Scientific American endorses Joe Biden

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Oh, that's simple: Prescriptivism is fucking stupid horseshit that bears no relationship to how real people use language to communicate ideas. English has no rules, other than those mutually agreed from moment to moment by its users.

I am glad I could clear that up so easily for you.

You are mistaken. You didn't clear anything up, except perhaps something like "the sentence means what the majority of people who already agree with bilby say it means".

No, you are wrong on the grammar. The default thing that the which-clause refers is the last noun in the sentence. In theory, it could be some other noun like you think, but the comma indicates the which-clause is inessential to the meaning of the sentence and the greater context of the article also shows this other theoretical interpretation to be illogical.

 

[Metaphor]

Oh, that's simple: Prescriptivism is fucking stupid horseshit that bears no relationship to how real people use language to communicate ideas. English has no rules, other than those mutually agreed from moment to moment by its users.

I am glad I could clear that up so easily for you.

You are mistaken. You didn't clear anything up, except perhaps something like "the sentence means what the majority of people who already agree with bilby say it means".

No, you are wrong on the grammar. The default thing that the which-clause refers is the last noun in the sentence. In theory, it could be some other noun like you think, but the comma indicates the which-clause is inessential to the meaning of the sentence and the greater context of the article also shows this other theoretical interpretation to be illogical.

Sure, just like "another example of bureaucratic incompetence was the imposition of faulty heart rate monitors to the hospital, which caused needless distress." It was the hospital that caused the needless distress, not the imposition of the faulty heart rate monitors, right?

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

No, you are wrong on the grammar. The default thing that the which-clause refers is the last noun in the sentence. In theory, it could be some other noun like you think, but the comma indicates the which-clause is inessential to the meaning of the sentence and the greater context of the article also shows this other theoretical interpretation to be illogical.

Sure, just like "another example of bureaucratic incompetence was the imposition of faulty heart rate monitors to the hospital, which caused needless distress." It was the hospital that caused the needless distress, not the imposition of the faulty heart rate monitors, right?

As I already explained, the last noun being the antecedent is a default. Other possible antecedents can be considered.

According to your previous arguments, your new sentence is ambiguous. We can never use common sense or context. I reject both those ideas by you.

The man beat the dog with the stick.

Did the dog have a stick or did the man use a stick to beat the dog?

A man and two dogs were racing. One dog had a frisbee and the other a stick. The man beat the dog with the stick. The dog with the frisbee came in third place.

Common sense and context allow you to disambiguate meaning.

I already explained that single sentence is in context of a whole article that makes the meaning clear. Common sense should have already made it clear but the article does so, too.

If you read the article and can find you only focus on one sentence's unintended meaning apparently to attack the messenger as dishonest, that's on you.

Trump is a terrible person who is doing terrible things.

Focus.

Priorities, man.

 

[Elixir]

So, you are in fact saying Trump is responsible for every single one of those 201,348 deaths. If not, what are you saying?

Do you even math?
Take the 201,000+ deaths we know about, subtract the 10k that I posited Boden would have allowed and there ya have it. Ask someone to perform the subtraction for you.

I see. If Biden had been president, there would have been 190,000 fewer COVID-19 deaths in America (or 10k deaths in total, I'm not sure which you are stating).

You don't see, obviously. But your incomprehension is not my responsibility to address.

there would have been 190,000 fewer COVID-19 deaths in America (or 10k deaths in total, I'm not sure which you are stating

HINT: Do the math and you'll find they are about the same thing.

 

[Metaphor]

As I already explained, the last noun being the antecedent is a default.

The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19.

Other possible antecedents can be considered.

According to your previous arguments, your new sentence is ambiguous.

No, it's not ambiguous. The hospital did not cause the distress, even though it's what you call 'the last noun'.

We can never use common sense or context. I reject both those ideas by you.

I use them all the time.

The man beat the dog with the stick.e

Did the dog have a stick or did the man use a stick to beat the dog?

It's ambiguous.

A man and two dogs were racing. One dog had a frisbee and the other a stick. The man beat the dog with the stick. The dog with the frisbee came in third place.

Common sense and context allow you to disambiguate meaning.

Furnishing me with ambiguous sentences, as if I had proclaimed ambiguous sentences do not exist, is a strange activity.

I already explained that single sentence is in context of a whole article that makes the meaning clear. Common sense should have already made it clear but the article does so, too.

If you read the article and can find you only focus on one sentence's unintended meaning apparently to attack the messenger as dishonest, that's on you.

You wish to speak of context, as if people were not repeatedly blaming every COVID death in America on Trump, including people on these messageboards, both via implication and explicitly.

Trump is a terrible person who is doing terrible things.

Focus.

Priorities, man.

My priorities are not yours. I do not rank-order my priorities based on what Don2 thinks they ought be. That's the latest attack directed at me - my 'priorities' are not someone else's. It's such an absurd attack. Someone, somewhere, is lobbying their local council right now to get a 'STOP' sign added to a certain T-junction. Priorities! People are dying and you want a 'STOP' sign installed!

