General Discussion

Igel

(37,559 posts)

42. Speech act.

Sun Mar 16, 2014, 10:56 PM

Mar 2014

"It would be a real shame if somebody got newthinking to click on a link that reformatted his hard drive. Oh, by the way, here's a link ..."

Hey, it's a real, heart-felt sentiment. It's not a threat. And if the link just happened to reformat your hard drive ... who knew?

In fact, that kind of utterance is very often a veiled threat. It's like just happening to punch your hand when talking to somebody you want to stay away from your girl. The problem is that it relies crucially on listener interpretation and speaker intent. If you don't want to see the intent (or aren't informed enough to recognize it), you have plausible deniability. At the same time, the speaker also has plausible deniability.

It's a classic when it comes to teenager "this may become a fight" conversations.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

43 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Putin�s media head threatens to turn US into �radioactive ash� [View all] n2doc Mar 2014 OP

Yet some morons insist CNN and MSNBC are worse geek tragedy Mar 2014 #1

The big difference betweetn RT and CNN is Cha Mar 2014 #22

foolishness: But the translation isn't a direct threat, rather newthinking Mar 2014 #30

I was thinking of a recent failed presidential candidate. pangaia Mar 2014 #32

Speech act. Igel Mar 2014 #42

Hell, Fukishima will do that sooner than later anyhow.n/t dixiegrrrrl Mar 2014 #2

Said no scientist ever. nt geek tragedy Mar 2014 #4

They might if they had funding. Octafish Mar 2014 #33

This is what empires look like when they're falling. joshcryer Mar 2014 #3

Shows the importance of getting the nukes deactivated and destroyed. geek tragedy Mar 2014 #5

I honestly don't think they will go *that* far. AverageJoe90 Mar 2014 #27

Are they putting steriods in the water over sufrommich Mar 2014 #6

Well, their dictator does wrestle bears. nt geek tragedy Mar 2014 #7

Elevating the tough talk doesn't help reduce the rhetoric seveneyes Mar 2014 #19

No one in the US is escalating. Neither are they being bullied. nt geek tragedy Mar 2014 #23

The US? karynnj Mar 2014 #24

Dr Evil says the hearts of gay people should be burned after Bluenorthwest Mar 2014 #8

They grow increasingly reactionary.nt sufrommich Mar 2014 #10

Let me guess, this is worse than threatening to "obliterate" Iran? Fumesucker Mar 2014 #9

as in Bomb bomb bomb Iran malaise Mar 2014 #16

Actually I was thinking of a Secretary of State Fumesucker Mar 2014 #18

who was jsut in Ukraine dixiegrrrrl Mar 2014 #37

I noticed some Putin's DUwater carriers arely staircase Mar 2014 #11

... Rex Mar 2014 #12

the grey suit in the video does not help wheniwasincongress Mar 2014 #26

Blogwriter is a bit out of date - RIA Novosti became defunct last year. dipsydoodle Mar 2014 #13

So this guy is in charge of rt.com geek tragedy Mar 2014 #14

It is an GP6971 Mar 2014 #20

Well one Sarah Palin suggested that the only thing better than a bad guy with a malaise Mar 2014 #15

Well I do hope Kerry or whomever does not try more tough talk seveneyes Mar 2014 #17

Who cares what you think? Sometimes tough talk is a requirement functioning_cog Mar 2014 #21

Tough talk GP6971 Mar 2014 #25

You could have left off that first sentence and been a lot more credible sounding. snappyturtle Mar 2014 #29

I CARE what seveneyes thinks. That's who. pangaia Mar 2014 #34

That is ridiculously reckless. Laelth Mar 2014 #28

Let's hope it is all bluster. Rex Mar 2014 #31

Of course not. n/t GP6971 Mar 2014 #35

I think Putin is counting GP6971 Mar 2014 #36

Any other older DUers having flashbacks right about now? Brigid Mar 2014 #38

I think the actual quote was ozone_man Mar 2014 #39

Sounds like a case of possession with intent to deliver jsr Mar 2014 #43

Someone doesn't like the fact we spoke up. hrmjustin Mar 2014 #40

who would have thought that when he just wanted arely staircase Mar 2014 #41