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Thread: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

  1. #211
    Senior Member Senior Member Brenus's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh View Post
    My google trans effort has failed yet again
    Long time ago, I wrote a book about my adventures in Bosnia, in French. I wanted to share it with English friends, and started to use google trans. The result was a disaster... So, the book being more than 100 pages, I just stopped,
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. Voltaire.

    "I've been in few famous last stands, lad, and they're butcher shops. That's what Blouse's leading you into, mark my words. What'll you lot do then? We've had a few scuffles, but that's not war. Think you'll be man enough to stand, when the metal meets the meat?"
    "You did, sarge", said Polly." You said you were in few last stands."
    "Yeah, lad. But I was holding the metal"
    Sergeant Major Jackrum 10th Light Foot Infantery Regiment "Inns-and-Out"

  2. #212
    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    It is amazing to see how a thread on terrorism in Britain has devolved into discussing the shortcomings of Cyrillic alphabet and Google translator.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

  3. #213
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Brenus View Post
    Long time ago, I wrote a book about my adventures in Bosnia, in French. I wanted to share it with English friends, and started to use google trans. The result was a disaster... So, the book being more than 100 pages, I just stopped,
    You didn't translate it yourself?

    I wanted to read it :(
    "If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."

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  4. #214

    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Brenus View Post
    Long time ago, I wrote a book about my adventures in Bosnia, in French. I wanted to share it with English friends, and started to use google trans. The result was a disaster... So, the book being more than 100 pages, I just stopped,
    Send it to Martin Windrow? :P
    Vitiate Man.

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  5. #215
    Horse Archer Senior Member Sarmatian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    It is amazing to see how a thread on terrorism in Britain has devolved into discussing the shortcomings of Cyrillic alphabet and Google translator.
    There are no shortcomings of Cyrillic alphabet. It is the Rolls Royce of alphabets. If there was an Olympics for alphabets, Cyrillic would dominate.

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  6. #216
    Incorruptible Forest Manager Member Tristuskhan's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    It is amazing to see how a thread on terrorism in Britain has devolved into discussing the shortcomings of Cyrillic alphabet and Google translator.
    Cyrilic is great: that's the only thing I did not forget from five years learning russian (well, 30 years ago)

    Just too many threads on terrorism... Throwing a "ж" or a "ч" starts the alphabetic war? My bet on the Thai one. I wonder why we keep starting threads for every terrorist act in western europe: motivations are the same, reactions are the same, blood is blood, and orphans, orphans.
    SFTS has started a spree of alphabetic brutality: that's most refreshing and I'd love it to keep us happy until the next (true) slaughter. No motivations, no blood, no orphans. Just plain conflict on an abstract matter*.
    Thinking about it another way would kick it out of the backroom anyway.

    *damn, just like wars of religion, but without tears normally.
    "Les Cons ça ose tout, c'est même à ça qu'on les reconnait"

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  7. #217
    Headless Senior Member Pannonian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post
    There are no shortcomings of Cyrillic alphabet. It is the Rolls Royce of alphabets. If there was an Olympics for alphabets, Cyrillic would dominate.
    Alphabets are passe. Character sets are where it's at.

  8. #218
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post
    There are no shortcomings of Cyrillic alphabet. It is the Rolls Royce of alphabets. If there was an Olympics for alphabets, Cyrillic would dominate.
    It's neither Latin, nor Greek, nor Hebrew, nor Han Chinese.



    Last edited by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus; 04-20-2017 at 20:12.
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  9. #219
    Horse Archer Senior Member Sarmatian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus View Post
    It's neither Latin, nor Greek, nor Hebrew, nor Han Chinese.



    All inferior cultures. Proof? If they weren't inferior, they would have developed Cyrillic alphabet.

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  10. #220

    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    If they weren't inferior, they would have developed Cyrillic alphabet.
    Waiiit a second...
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


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  11. #221
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post
    All inferior cultures. Proof? If they weren't inferior, they would have developed Cyrillic alphabet.
    Actually, the Greeks DID develop it.

    To teach the Slavs about God.
    "If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."