 

[Metaphor]

I see. If Biden had been president, there would have been 190,000 fewer COVID-19 deaths in America (or 10k deaths in total, I'm not sure which you are stating).

You don't see, obviously. But your incomprehension is not my responsibility to address.

there would have been 190,000 fewer COVID-19 deaths in America (or 10k deaths in total, I'm not sure which you are stating

HINT: Do the math and you'll find they are about the same thing.

Elixir, I understand your arithmetic. I'm simply surprised at your reasoning and your counterfactual imagination.

You are now saying that you agree that the SA attributes 190,000 deaths to Trump, but that they were working from 200,000 deaths in total (projecting into the future from when they wrote the op-ed), and attributed to Biden a response honest and ept enough to halt the death tall at 10,000 total. Hence, Trump is responsible for 190,000 deaths, just as SA's sentence implies.

I am just surprised that SA had calculated the 'best case Biden scenario' as 10,000 deaths. Are you on the SA editorial board? Did you provide them with this number?

 

[Patooka]

This is such a fucking petty hill to die on.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19.

The last noun was "pandemic":

The most devastating example is his dishonest and inept response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which cost more than 190,000 Americans their lives...

OMFG.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Holy shit. I can't believe we are where we are here. Someone doesn't know that pandemic is a noun!

Wow!!!!!!

 

[Metaphor]

The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19.

The last noun was "pandemic":

The most devastating example is his dishonest and inept response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which cost more than 190,000 Americans their lives...

OMFG.

Okay hun.

 

[Metaphor]

Holy shit. I can't believe we are where we are here. Someone doesn't know that pandemic is a noun!

Wow!!!!!!

Okay hun.

 

[Metaphor]

This is such a fucking petty hill to die on.

Do you know something about my death that I don't?

 

[Metaphor]

Holy shit. I can't believe we are where we are here. Someone doesn't know that pandemic is a noun!

Wow!!!!!!

Okay hun.

A curious exhibit was the jewelled hat made for the Queen's beagle, which was the most popular attraction.

The most popular attraction, according to Don2, was the queen's beagle, as it was the last noun in the sentence, and 'the jewelled hat made for the queen's beagle' isn't a noun.

 

[laughing dog]

This is such a fucking petty hill to die on.

Do you know something about my death that I don't?

I think every reader of this thread but one knows something about that death that you don't.

 

[laughing dog]

Holy shit. I can't believe we are where we are here. Someone doesn't know that pandemic is a noun!

Wow!!!!!!

Okay hun.

A curious exhibit was the jewelled hat made for the Queen's beagle, which was the most popular attraction.

The most popular attraction, according to Don2, was the queen's beagle, as it was the last noun in the sentence, and 'the jewelled hat made for the queen's beagle' isn't a noun.

Um, "the jewelled had made for the queen's beagle" is a phrase that contains some nouns, but it is not a noun.

As for the sentence, it is ambiguous, since it could be interpreted that the queen's beagle was the popular attraction. An ambiguous sentence is not inept and dishonest in and of itself. It may be inept and dishonest, but more actual information (not conjecture or projection) about intent is needed.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19.

The last noun was "pandemic":

The most devastating example is his dishonest and inept response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which cost more than 190,000 Americans their lives...

OMFG.

Wow. Did everyone see this?

The word "pandemic" is not a noun according to Metaphor.

 

[Elixir]

The last noun was "pandemic":



OMFG.

Wow. Did everyone see this?

The word "pandemic" is not a noun according to Metaphor.

Maybe he's feeling a little bit pandemic ...

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Holy shit. I can't believe we are where we are here. Someone doesn't know that pandemic is a noun!

Wow!!!!!!

Okay hun.

The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19

 

[Metaphor]

A curious exhibit was the jewelled hat made for the Queen's beagle, which was the most popular attraction.

The most popular attraction, according to Don2, was the queen's beagle, as it was the last noun in the sentence, and 'the jewelled hat made for the queen's beagle' isn't a noun.

Um, "the jewelled had made for the queen's beagle" is a phrase that contains some nouns, but it is not a noun.

The hat is the noun. Its bejewelled qualities and the intended recipient are details about the noun and form part of the object being described. Just as in SA's sentence, the noun is the response, with descriptive additions such as the quality of the response (dishonest and inept) and what the response is about (COVID-19).

As for the sentence, it is ambiguous, since it could be interpreted that the queen's beagle was the popular attraction.

There is nothing ambiguous about it. In what universe does "a curious exhibit was the jewelled hat made for the Queen's beagle" mean that the curious exhibit was the Queen's beagle?

Is this how bad English comprehension is in the United States?

 

[Metaphor]

Holy shit. I can't believe we are where we are here. Someone doesn't know that pandemic is a noun!

Wow!!!!!!

Okay hun.

The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19
The last noun was the dishonest and inept response to COVID-19

Yes, that was the last noun. I'm glad you now agree with me.