• billwashere@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      This line never made grammatical sense to me… in my head I hear “some of those ‘at work’ forces…”

    • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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      6 days ago

      Who the fuck “works forces”? That line’s been bothering me since the first Matrix movie.

      It’s just poor grammar; put together for a snappy lyric, and everybody repeats this selfsame line on every single ACAB thread without even thinking about it.

      Fuck!

      • davelA
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        6 days ago

        Won’t somebody please think of the grammar nazis!

        • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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          5 days ago

          I’m disappointed in you; posting one thing, getting a reply, and then changing your original post to taint the meaning of the reply. Is that how your mama taught you to debate online?

        • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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          6 days ago

          Did you read my whole diatribe or just react to the first five words?

          Maybe I’m the one that can’t read English. Can you point out to me, where exactly within the definition you linked to me does it say the proper pronoun to refer to these bastards is ‘force-worker’?

          What I’m saying is that the grammar is fucked. Nobody says, ‘Remember Ted? He works forces now.’ No, they’ll say, ‘Remember Ted? He’s a fuckin’ pig now.’

          • lemmyman@lemmy.world
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            6 days ago

            I read the whole diatribe at least three times before responding.

            The grammar pedantry is just silly, it’s fucking song lyrics, have you listened to music before? Read a poem? Liberties are taken, and that’s that.

            the reason the line is repeated so often is because it is unique and atypical (deriving from its “poor grammar”), and therefore recognizable

            Try it out - “some cops are kkk members.” Not as catchy or iconic, sorry.

            • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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              5 days ago

              All they had to add was the word “in”; barely a silly bull

              “Some of those that work in forces, are the same that burn crosses”

              But noooo that would be too much work!

              Well, let me tell you sonny jim, no revolution is won by laziness! Anyone whose played Dance Dance Revolution can tell you that.

          • Xavienth@lemmygrad.ml
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            6 days ago

            “Working the forces” is a colloquial way to refer to doing police work. It’s just missing a “the”, calm down.

        • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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          5 days ago

          True, and even that Kyle Wren guy’s lightsaber was a burning cross; I think we’re on to something here

      • lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.de
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        4 days ago

        That’s a feature with poetry all over: twisting grammar to make the content fit the line. “Some of those that work on the police forces” just doesn’t fit as well. It gets the point across anyway, so what’s the issue?