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  12. #222
    Horse Archer Senior Member Sarmatian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    They developed Glagolitic alphabet, on which Cyrillic is based.

    Greeks are slightly better than the rest of you barbarians.

  13. #223
    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus View Post
    It's neither Latin, nor Greek, nor Hebrew, nor Han Chinese.
    Chinese doesn't use alphabet. The latter is a haphazard number of symbols representing sounds (or combinations of sounds). Chinese characters represent words.

    Generally, seeing the ardour of the discussion in this thread I would assume that Cyrillic alphabet is a literal attack on British democracy.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

  14. #224
    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post

    Greeks are slightly better than the rest of you barbarians.
    You think so because they don't owe your country anything.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

  15. #225
    Headless Senior Member Pannonian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    Chinese doesn't use alphabet. The latter is a haphazard number of symbols representing sounds (or combinations of sounds). Chinese characters represent words.

    Generally, seeing the ardour of the discussion in this thread I would assume that Cyrillic alphabet is a literal attack on British democracy.
    It depends on how the alphabet is arranged. There is a (probably apocryphal) story about British bombers dropping leaflets on Germany during the early stages of WWII. An absent-minded bombardier forget to undo the strings of one package before shoving it out of the door, and another crew member admonished him, "Careful, you might hurt somebody like that."

  16. #226
    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
    It depends on how the alphabet is arranged.
    Traditionally, alphabet has no systematic arrangement. There is no reason why A is followed by B and the latter by C and so on. An attempt to turn it into reasonable system was made by Tolkien when he created Tengwar.
    http://www.omniglot.com/conscripts/tengwar.htm
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

  17. #227

    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    Chinese doesn't use alphabet. The latter is a haphazard number of symbols representing sounds (or combinations of sounds). Chinese characters represent words.

    Generally, seeing the ardour of the discussion in this thread I would assume that Cyrillic alphabet is a literal attack on British democracy.
    Chinese characters are broken down into both phonetic and semantic components. The forms are not un-analyzable. As for whether the system is "more" phonetic than semantic, or vice-versa, is debated.
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



  18. #228
    Headless Senior Member Pannonian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    Traditionally, alphabet has no systematic arrangement. There is no reason why A is followed by B and the latter by C and so on. An attempt to turn it into reasonable system was made by Tolkien when he created Tengwar.
    http://www.omniglot.com/conscripts/tengwar.htm
    Like in the example I gave. If you bundle 5 lbs of leaflets written in the Cyrillic alphabet, tie it all up with a bit of string, and chuck the bundle out of an airplane at 10,000 ft, to land on the Houses of Commons, it can be construed as a direct attack on British democracy.

  19. #229
    Mr Self Important Senior Member Beskar's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    There is the Shavian Alphabet.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavian_alphabet

    Effectively it is to give each sound its own letter within the English language. Though someone decided on those shapes to represent the letters, on the basis that it could be done with a single written stroke.
    Last edited by Beskar; 04-21-2017 at 14:27.
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  20. #230
    Praefectus Fabrum Senior Member Anime BlackJack Champion, Flash Poker Champion, Word Up Champion, Shape Game Champion, Snake Shooter Champion, Fishwater Challenge Champion, Rocket Racer MX Champion, Jukebox Hero Champion, My House Is Bigger Than Your House Champion, Funky Pong Champion, Cutie Quake Champion, Fling The Cow Champion, Tiger Punch Champion, Virus Champion, Solitaire Champion, Worm Race Champion, Rope Walker Champion, Penguin Pass Champion, Skate Park Champion, Watch Out Champion, Lawn Pac Champion, Weapons Of Mass Destruction Champion, Skate Boarder Champion, Lane Bowling Champion, Bugz Champion, Makai Grand Prix 2 Champion, White Van Man Champion, Parachute Panic Champion, BlackJack Champion, Stans Ski Jumping Champion, Smaugs Treasure Champion, Sofa Longjump Champion Seamus Fermanagh's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post
    They developed Glagolitic alphabet, on which Cyrillic is based.

