>>>Carrol - I think you are overlooking the demand here. We are
>>>dealing with a government doing the wrong thing against terrorist
>>>who have killed a lot of people in the U.S. and successfully
>>>terrorized them. We are opposed to the evil things this government
>>>is doing in response. We need to be able to answer the question:
>>>"what would you do if you were in charge?". People simply will
>>>not consider anyone a serious critic who refuses to answer this
>>>question.
>>
>>The subjunctive gives you away. The question is not serious as it
>>is contrary to facts.
>
>This assumes that a hypotheical question can never be serious. But
>when you are seeking political change, and implicitly political
>power, then the question: "what happens if you win?" is a serious
>question.
The question in the indicative mood is a serious one, but the question in the subjunctive mood is not serious. A mood is a property of verbs that indicates the attitude of the speaker about the factuality or likelihood of what is expressed. The subjunctive mood is used to indicate doubt or unlikelihood -- in the case of the above question in the subjunctive mood, the unlikelihood of your becoming in charge.
Has anyone ever actually asked you or Doug or anyone else here "what will happen if you win"? :->
The questions we should seriously consider are what we want to win, when we want to win it, & most importantly _how_ to organize ourselves so we will be able to ask what we want to do if we win in the indicative, rather than subjunctive, mood. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Anti-War Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/> * Subscription Info about the Anti-War (Columbus) & Peace (Statewide) Listservs: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/mail.html> * Subscription Info about the OSU Committee for Justice in Palestine Listserv: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/cjp.mail.html>