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Tue 30 Nov, 2010 09:39 am
prevent government agencies from protecting consumers against quackery
=
stop government agencies to cheat consumers ?
It sounds confusing.
Context:
From 1981 to 1982, Mendelsohn was president of the National Health Federation, a group whose primary purpose is to prevent government agencies from protecting consumers against quackery. He spoke frequently at NHF conventions and produced a newsletter and a syndicated newspaper column, both called The People's Doctor. He was also president of the New Medical Foundation, a tax-exempt organization formed in the late 1970s to support "innovative forms of medical education of the public and the medical profession." At a meeting sponsored by this group in 1984, he said:
No, it means that the author is saying that the National Health Federation's purpose is to stop government agencies from protecting the public from being cheated.
@Setanta,
Thanks.
But it did not help. Because you've used the same grammatical structure that I didn't understand.
Some one please rewrite it in two or more sentences than one.
Does it mean that NHF deems that government agencies cheat public, and the NHF wants to stop this crime committed by the agencies?
@oristarA,
Jesus, you're being obtuse, and there's nothing at all unusual about the grammar. The government agencies protect the public from being cheated by quacks (a quack is someone who claims to have medical knowledge or cures, but who does not). The goal of the National Health Federation is to interfere with those govenment agencies when they seek to protect the public.
You're making this unnecessarily difficult--the statement is clear and straight forward.
@Setanta,
Quote:Jesus, you're being obtuse, and there's nothing at all unusual about the grammar.
...
You're making this unnecessarily difficult--the statement is clear and straight forward.
Now if blaming the student for what is a teacher failure isn't the sign of a top notch teacher, I don't know what is.
@Setanta,
I think the confusion may stem from the idea that the National Health Federation sounds like it's a government agency in its own right. Why would a government agency be chartered to interfere with government agencies as they attempt to protect the public?
But they aren't a government agency -- they're a watchdog group keeping an eye on the government as it attempts to save us from ourselves.
http://www.thenhf.com/page.php?id=1
@oristarA,
Quote:primary purpose is to prevent government agencies from protecting consumers against quackery
It uses double negative which brings confusion.
should be...
primary purpose is for government agencies to protect consumers against quackery.
@oristarA,
He's knocking this Mendelsohn guy and his organization, Ori.
He's saying that the National Health Federation is a group whose primary purpose is not FOR the consumer. It's a group that lobbies/influences government agencies to
not put in place effective policies/programs/controls that would protect consumers against bad doctors [quacks].
@JTT,
JTT's has been crystal clear for me.
Thank you all guys.
@JTT,
You're right. He is supposed to protect but is not.
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