    Greeks are slightly better than the rest of you barbarians.
    I love the irony of this, since we have that word thanks to the ancient Greeks....
    "The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman

    "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken

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  21. #231
    Praefectus Fabrum Senior Member Anime BlackJack Champion, Flash Poker Champion, Word Up Champion, Shape Game Champion, Snake Shooter Champion, Fishwater Challenge Champion, Rocket Racer MX Champion, Jukebox Hero Champion, My House Is Bigger Than Your House Champion, Funky Pong Champion, Cutie Quake Champion, Fling The Cow Champion, Tiger Punch Champion, Virus Champion, Solitaire Champion, Worm Race Champion, Rope Walker Champion, Penguin Pass Champion, Skate Park Champion, Watch Out Champion, Lawn Pac Champion, Weapons Of Mass Destruction Champion, Skate Boarder Champion, Lane Bowling Champion, Bugz Champion, Makai Grand Prix 2 Champion, White Van Man Champion, Parachute Panic Champion, BlackJack Champion, Stans Ski Jumping Champion, Smaugs Treasure Champion, Sofa Longjump Champion Seamus Fermanagh's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
    Like in the example I gave. If you bundle 5 lbs of leaflets written in the Cyrillic alphabet, tie it all up with a bit of string, and chuck the bundle out of an airplane at 10,000 ft, to land on the Houses of Commons, it can be construed as a direct attack on British democracy.
    Does Keeping up with the Kardashians also constitute such an attack or does it represent a more broadly targeted terrorist effort?
    "The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman

    "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken

  22. #232
    Headless Senior Member Pannonian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh View Post
    Does Keeping up with the Kardashians also constitute such an attack or does it represent a more broadly targeted terrorist effort?
    If the bindings hold, then it constitutes a targeted terrorist strike. If the bindings come undone, so the pages fly out all over London, then it's the equivalent of a dirty bomb, with a wide area of contamination.

  23. #233
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post
    They developed Glagolitic alphabet, on which Cyrillic is based.

    Greeks are slightly better than the rest of you barbarians.
    Damn it, if I only had three legions I'd show you what for!

    #MakeRomeGreatAgain
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  24. #234
    Headless Senior Member Pannonian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus View Post
    Damn it, if I only had three legions I'd show you what for!

    #MakeRomeGreatAgain
    Are you trying to make yourself a king? Consuls make do with two legions.

  25. #235
    Horse Archer Senior Member Sarmatian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Maybe he was channeling his inner Varus.

  26. #236
    Praefectus Fabrum Senior Member Anime BlackJack Champion, Flash Poker Champion, Word Up Champion, Shape Game Champion, Snake Shooter Champion, Fishwater Challenge Champion, Rocket Racer MX Champion, Jukebox Hero Champion, My House Is Bigger Than Your House Champion, Funky Pong Champion, Cutie Quake Champion, Fling The Cow Champion, Tiger Punch Champion, Virus Champion, Solitaire Champion, Worm Race Champion, Rope Walker Champion, Penguin Pass Champion, Skate Park Champion, Watch Out Champion, Lawn Pac Champion, Weapons Of Mass Destruction Champion, Skate Boarder Champion, Lane Bowling Champion, Bugz Champion, Makai Grand Prix 2 Champion, White Van Man Champion, Parachute Panic Champion, BlackJack Champion, Stans Ski Jumping Champion, Smaugs Treasure Champion, Sofa Longjump Champion Seamus Fermanagh's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
    Are you trying to make yourself a king? Consuls make do with two legions.
    They used 8 at Cannae....albeit not well enough.
    "The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman

    "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken

  27. #237
    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: A Literal Attack on British Democracy

    Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post
    Chinese characters are broken down into both phonetic and semantic components. The forms are not un-analyzable. As for whether the system is "more" phonetic than semantic, or vice-versa, is debated.
    Not all characters are complex, there are simple ones, unanalyzable. But even in the two-component hieroglyphs the phonetic element doesn't represent a sound or a combination of sounds, but rather shows the way the whole symbol is pronounced. Moreover, the number of characters (several dozens thousands) is definitely greater than alphabetical systems include (several dozens). So in no way Chinese script can be counted among alphabetic ones.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

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