I guess there can be as many viewpoints as there are people, about any topic. I have rarely met Americans who regret not learning a second language. Rather the smug ones. For them, when a language is learned, it is done mostly because of its usefulness rather than the love of it. As for handling conversation in East, in several places you mentioned, I'd speak in their local tongue too.

Anyways, I was getting lost in above discussion of communism and crowds: Are they talking about Obama in Berlin now, Or they referring to general gatherings Obama holds in America? There seems to be a bit too much speculation to this about communists & millions of people gathering.. Or not?

If it is about Germany, then rather the majority of people who attend his speech come out of curiosity and for entertainment, and not half because his economic issues or American politics.

Add to this the hundreds' thousands people who come just because there is nothing better to do and because of the media buzz= since German media made a big whoo-ha-haa about Obama wanting to speak at Berlin's most famous venue and Merkel cringing about it.

The rare serious observer can know all of Obama in Berlin from internet or TV.

The issues within their own countries are more important to Europeans I guess. Just like the Japanese people make 'Obama toy dolls' because it looks cuter than a Hillary Clinton ragdoll. American Election is news + drama + entertainment, all in one package, something to watch and have fun with.

Either the number of dolls sold, or the number of people attending Berlin, do not confirm any fact about what Germans (or Japanese) think about political issues in America.

The German soccer team attracted millions of people to Berlin in their welcome-home event, even after losing the Euro2008 finals... and that is without beer. :)

Most Americans don't study a foreign language because almost all of them would never have the opportunity to use it if they did, save perhaps once or twice in a lifetime during a vacation, by which time they will have forgotten it. Criticizing them for not doing so anyway is easy and makes the critic feel superior, I guess.

I was in France last month, and other than pleasantries couldn't speak a word of French. Does that mean I'm insensitive or an ignorant rube? Some commenters here would assume yes. I wonder what language these commenters use while in Tokyo, Seoul, Canton, Kaohsiung or Beijing. I use the local dialect.

Really? I don't even listen to Fox, but somehow I knew all about the band and such at the last rally. How do you explain that?

Right side blogs? Hillary Clinton supporters?

So everytime someone shows up with free beer, food and rock bands it turns into Woodstock?

Only if you have a willing media to promote it for six months prior to the event.
(Check)
It helps if you have a willing domestic media willing to give it day long coverage.
(Check)
Having a leftist/socilaist attitude, ala Woodstock, will certainly help that along, also.
(Check)

Again, just to be clear, you're saying that Germany is a communist state? Further, that what we're really seeing here is all the east Germans - former communists - who are so in love with their former control under the communist regime? I mean, we are talking about the very same people who tore down the Berlin wall, whom Reagan praised, who embraced capitalism with relish? And to take it even further, the demographic that Obama appeals to, which is pretty much the opposite of the typical east German former communist, is the main population to be found attending Obama's speech?

Ask Max Yasgur about that.

So everytime someone shows up with free beer, food and rock bands it turns into Woodstock? It's a pity that marketers don't know about this. In any event, I suppose we can now discount all of McCain's events which have any free food, drink and entertainment, correct? Or is there some threshold and metric that differentiates between these two candidates - other than the republican/democrat split - which we can discern when it's the beer rather than the candidate?

The one outlet that was saying anything about it last time is one you love to hate. Fox.

Really? I don't even listen to Fox, but somehow I knew all about the band and such at the last rally. How do you explain that? Was I merely picking up the information from dissemination by such publicly minded individuals such as yourself? Or was I actually informed by a variety of left wing media which prominently discussed these facts. I mean, I hate to even ask, but have you done an actual content analysis or are you just asserting without any basis in fact?

That may have been the case ten/fifteen years ago, but I think that Spanish has now become the defacto second language for Americans since out of all the languages, is probably the one most Americans will come across in their daily lives next to English.

Unless you're interested in business or diplomacy, in which case Mandarin and Portuguese would probably be good choices too.

Arabic also, but if I suggest that Americans start speaking Arabic, I'm pretty sure somebody will get upset.

So it's kind of hard to believe your line of reason that there's nothing but a bunch of communists attending his talk

Perhaps, but you cannot deny that the reason they're so freindly to Obama is they lean to the left. The Communists being but a part of that lean.

Now, of course his event is providing rockbands and beer, and food. You're saying that if the rockbands, beer and food were there but Obama wasn't that there would still be a million people showing up?

Ask Max Yasgur about that.

It really is tiresome to hear you keep flogging the press for everything

Then convince the press to do more than simply play agent for the fartest left candidate in the feild and do some actual reporting for a change.

Doesn't it follow from your original argument that someone would have to be telling people about this

The one outlet that was saying anything about it last time is one you love to hate. Fox. Gee, I wonder why you dislike them so much?

So it's kind of hard to believe your line of reason that there's nothing but a bunch of communists attending his talk.

Now, of course his event is providing rockbands and beer, and food. You're saying that if the rockbands, beer and food were there but Obama wasn't that there would still be a million people showing up? I find that hard to believe, but if that's your attempt at undermining the event, I guess you have to go with the theories you have, not the theories you wish you had.

The press didn't mention it last time, either.

It really is tiresome to hear you keep flogging the press for everything. I mean, how on earth are people supposed to hear about he rockbands, food and free beer? Doesn't it follow from your original argument that someone would have to be telling people about this, or are you postulating another spooky action at distance where everyone somehow figures out the freebies and spontaneously shows up?

Yes, because if wanting to be the leader of the most powerful country in the history of this planet isn't clearly a sign of megalomania, I don't know what is. And having the ability to draw crowds of a million has always shown to be a deficit in rallying a country behind your megalomaniac vision.

I'm confused. What does "half the country is still annoyed that communists are no longer in power" have to do with this? And who is the "they" you are referring to who need to consider this half of the country.

Just trying to figure out where you're trying to go here. You seem to be referring to some context which is obvious to you but escapes me.

Megalomania

Regardless, it's going to be pretty powerful political theatre to see the estimated one million people show up to listen to Obama speak. I guess McCain can counter with another green screen extravaganza before a crowd of hundreds, but I don't think it's going to make the same impression.

Maybe, until they consider that half of the country is still annoyed that the Communists are no longer in power.

That may have been the case ten/fifteen years ago, but I think that Spanish has now become the defacto second language for Americans since out of all the languages, is probably the one most Americans will come across in their daily lives next to English.

I submit that's only true because we've not of late impressed on immigrants the need to learn... and use... English.

That poster looks straight out of the textbook of the Joe Goebbels school of propaganda.

Each time I have said 'I have learned French and Russian' and 'I am going to learn German now' - all those who heard it had different responses. But the un-mistaken response from Each & Every American without fail was 'why would you want to learn that...!' They were also the only ones who looked at me as if (or tried hard to hide that) they thought I don't have all my cups in the cabinet...... (if you know what I mean).

I would say, Americans ARE unique in that sometimes they don't get it... (smirk)

The movie 'One day in Europe' has people speaking in English, German, French, and Spanish. Last week I watched it with my German friend. He could understand the whole movie without reading any subtitles. After the movie, he was modest about it and I was dizzy from all that reading...