Our reading group would like to point out that there is a flip-side to the concept of shared national vernacular languages. At least in some cases (e.g. Spain and 20^th-century Germany) the "shared national vernacular language" as the basis of the *one* nation was enforced (in some cases rather brutally) by the central authority. [Something similar might have happened here in the US, where—at least as far as the first Nations were concerned—one common national language was enforced]. We do not doubt that print did foster the emergence and standardization of national languages; however, we want to point out that these languages at least in some cases became compulsory foundations for compulsory national communities.

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