How to avoid repeating the same words in a sentence

Question

Could you tell me how I can avoid repeating the underlined same words in the following sentence?
If it is not possible in the sentence, please tell me so.
Thank you.

The ruling classes of North Korea – whether they are politically based on hardliners or soft-liners, or whether they are politically based on progressives or conservatives – have linked at least its nuclear weapons with the “Strong and Prosperous Nation” campaign.

Clive · Accepted Answer

The phrase politically based on seems unnecessary, as well as a bit unclear.

I suggest this.
The ruling classes of North Korea, whether they are hardliners or soft-liners, progressives or conservatives, have linked at least the country's nuclear weapons with the “Strong and Prosperous Nation” campaign.

I'm not clear why you are saying 'at least'. Do you mean they may also have linked something more important than nuclear weapons?

Clive

Lucas21c · Answer

Whether the ruling classes have something else or not, they alway intend to secure, by all means, nuclear weapons, as a discardable leverage to appeal or realize the campaign. That's what I want to originally express. In this context, does the 'at least' sound okay? No.

Lucas21c · Answer

Thank you for your answer, Clive. However, it is slightly different from what I intend to say. Because we can presume some politicians who are conservatives in ideology, but politically based on the progressive parties in reality for some or any reasons. So, how about the following sentence?

The ruling classes of North Korea, whether they are based on the hardline or soft-line factions, progressive or conservative parties, have linked at leat the country's nuclear weapon with the "Strong and Prosperous Nation" campaign.

If it still sounds something unnatural, please recorrect them.
Also, could you tell me why you replace "it" in my original sentence with the underlined '"the country's?" Is the meaning of "its" unclear if I use that pronoun instead of "the country's?"

Clive · Answer

Whether the ruling classes have something else or not, they alway intend to secure, by all means, nuclear weapons, as a discardable leverage to appeal or realize the campaign. That's what I want to originally express. In this context, does the 'at least' sound okay? No.
And I don't understand the parts in red.

Clive

Clive · Answer

Thank you for your answer, Clive. However, it is slightly different from what I intend to say. Because we can presume some politicians who are conservatives in ideology, but politically based on the progressive parties in reality for some or any reasons. So, how about the following sentence?

The ruling classes of North Korea, whether they are based on the hardline or soft-line factions, progressive or conservative parties, have linked at least the country's nuclear weapons with the "Strong and Prosperous Nation" campaign.

If it still sounds something unnatural, please recorrect them. This sounds OK.
But I still don't understand 'at least'. It sounds like you think there is something more serious than nuclear weapons.

Also, could you tell me why you replace "it" in my original sentence with the underlined '"the country's?" Is the meaning of "its" unclear if I use that pronoun instead of "the country's?" It took me too much thought to figure out what 'it' referred to.

Clive

Lucas21c · Answer

Hi, Clive.
The 'at least' means that the ruling classes have tried to secure the nuclear weapons as their minimum defensive measures (or for other reasons) though they have conceded other issues in return for them.
So, how could I revise the original sentence properly if it makes its readers puzzled or its meaning misunderstood?

Clive · Answer

Sounds really odd to me.
If nuclear weapons are the minimum measure, what is the maximum measure?

Clive

Lucas21c · Answer

It seems that my poor explanation makes you more misunderstood.
Well, actually, it is not all important which one is the minimum or maximum measure in the sentence.
The point, which I want to stress by 'at least,' is that the rulling classes of North Korea have not given up their nuclear weapons in any case because they think the weapons essential for their campaign though they have sometimes conceded other issues - less important to them, not their people - in order to get international aid such as food and medicines.

The ruling classes of North Korea have linked at least the country's nuclear weapons with the "Strong and Prosperous Nation" campaign.

If the 'at least' fails to convey that thought properly, how could I express that? Just drop that word?
Or how about the following revised one?

The ruling classes of North Korea have linked the country's nuclear weapons with the "Strong and Prosperous Nation" campaign while regarding the weapons as the indispensable for the nation.

Clive · Answer

It seems that my poor explanation makes you more misunderstood.
Well, actually, it is not all important which one is the minimum or maximum measure in the sentence.
The point, which I want to stress by 'at least,' is that the rulling classes of North Korea have not given up their nuclear weapons in any case because they think the weapons essential for their campaign though they have sometimes conceded other issues - less important to them, not their people - in order to get international aid such as food and medicines.

The ruling classes of North Korea have linked at least the country's nuclear weapons with the "Strong and Prosperous Nation" campaign.

If the 'at least' fails to convey that thought properly, how could I express that? Just drop that word? Yes, drop 'at least'.
Or how about the following revised one?

The ruling classes of North Korea have linked the country's nuclear weapons with the "Strong and Prosperous Nation" campaign while regarding the weapons as the indispensable for the nation.
The underlined part seems to add nothing.

Clive

How to avoid repeating the same words in a sentence

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