Polyglot Incarnate

I think that the US is in for some interesting problems, which are largely rooted in our culture. When we were discussing today I was reminded about a conversation we had in FLAC yesterday. We talked about how in the US it seems as if we can’t talk about ethical issues publicly, that we can’t public define our values.

I think that this problem stems from how we converse. Beliefs are held very personally, and so often times when someone disagrees it comes across as offensive. I think that this has developed into the rhetoric being offensive in and of itself. 

I also think that the style of speaking has developed to be offensive because of blogging. I think that when most people blog, they write like they talk. When Americans talk, we tend to use a lot of hyperbole and sarcasm. This is often missed because the tone of voice is gone. Our words begin to lose their meaning, which is a whole other topic by itself.

I think that Shirky’s reaction to Carr’s article demonstrates this well. 

Signing off-

Alice