Far-right German candidate promises to get rid of Arabic numerals (this is NOT satire)

[highplainsdem]

From Politico Europe:


http://www.politico.eu/article/far-right-german-candidate-promises-to-get-rid-of-arabic-numerals/

A mayoral candidate for the far-right, anti-immigrant NPD party promised to get rid of Arabic numerals if elected, German media reported Friday.

Otfried Best, who is hoping to become mayor of Völklingen, near the French border, was asked by a member of Die Partei, a satirical party, during a debate earlier this week what he thought of Arabic numerals used in the town, Stern magazine reported.

“Mr. Best … I find it alarming that in Völklingen many house numbers are displayed in Arabic numerals. How would you like to take action against this creeping foreigner infiltration?” asked the Die Partei politician.

The audience cheered and laughed, but Stern reported that Best gave a serious answer: “You just wait until I am mayor. I will change that. Then there will be normal numbers.”

-snip-

This is pathetic.

But it wouldn't surprise me if Trump could be tricked into a similar answer.

[Aristus]

1. If he's that fervent a German nationalist, it probably wouldn't be too hard to get him to

come out against Roman letters, too.

[TexasProgresive]

15. He might subscribe to the theory that

Rome was the 1st Reich,
The Holy Roman Empire the 2nd Reich,
And Germany is the 3rd Reich.

I took Latin for 4 years. The 1st 2 we used the ecclesiastical pronunciations which are softer. 3rd and 4th years it all changed and we were required to use "classical" pronunciations as endorsed by the Germans who were sure they were the rightful descendants of the Roman empire.

[Archae]

30. Then you must know the old one about how to conjugate "to spit."

Spittere, spittus, ach tu, splattus!"

[TexasProgresive]

35. Cutus!

[Aristus]

39. The progression was actually:

First Reich: The Holy Roman Empire.
Second Reich: Bismarck's united Germany founded in 1871.
Third Reich: Nazi Germany.

The German-speaking historical "empires".

[TexasProgresive]

40. OK I buy that.

The NAZIs were Germancentric and probably did not give a fig for the Roman Empire and as the Holy Roman Empire had many German emperors they would naturally see that period as one of great German glory.

[Xipe Totec]

2. They'll never get more than V% of the vote. nt

[treestar]

5. lol

[Coventina]

11. DUzy!!!

[leftstreet]

18. LOLOL

[underpants]

26. :-)

[AgadorSparticus]

28. You win for the week! Hahahaha

[ProudLib72]

3. We have the Hindu numeral system in this country

Thank goodness for that! No Mooslims going to take over our system of numbers.

[csziggy]

6. We should get rid of all those numbering systems from other continents!

Let's go to the Mayan numeration system!

http://www.basic-mathematics.com/mayan-numeration-system.html

It might take a little adjustment, but it will be ALL AMERICAN!

[ProudLib72]

10. Texas Instruments is going to have trouble

converting all those graphing calculators, but once they realize it will keep our math pure they will do it.

[csziggy]

22. I'm sure TI will not have a huge problem

After all, they've made good use of those horrible Mooslim numerals!

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. He'd have trouble going back to Old High German.

Most Germans can't rad it anymore.

[syringis]

7. LOL

See, This is what I call equality. We do have our fair share of "blackhole betwen ears"

What will he use?

Persian numbers????

Or something else?




Whoops ! Nothing at all since german, as far as I know, does not exist...

[anneboleyn]

13. Roman numerals of course...though they were "foreign infiltrators" also...so who knows.

[anneboleyn]

14. "European?" They are Arabic numerals of course, which we've used since the Middle Ages.

Though they probably originated in India. They are not indigenous to "Europe" (also, as a medievalist myself, which part of "Europe" does that include and when I wonder?)

[syringis]

17. True

In fact, they are called arabic numbers but they probably came from India or Persia.

Here starts the off topic : it is interesting, very often, people things the Medieval era is dark, under educated, people were dirty, and on and on... it is a very vast subject. I love History in general. I'm not a total ignorant about the Medieval Era, however, I can't pretend to a very deep knowledge.

Good question about "Europe", specially when is a German who talks... Germany is the nation we know only since last century...

The "credit" you can give to those cretins RW is a bottomless ignorance

[smirkymonkey]

8. Oh dear. And I thought that we were the only country who had

bat-shit crazy, stupid politicians. This guy can't be for real, are people that stupid?

[madinmaryland]

31. Floriduh man's cousin Germany man.

[smirkymonkey]

36. *snort*

[sarisataka]

9. This doesn't have

a I in C chance of happening

[Pope George Ringo II]

34. I C what you did there

[anneboleyn]

12. Imagine doing long division with Roman numerals...and house "numbers..." lmfao.

[HAB911]

16. Just when you thought you had heard it all

too funny

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. "... many house numbers are displayed in Arabic numerals."

So, some house numbers are NOT displayed in Arabic numerals? I wonder how that works.

[Ezior]

41. Maybe like this?

Just guessing.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

43. Covering the numerical systems, they forgot 11010 binary. nt

[grantcart]

20. I constantly engage people as I take my daily walk

When the Muslim ban was prominent in the news it would frequently turn to talk about Islam. It is alarming how little is known about the history of Islam and the substantial contributions to our math, science and philosophy, and I find that even Muslims are generally not well informed about it.

When I tell a RW older person that I have lived in numerous Islamic majority countries they express surprise and usually ask if I was terrified. When I explain that most Asians live quietly in Asia where the murder rates are a fraction of what it is here I then ask "Do you think we should take out all of the influences from Islam and Arabia from our school systems?" I invariable get a "YES!!!" at which point I ask them how we are going to operate with Roman Numerals after we get rid of the decimal system and Arabic numbers.

[Hieronymus]

21. Nazis are alive and well.

[packman]

23. Get rid of that Al Jebra too

[OldHippieChick]

24. Without a doubt this is the best

laugh I've had all day. Stupid at least has some humor.

[PatrickforO]

25. You've gotta be shitting me!!!!

So, this idiot wants to go back to what, Roman numerals?

Really?

So...the White House becomes MDC Pennsylvania Avenue.
Basic mathematics is now impossible because there's no longer a concept or way of expressing 'zero.'
Computer language also becomes impossible.

Damn, talk about taking us all BACK...to the stone age!

[lindysalsagal]

27. Can you read this? 1000001010010100101

Anyone?

It's 267429. According to the Google. I can’t remember 8th grade.

[Towlie]

29. Yes, it's 267,429.

262,144 + 4096 + 1024 + 128 + 32 + 4 + 1 = 267,429

Why?

[lastlib]

33. "Binary--it's as easy as 1-10-11!"

eom

[dalton99a]

42. Zeros should be taken out. Zero was invented by brown people who looked like ISIS

[lastlib]

32. :facepalm: .....

1) Pick up rock (approximately palm-sized)
2) Apply to forehead (swiftly!)
3) Absorb as much sense as possible before losing consciousness.
Repeat as necessary.

[Hieronymus]

37. It's amazing that he ..

acknowledges that they're Arabic in origin.

[Dawson Leery]

38. Such ignorance.

The numbers came from India. The Arabs borrowed them.

[Generic Other]

44. To think in MMXVII

we are going Roman again! Next we will all become fluent in Latin. Romae cum Romanis facerent

[Doc_Technical]

45. Pi III.IIVIVIX?