ourselves what we are doing to animals like the Hartlaub’s turaco and Aberdare cisticola; their endangerment is saddening for its own sake, and for what it foretells about our own future.
WARREN SENDERS
Medford, Massachusetts
Still the ‘lingua franca’
In response to Geert Anthonis’ letter (Letters, Jan. 24, page 8) I would like to offer some of my experiences, and take issue with some comments he made. Like Anthonis, I’ve lived in Taiwan some years and have seldom experienced racism — I’m a white boy from New Zealand. Racism can be hard to define, at times, in all its nuances and perhaps many have no problem with the too-often-uttered “waiguoren” around here in Tainan City, where I live. Some days it’s a chorus as I walk the streets; I usually say nothing.
However, I’ve often detected discomfort from parents when their offspring utter waiguoren. My feelings on mom’s and dad’s -discomfort? It’s a racist expression at a lower level and they know it. With regards to my native New Zealand — no child would comment with a label that identifies an outsider. It would be deemed racist in no small way in my homeland.
I’d also like to reply to Anthonis’ comment, in which he equated abuse in Taiwan to “exploitation, pure and simple.” Yes, many employers exploit their workers and that is not solely a Taiwanese trait. However, I’ve been in a position where I’ve met Indonesians and Vietnamese who are working up to 18-hour days.
Exploitation? Yes, but coupled with, I believe, a good dose of racial superiority. I could also comment on the experience of a black man from the US who lives in Taiwan. In a word, some of his experiences are distasteful.
With regard to Anthonis’ discarding of Callum -McGovern’s quote, “English is the most widely spoken language on Earth,” (Letters, Jan. 9, page 8), I disagree and can only say: “It is!” Chinese has the most speakers, but that language is mostly centered in East Asia.
With regards to English, despite what experiences Geert Anthonis has had in Europe, it is presently the only true lingua franca in the world. I have met many engineers from European countries working and staying in the Tainan area and all have displayed levels of English considerably better than any Taiwanese student I’ve taught.
Despite the emergence of the Chinese dragon, it may take (if it happens) many decades for Chinese to attain the status of a lingua franca. And Anthonis also wrote that the number of English speakers is declining. Maybe the number of native speakers is, but certainly not the number of those who speak English as a second language.
STEVE MCENTEE
Greater Tainan
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