Media crap...

[Rob M]

Originally posted by roibm
The struggle for Iraq

In English this means the "struggle for [control of] Iraq", not the "struggle for [the benefit of] Iraq". Maybe it's just the brainwashing talking, but really don't think anyone could deny that there's a struggle for control of Iraq going on.

[roibm]

Originally posted by Rob M


In English this means the "struggle for [control of] Iraq", not the "struggle for [the benefit of] Iraq". Maybe it's just the brainwashing talking, but really don't think anyone could deny that there's a struggle for control of Iraq going on.

But then again, it is not struggle for iraq itself...

Maybe I don't understand english well enough, but for me struggle for/[to do] something is both referring to control and benefit("The struggle for one's life"), and the difference is dictated by the context. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[millwood]

Originally posted by roibm
Maybe I don't understand english well enough,

take out the word "Maybe" and you have an unbiased statement.

Originally posted by roibm
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

done.

[Rob M]

Originally posted by roibm
Maybe I don't understand english well enough, but for me struggle for/[to do] something is both referring to control and benefit("The struggle for one's life"), and the difference is dictated by the context. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Try this:

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22st...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

If "X struggles for Y", there's an implicature that "X desires Y", and it's a small step from there to "Y would benefit X" (or at least "X thinks Y would benefit X"). Y doesn't necessarily benefit -- in fact, Y is usually either abstract ("justice") or inanimate ("oil").

(Warning: I'm a linguist by trade, so I care about these things more than is really healthy.)

[kelticwizard]

I'm with Rob.

I think the headline clearly means "the struggle for the control of Iraq", not "The struggle for the benefit of Iraq".

Maybe it's a language thing, maybe it's a transatlantic thing, (although Rob lived in Holland for years). But I think few Americans would interpret that headline as meaning "The struggle for the benefit of Iraq", regardless of their political stance.

[SY]

Most Americans ignore CNN headlines. Fairly content-free.