• howrar
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    22 hours ago

    I could change the example to purple hair and big feet. How does that change the fact that other people with purple hair and big feet could exist in the past/future?

    Reiterating on what I said in the other branch of this thread, language exists as a means to convey information. There has to be a way to distinguish between making a general statement and a specific one.

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      The thing that would change it is context, I’m looking at you and describing you but only with generalities.

      Yes it is, and you’ve missed the point entirely but trying to swim through tedium.

      • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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        21 hours ago

        You are repeatedly bringing up context to justify ignoring basic sentence structure that clearly indicates it is general, yet ignore the other part of the context that is inconvenient to you.

        Namely, that interpreting it your way means the user just decided to post “US system is fundamentally broken” without any elaboration or context. Why would anyone do that? What value would such post have, without pointing out what specifically is broken? People post such sentences in context to point out why they think it is broken. Because of this, most people interpret it as general statement that is, at the same time, implying US fits the generalization and is therefore broken. Combining the reasoning and conclusion into one short sentence.

        Also, why would the user pick these very specific and topical traits to describe the US, instead of dozens more recognizable stereotypical ones, unless they wanted to use the generalization as reasoning?

        And the generalization used as reasoning is what we disagree with, not the conclusion.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
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          18 hours ago

          I’m not. You’ve already agreed I’m not. I don’t honestly even think you know what your point is at this time.

          That’s exactly what the inference is. It could be read as any country with those exact issues but how many countries is that? Oh yeah, exactly one. Hence context, they coached it to be inoffensive to any country when read without context or with plain English alone. However if you know the context which is clearly a president being convicted of a felony by their country (that’s arguably 3 world leaders) and then winning an election that is literally one. Draw a venn diagram and you end up with one sole option it could be.

          They did it to Coach it inoffensively so it’s harder to ban and easier to spread. It’s the same reason the news says geatz has “issues” and not he’s a white nationalist pedophile.

          Then you don’t know what you’re arguing. Look at my original comment dude. You’re agreeing with me but you’re so up your own ass about the exact grammar you can’t see it.

          • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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            18 hours ago

            So what is the meaning/point of the post in your interpretation then? “US system is broken, I refuse to say why I think so!”? And the selection of traits is a massive coincidence?

            • Madison420@lemmy.world
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              18 hours ago

              It’s fairly simple.

              https://lemmy.ca/comment/13878734

              No one said any, no one said all you couldnt even infer all or any because it could not possibly be all or any. It’s one, very specifically one and even the countries the US tends to make fun of make felons exempt from office.

              Hell in Russia you can’t take office with a felony conviction and most felonies are able to bar you from entry let alone immigration.

              • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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                18 hours ago

                It’s fairly simple.

                So answer the question. The original post in the picture, what would it’s point be in your interpretation? What was Barbara trying to say according to you?

                You can’t, because if it was as you say, the posts says nothing of substance. Just “US system is broken.” with no context.

                • Madison420@lemmy.world
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                  18 hours ago

                  Jesus fuck.

                  Ed: it’s plain English disphit, you mean what does it mean to me not what does it say.