Did Obama say everyone should speak Spanish, or did he say what this ass quoted, which is that every child should speak more than one language? I presume the latter. The reason everybody else in the world speaks several languages is that they start early. Obama is absolutely on the mark here: Put English speakers in xxx as a second language classes at around 3rd or 4th grade. Put speakers of other languages in English as a second language classes (as needed) at the same time. Poof -- end of the stupid arguments about English-only, and all the rest of the nativist nonsense. This is the kind of new thinking I was hoping Obama was promising all along.

As to the "essay", I don't detect anything that might be called an argument. Didn't click the link to read any more, though -- it's painful enough listening to Dems these days without going all the way into idiotlandt.

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

Where's the 'terrible construct' of Obama's English?

Looks perfectly fine to me.
[But then, I am a multi-lingual elitist, born and raised in Europe.]

watch it, next week this same wanker will be decrying the defects of the American public education system and comparing us to European schools. Wait for it.

There are so many thing wrong with the excerpt that it really makes the point for teaching American citizens to be more aware of other cultures and languages.

The one I want to dwell on is the German "too bad".  I is not in my experience a consequence of German national arrogance, but a quirk of the way most Germans speak English.  From what they wrote later, most likely they appearance of arrogance came from the authors internal prejudice and fear of being perceived as inferior.

My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington- Obama
Philly for Obama

Why do you send me to these places, BooMan?  It scares me...

I think a second language opens a whole new world possibilities. If other countries are making their children fluent in English, they have an advantage.
Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Hindi, Pashtun, Arabic, who cares which one, if you have a second Language you are more competitive in the real world.

During two tours in Germany, I was frequently asked if I spoke German because of my last name. When I said "no," the always somewhat haughty and abrupt Aryan reply was, "Too bad." I invariably responded with, "Maybe. But I was born during the Nuremberg trials."

That only speaks of his ignorance: the Nurmberg Trials was possible thaks to the translators,as well as those who spoke several languages in the US forces who were able to capture the war criminals after posing as German citizens.

Dad spoke Russian, German, French, and English as the natives of those countries, and Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese with a slight accent. And I am still upset that they only taught me English.

I speak German about as well as one might expect for being thirty years out of high school and carrying a chronic inability to keep the various genders and tenses of German nouns straight.

I speak Esperanto about as well as one can when one has never had anyone to practice with, although I can read it pretty good with a dictionary at my side.

I don't know nearly as much Chinese as I would like, but I'm occasionally surprised that I can still pick out a word or two here and there when I hear it spoken.

I know a smattering of a handful of other languages, but not enough to carry on a conversation.

So I'm afraid I completely fail to miss the point of this essay, unless the publisher just put it up to show the rest of the world what a mulr-headed lout he is.

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

Won't we be enabling terrorists if we speak more than just english?

Oh, there you are, Perry. -Phineas -SLB-