this post was submitted on 07 Nov 2024
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If I could only learn one additional language, and I wanted to travel the world, what language would serve me best other than English or Spanish?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (16 children)

i'll restate my question: where can i travel to oustide the american empire where my treat monster american nature won't get me arrested, imprisoned, punished, hate crimed, etc.?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 16 hours ago (15 children)

I don’t know what a “treat monster nature” is. I haven’t traveled much outside the core, so I can’t speak to this first-hand, but my impression is that most of the world is mostly a safe place to visit. There aren’t a lot of places that are going to punish you for renting hotel rooms and eating at restaurants as an American. Most people around the world know how to distinguish between America the empire and a civilian American spending money into the local economy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (14 children)

"a treat monster" is sort of like "tankie" in reverse; it describes the kind of american consumerist that is placated/bribed away from revolutionary thought with treats like big suv's & social privileges and they're monsters because they support genocides.

Most people around the world know how to distinguish between America the empire and a civilian American spending money into the local economy.

this is the reason why i ask this question.

my strong american accent makes it clear that i'm a clueless american and that gates my efforts to travel to places outside the core that don't speak english or spanish. to me; all of the cultures that speak both languages belong to the same hegemony as the american empire and i'm aware that my nature will result in harm coming to me if i can't atleast speak the language of where i'm visiting.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Be open, humble, friendly, listen more than you talk. Try and learn a bit about the country you're in, not to have opinions about it, but to better understand the people you meet. Happy travels!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

my neuro-divergence sometimes causes people to think that i'm an asshole and if i can't speak the local language to explain that; i won't be able to explain away the autism induced faux pas that i created and that can sometimes lead to sticky situations.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Learning the local word for sorry is really handy! I feel you, my partner and I struggle with the same sometimes. Most people everywhere are patient and polite, and want you to love their country!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

in latin america they were nice to the white passing americans like me that i was traveling with at the time and not so much to me because my words said that i was was sorry, but things like my facial expression; or body language; or intonation said otherwise and i can't imagine how similar situations would work out if i didn't even have the words.

also that and other related experiences over the decades teaches me that the benefit of the doubt comes rare once i've committed that faux pas and the local version of "sorry" by itself doesn't work well if they're angry about the perceived transgression.

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