that which? why the author had to use "that" here? It seems redundant

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Context:

Four years ago, I spoke to you of a New Beginning, and we have accomplished that. But in another sense, our New Beginning is a continuation of that beginning created two centuries ago when, for the first time in history, government, the people said, was not our master, it is our servant; its only power that which we the people allow it to have.

That system has never failed us

More:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/inaugurals.php

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 1,300 • Replies: 25

[+3] - oristarA - 04/19/2012[quote="JTT"] [quote]How about [give] [b]giving[/b] us something that is not bullshit in your eye, JTT.[/quote] Nah, Ori, it just crushes Americans' egos to learn that theirs is a...

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@oristarA,

Oh. The ancient English is disliked by anyone here?

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@oristarA,

I think that that which should have followed the verb is.
that is a predicate nominative (pronoun); which is its associated relative pronoun.

Read all about it here.

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@oristarA,

... ;its only power [is] that [power] which we the people allow it to have.

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Thank you both

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@oristarA,

Ancient, or Old English as it is called is a foreign language mostly known by a few scholars. Middle English can usually be read in the same manner as a Spanish speaker can more or less read Portugese. Your quote is modern English.

I don't know if you care about stuff like that, or not.

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for the first time in history, government ... our servant ... its only power [being] that [power] which we the people allow it to have.

Modern (not "ancient") English; a little formal but perfectly correct.

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@oristarA,

Quote:

Four years ago, I spoke to you of a New Beginning, bla bla bla ...

Have you ever heard such a crock of sour owl manure? And lots of really gullible people swallow that, hook, line and sinker.

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@JTT,

I really don't know why Oristar tortures himself, and us, with such turgid texts.

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@McTag,

McTag wrote:

I really don't know why Oristar tortures himself, and us, with such turgid texts.

I suggest: For your pleasure, give a thread that I make a glance before you decide to give it an answer or not.

Because I have been, like an archaeologist, attempting to excavate the root of modern thoughts. It is no more a torture for me, rather, there are much joys along the way.

Rest assured, McTag, just a few threads of mine will involve such turgid texts. For example, that hell of a sentence with lots of "ifs" has showed a clear structure to me.

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@JTT,

JTT wrote:

Quote:
Four years ago, I spoke to you of a New Beginning, bla bla bla ...

Have you ever heard such a crock of sour owl manure? And lots of really gullible people swallow that, hook, line and sinker.

Look at anything with a scientific and critical eye, which is my manner of observation, JTT. Doctors find secrets about health in shits - that is why they want a patient to deliver them his/her feces in order to check it out.

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@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

there are much joys along the way.

Indeed there are. Well said, oristarA.

(Even though it should be either 'much joy' or 'many joys')

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@McTag,

I was more wondering how Reagan, any of these US politicians, gets away with peddling such absolute bullshit, McTag.

1 Reply

@JTT,

JTT wrote:

I was more wondering how Reagan, any of these US politicians, gets away with peddling such absolute bullshit, McTag.

How about give us something that is not bullshit in your eye, JTT.

1 Reply

@oristarA,

Quote:

How about [give] giving us something that is not bullshit in your eye, JTT.

Nah, Ori, it just crushes Americans' egos to learn that theirs is a giant Potemkin Village.

1 Reply

@JTT,

JTT wrote:

Quote:
How about [give] giving us something that is not bullshit in your eye, JTT.

Nah, Ori, it just crushes Americans' egos to learn that theirs is a giant Potemkin Village.

Oh... I see. The Americans serve as a vent to JTT's anger that is unique in its kind. Wink

1 Reply

@oristarA,

No, Ori.

The US is, by virtue of its sordid past and its stupendous levels of hypocrisy, the focus of a crystal clear honesty that is highly disturbing to many.

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@JTT,

JTT wrote:

No, Ori.

The US is, by virtue of its sordid past and its stupendous levels of hypocrisy, the focus of a crystal clear honesty that is highly disturbing to many.

All countries in the rest of the world are far worse than US? Or, is there a country which can be pround of its clear past and honorable present?

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@oristarA,

Quote:

All countries in the rest of the world are far worse than US? Or, is there a country which can be pround of its clear past and honorable present?

That's absolutely false, Ori. Not only is it false but pointing to someone or some country that is as bad or worse than another does not in any way clear one or a country of their war crimes, their ongoing state terrorism.

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@oristarA,

Quote:

All countries in the rest of the world are far worse than US? Or, is there a country which can be pround of its clear past and honorable present?

1 Reply

that which? why the author had to use "that" here? It seems redundant

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