Brad:
>> Bait-and-switch. Not one person in a thousand knows the difference
>> between the Greens and "The Greens/Green Party USA." Only someone
>> trying *hard* to deceive his or her interlocutors would
>> refer to the
>> second in a discussion about the first.
>>
>> This goes too far, and deserves censure.
Gautam:
>Really? I knew exactly what he meant. Personally, I think that
>attempts
>to stifle someone who disagrees with you through pompous claims for
>censure
>go too far and deserve censure, but that's just me, of course.
Well, I thought it was *impolite* to say "I know more than you do about
your movement" (or however it was phrased), but I think John's perfectly
entitled to explain that by "The Greens/Green Party USA" he meant something
specific, rather than a general "the Greens". As an outsider, when I read
it I assumed that the capital T on "The" meant it was a specific group, and
not just greens in general. It is, after all, somewhat standard practice in
written English to use capitalization of a definite article at the
beginning of specific group titles, like The Shondrells (as opposed to any
group of Shondrells) or The Six & The Group of Seven (as opposed to any old
group of six or seven).
<diversion>
First prize (a copy of either Asimov's _The Gods Themselves_, goes to
whoever can explain who Les Six and The Group of Seven are/were/will be
(ahem) without looking it up. And I mean THE Group of Seven, people. ;)
</diversion>
His arguments, on the other hand . . . :)
Gord
