Word: notional
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...notion that systematic efforts to improve the prowess of slaves by selective breeding have something to do with black athletic achievements is one of the most persistent and pernicious myths in America's overflowing collection of racist ideas. Historians as diverse as Ulrich B. Phillips, a staunch defender of the Confederacy, and Eugene Genovese, a Marxist, have convincingly shown that there was no widespread deliberate mating of slaves. This preposterous theory has nevertheless wormed its way into the collective consciousness through such classic works of pulp fiction as Mandingo. It is probably no coincidence that Kyle Onstott, creator of that...
Democrats Gephardt, Dukakis and Gore are ill positioned to take much partisan advantage from the Republican deficit distress. Gephardt's notions of bitter medicine, for example, do not extend to Iowa voters; he fervently backs a farm bill that he admits would increase food prices. Dukakis still clings to his widely ridiculed notion that stricter IRS enforcement would slash $35 billion from the deficit. Dukakis does not want to discuss new taxes, claims Chris Edley, his campaign-issues director, because he fears that they would draw attention from his IRS compliance scheme. Gore is equally vague. All he offers...
...piece is written on a level other than that of the standard opinion/editorial, in which a writer expresses a well-reasoned notion, say, on taxes, fads, modern thought, whatever; thus it would be absurd to say that because the piece presents an arguably humorous tirade, rather than purporting any claim to fact, it should not have been printed. Of course the elderly of South Florida are not literally "baking their brains into blackened rocks;" this is only a graceful turn of phrase...
...statement" of the piece thus does not merit scarce space. What is far worse than whatever offense might come to the reader over the matter of slurs against Jews or the elderly, however, is the offense such pieces are to the notion of quality writing. Materialism might be a problem in South Florida, or in all America, for that matter, but condescension, cynicism and inhumanity are certainly problems among student writers at Harvard, especially when they "roam the real world." I propose that good writing does not intend to shock with every line; nor does good writing rely...
Yesterday, Dukakis again called Hart's statement "absolutely ridiculous," and said, "Anyone who thinks you can prepare a budget one year in advance doesn't know how we do this. The notion that you can is absurd...