#80938
09/17/2002 3:21 PM
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
I am NOT posting this to generate a political discussion. This is a hundred percent grammar related.
I just ran across this sentence:
U.N. weapons inspectors were put in place after the Gulf War under resolutions which tied Iraq's disarmament to the lifting of punishing U.N. sanctions.
The structure of the sentence bothers me. I interpret it as imnplying that The resolutions required a lifting of UN Sanctions as a condition for disarmament, rather than vice versa.
Am I being too critical? I know what the sentence means from context, but would it be better to say:
U.N. weapons inspectors were put in place after the Gulf War under resolutions which tied the lifting of punishing U.N. sanctions to Iraq's disarmament.
TEd
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#80939
09/17/2002 3:26 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
From a strictly topological point of view it shouldn't matter, but linguistically it does make it sound like we won't let you disarm until we quit bugggin you about it.
Judging from the US response to the Iraqi submission to demands for unconditional inspections, it sounds like Bush thinks that what it means, too.
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#80940
09/17/2002 4:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819 |
In reply to:
U.N. weapons inspectors were put in place after the Gulf War under resolutions which tied Iraq's disarmament to the lifting of punishing U.N. sanctions.
It wouldn't hurt to throw in a comma here and there too, considering the number of imbedded dependent clauses.
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#80941
09/17/2002 4:30 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 872
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 872 |
I disagree Faldage, I agree Ted. (A) I agree Ted, I disagree Faldage. (B) Don't mean exactly the same thing. Order determines, or affects, meaning. Why? Because in this series of posts. Teds comments came before the Faldage's and to reverse the temporal order recieved would indicate that the feeling of disagreement was stronger than that of the agreement. Normally you tie something to something that is in place. A boat to a dock. The lifting of punishing U.N. sanctions to Iraq's disarmament. Unless Faldage, your linguistic interpretation doesn't recognize order as a director towards meaning. 
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#80942
09/17/2002 4:42 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I disagree Faldage, I agree Ted. (A)
Huh?
I was agreeing with TEd.
Order: I gave the boy the dog.
Topologically a coffee cup is identical to a doughnut.
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#80943
09/17/2002 9:32 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Carping aside, TEd's rewrite does make the sense clearer. Although you would obviously take the meaning correctly either way round.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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#80944
09/17/2002 9:44 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
Topologically a coffee cup is identical to a doughnut.
I just felt a paradigm shift.
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#80945
09/17/2002 10:29 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
Order: I gave the boy the dog.
Topologically a coffee cup is identical to a doughnut.And to a boy and a dog. A topological perspective is not recommended when eating. 
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#80946
09/17/2002 10:46 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
Re:I just felt a paradigm shift.
was that shift on a rack?
or on your lady love, and you were being subtle?
and you felt the shift as you slid you hand up under her skirt?
or do you wear shifts, and the comments got your knickers in twist as it were?
really! Can't you be clear about your meaning?
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#80947
09/18/2002 4:43 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
... you would obviously take the meaning correctly either way round.
Obvious because we know what 'sanction' means, but do *they all?
I'm still shifting.
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