NY Times: Learn English, Says Chile, Thinking Upwardly Global

Well, at least someone is interested in learning English, even if the French and Brazilians really aren't. Chile, seeing where its future lies, wants to get all its citizens speaking at least basic English in little more than a decade (it took the Swedes 40 years). Bravo for knowing which side your bread is buttered on. Still, according to Times writer Larry Rohter, one anti-globalization Chilean makes a breathtakingly out-of-touch statement about world politics:

"We're quite worried about this because it takes an economic hegemony and translates it into a cultural hegemony," said Sara Larraín, a leader of the Chilean Social Forum, a coalition opposed to corporate-led globalization. "Chile's insertion ought to be into the world at large, not into the U.S. empire. These are not Roman times, when Latin was the universal language."

Really, Ms. Larraín? These are extraordinarily Roman times—and besides, what other language would she have Chileans learn?