TIL that some languages apparently have words inherently differentiating one's status as a citizen or resident of the entity versus a member of a particular ethnic or cultural group? I don't quite grasp the whole thing, although I heard the point being made. What's interesting to me is a) that there is such a thing, which seems very revealing of something about a culture that would need such concepts built into the language, and b) that there seem to be people who think it's inaccurate to interpret the word choice as meaningful. Firstly, since languages have all sorts of concepts built into them, many very specific to their primary culture of use, it seems reasonable that such a thing could exist. Not that I would have thought of it before, since I'm not from a culture where that sort of subtlety functions. Secondly, if that is, indeed, the subtlety of the word choices, where one essentially and inherently includes people, and the other excludes, then I'd kind o...
If you can get close enough to the fence to weld this contraption to it, it hardly seems worth it to use it — but I guess that, like the Berlin Wall, there is an asymmetry in the patrols on either side. (This, by the way, casts the US as the communists.)
ReplyDeleteShockingly, they taught us about East Germany/West Germany and the Berlin Wall. I would have taken it as a given that we were East Germany/East Berlin in that scenario ;)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, are those... yes, they almost have to be automotive suspension springs, don't they?
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