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DS Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

I got frustrated sorting this out!

how to make LITERAL sense of this sentence “against the death penalty's uncertain benefits must be set its certain defects?”, I mean literally, what is it trying to say?
Is the pharse "be set against" being used in this sentence to indicate someone is opposing death penalty?
  

Top answer

Yes, but in a convoluted UK way of phrasing. You might try, "the death penalty's uncertain benefits are outweighed by its clear deficiencies," mostly being that it's become so institutionalized and 'client-ized' that every new death row inmate is a million dollar profit-center 'rice tent', and the liberals defend their rice tents like conservatives their racism. They use a barometric chamber to quickly euthanize pets, so what's the problem with using that chamber to quickly euthanize criminals?

— PeterT

  • Yes, but in a convoluted UK way of phrasing.
  • You might try, "the death penalty's uncertain benefits are outweighed by its clear deficiencies," mostly being that it's become so institutionalized and 'client-ized' that every new death row inmate is a million dollar profit-center 'rice tent', and the liberals defend their rice tents like conservatives their racism.
  • They use a barometric chamber to quickly euthanize pets, so what's the problem with using that chamber to quickly euthanize criminals?
  • It could even be a big room with a mini-bar and party favors and video games and cable TV in it, but when you check in, you don't check out.
  • I'm sure a lot of folks in senior centers would elect to visit that room.
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8 Answers
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Yes, but in a convoluted UK way of phrasing. You might try, "the death penalty's uncertain benefits are outweighed by its clear deficiencies," mostly being that it's become so institutionalized and 'client-ized' that every new death row inmate is a million dollar profit-center 'rice tent', and the liberals defend their rice tents like conservatives their racism.

They use a barometric cha
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"set against" means "balanced against"; i.e. the benefits must be balanced against the defects.
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hah!nice one on the senior centers!
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yeah, i think it was comparing the benefits with the defects,other than opposing or going agaisnt the death penalty, that makes sense?
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It is saying that the benefits of a death penalty are uncertain, but the disadvantages are certain. It is weighing the pros versus the cons of this practice, and deferring in favor of not endorsing this practice. "To set against" means to compare with on a item-by-item basis.
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DSIs the pharse "be set against" being used in this sentence to indicate someone is opposing death penalty?
No. Benefits must be set against defects ~ Benefits must be compared with defects. ~ Benefits and defects must be evaluated "side by side".

The underlying reference is to two columns, one listing benefits, the other listing defects. The two co
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