Re: THEORY: Languages divided by politics and religion

In a message dated 2000/05/26 03:11:45 AM:
I wrote:
>>     Would be intriguing to imagine the divergence of English in such
>> alternative histories... esp'ly if one nation-state [mayhaps the
Confederate
>> States of America] purposely instituted a lexical AND orthographic
reform...
>> perhaps in a nationalistic drive to "democratize" & combat both White &
Black
>> illiteracy.
>
    Nik wrote:
>
>The USA, maybe, the CSA, not a chance.  They were strongly opposed to
>the government "interfering" in their business.  And the CSA would
>certainly not do anything to combat Black illiteracy!  If anything,
>they'd combat Black *literacy*!  (In fact, I seem to remember that it
>was illegal to teach a black to read back then)
    True after the Civil War, but not so certain that afterwards into the
presentday
- what with British pressure to "democratize," the pressures to compete on
the global level capitalistically & culturally, etc. (their only real allies
would be the South Afrikaaners & they would be in no position to support the
CSA).
    Despite the optimism of my alternate reality, it is not based on
idealistic fantasy, but on the historical factors which force both
individuals & nation-states to make pragmatic (& possibly) progressive
measures to ensure their self-identity & survival at any cost. "Ruthlessness"
doesn't necessarily mean violence & reactionary conservativism - a
nation-state can be just as aggressive in more constructive means (i.e.
sacrificing so-call "traditions" & "heritage" to match pace with other
nation-states, or to bind warring factions or tribes within one's nation or
to "out-do" other nation-states)
    This just my impression of a possible alternate history...