• howrar@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    Did you not read the text in the image?

    A system that can elect a felon faster than it can prosecute him is fundamentally broken.

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
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      24 hours ago

      It’s called inference dude.

      It’s phrased as any but it’s clearly a reference to the USA which is one country not all, not many, not several but a singular one. It would be a lack of reading comprehension to say it’s “any” or “all” which your article just confirmed for you.

      Now have a look back at my first comment and we’ll see if you can figure out what your actual point is.

      • howrar@lemmy.ca
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        23 hours ago

        You can infer additional information when that information isn’t present. Like if you say “A certain system that can […]”, then that sentence refers to a specific system but doesn’t say which. You can infer from context that it’s the US. But if you say “The US system, which can […]” then you cannot infer that “The US system” actually means the Canadian system because it’s clearly stated that it’s the US system. There’s no missing information to infer. In this case, it says “A system”. As you said, that means any system. All systems. We’re given complete information on the subject. There’s nothing to infer.

        Maybe what you’re thinking of is that the current context of this post is the recent US election, so the timing of this post is an implicit reference to that. But the reference isn’t meant to change the meaning of the statement. It’s used as evidence to support it. i.e. “This kind of system is bad in general. Look at this example in which it is bad.” and not “This kind of system is bad in general. But not in general.”

        Edit: Alternatively, there can be cases where you should interpret a sentence as something different from what was actually written, and that’s when you have reasonable cause to believe they meant the other thing. Here, both the general statement and one specifically about the US are statements that someone can reasonably make so most people will interpret the words exactly as written.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
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          23 hours ago

          You can infer from context that it’s the US

          Duh

          then you cannot infer that “The US system” actually means the Canadian system because it’s clearly stated that it’s the US system. There’s no missing information to infer.

          That’s why I didn’t do that dipshit, you stated all, not me.

          Maybe what you’re thinking of is that the current context of this post is the recent US election, so the timing of this post is an implicit reference to that. But the reference isn’t meant to change the meaning of the statement. It’s used as evidence to support it. i.e. “This kind of system is bad in general. Look at this example in which it is bad.” and not “This kind of system is bad in general. But not in general.”

          That’s the additional info you absolute brickbrain.

          • howrar@lemmy.ca
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            23 hours ago

            That’s the additional info you absolute brickbrain.

            The criticism was about the generality, not the implicit evidence.

              • howrar@lemmy.ca
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                23 hours ago

                How would you phrase it if you did want it to be a general statement?

                • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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                  22 hours ago

                  It’s a trap! :D Just because he can come up with a different way to make the same general statement does not mean the original in the post is not general. ;)

                  • Madison420@lemmy.world
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                    22 hours ago

                    It’s not general at all. If I say “someone like” and describe you head to toe? Is that general or is that specific and targeted?

                • Madison420@lemmy.world
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                  22 hours ago

                  It’s written specifically in reference but with just enough obscurity to say it could be anyone, anyone with a brain knows it’s not. To answer your question I wouldn’t change it at all, it’s fine. The only one playing this dumb game is you and your alts.

                  • howrar@lemmy.ca
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                    22 hours ago

                    How do you imagine language to work if you don’t have a way of communicating what you want to communicate? Both the general and specific statement are reasonable for someone to make in this context, so there should be a way to express both.