a joke about two pere ubuists

[Abdiel OAbdiel]

--- Malignd <malignd at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I won't quote him here, but I largely agree with
> David Morris's response regarding the value of the
attempt to prescribe, even if ultimately impossible.



It's impossible. That's a fact.  Why prescription? Who
will benifit? Why? The notion that prescription is
tied to precision and complexity of thought is utter
nonsense. As I said previously, there is a linguist in
the world that believes such nonsense. 

You've not provided an argument that can be supported
by anything other than politics/economics.  You are
making a political argument and then covering your ass
by claiming that the argument has been politicized. 
Prescriptive grammar does not guarentee precision in
thought or expression. 

Here is the political argument: What it guarantees is
a reason and a method for the ruling class to impose
its ideas on the working class. You're simply taking
the other side. 

The  BE in Black Talk is far more complex, far more
cable of precision,  than the SAE  BE. The use of
double and and multiple negatives, by Chaucer, by
Shakespeare, by Black Americans, by various L2
speakers of English, by Scotts and Irish, is not owed
to some lack of complexity or precision in thought or
expression. Quite the contrary. 

Is there is a supportable and non-political argument
that favors prescription and standard?  Sure. But
you're digging for the wrong bone. 

Bone up some more. 



__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more
http://taxes.yahoo.com/