Last time I checked Assange was never a journalist.
I think it is terrible what happened to him and I hope I can keep expecting that only from China, Russia, the USA and a few others, but this is false information and actually it explains the whole reason why the USA could very easily apply the Espionage Act in such a way.
Language is defined by how it's used, if it's common for people to say "less" then that is correct. Trying to define the only "correct" usage counter to how people actually use the language is prescriptivism, which rarely changes how people actually speak. The only real use of prescriptivism is elitism.
You clearly understood what was said, you just wanted to announce you're "better" at English.
But just as it's okay for people to speak the way they want, it's also okay for people to spread language knowledge. Then let the people decide whether they want to use that knowledge or not.
It's not like OP said "it's 'fewer', you idiot!" In that case, I'd say it's elitism. Otherwise, it's just a useful lemmy comment.
Hard disagree; it's not a useful comment precisely because it's prescriptivism. It's suggesting people are incorrect because they're using a commonly accepted meaning of a word, that's just not how language works.
Edit: Perhaps I should be clearer. The "less vs fewer" rule was invented roughly 200 years ago and doesn't actually hold true, "less" has been used this way for far longer. It's the epitome of "I want English to work this way, fuck everyone else".
Now, and this I'm going to say in a sort-of tongue-in-cheek manner, what's your opinion on the recent change of the meaning of "literally"? Because that one is definitely less (ha!) than 200 years old.
According to this list it was used figuratively by Jane Austen, who I believe died more than 200 years ago. That page also claims the earliest known use is 1769, so it's probably less than 300 years in writing? It's moot either way, if you're going for an etymological argument you could go further and say literally should mean anything to do with letters or writing, from the original Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing".
Learning about Gerrymandering was one of the first times I noticed cracks in our democracy.
I grew up in the Midwest, and I truly thought America had done it. We solved corruption and bad governments, why wouldn't the rest of the world want to know how to do it right?
Gerrymandering proves the absolute worst of our system. Corrupted officials carving the worst possible areas to make sure the person they want to get elected is elected - and the only time we get to change them is once a decade - when the same committee decides again.
Imagine if we redrew the state maps every few years. Oh no, my speed limit went down, I have to pay five cents per bag at the store, and the gax tax is not ten cents more per gallon. 😱😱😱
But then November roles around and my vote is way more powerful than it was because now 2 million people are election a senator and in my old state 50 million are also electing a senator.
States obviously used to have cultural sway but pretending they are real in 2024 is absolutely hilarious.
Gerrymandering is just the cherry on top. Well, the cherry in the House.
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