With you all the way, Shanks. At the risk of seeming politically incorrect, the most efficient way for an individual to participate in the global economy is for her to be fluent in its basic language. In that regard, English is as good as any and better than most.
It may be nice to have a regional patois or "Mother Tongue" to enhance the feeling of belonging to your particular tribe or nationality. But adhering to it at the expense of a firm and comfortable command of English handicaps the speaker in the important areas of science, economics and transportation, among others.
Having said that, it is my considered opinion that, due to impending energy limitations in the next several decades, we will likely experience a reversal of this newly-won "globalization", progressing more towards balkanisation or regionalism. Whether English will retain its prominence in a world less economically connected is anyone's guess.
I think a good argument can be made for both sides of this issue. And I find this discussion very worthwhile and extremely interesting.
Hallyx
"A time will come when men will sit with history before them
or with some old newspaper before them and ask incredulously,
'Was there ever such a world?'"
--- H.G. Wells (The Open Conspiracy)
