Over het benoemen van principes

Op de nieuwe blog 'The Libertarian Standard' is er een heerlijke post genaamd 'Name that Principle' die gaat over het benoemen van bepaalde praktijken/discours.

Bemerk zeker zijn bespreking van hoe we het principe van 'the seen and the unseen' zouden noemen, maar het leukste van heel de post is dit:

Another such principle was identified, today, on this blog, by Manuel Lora. He humorously dubbed it “Statist The-daism,” and explained it as the presumption that there is one problem to be solved requiring one solution. He identifies this presumption by the use of the definitive article: “How arethe schools in your area? How good are the police? How are the roads?”

Now, at first glance you might think Mr. Lora is being overly picky. We use the definite article as a manner of speaking. It’s English. It’s an idiom. Live with it.

But Lora notices that, though we use the definite article even along with plural constructions, we do so mainly in areas where government is heavily involved. Roads are basically run as a vast socialist enterprise. Schools, too. The police, “of necessity.” But we don’t say “How are the groceries in your area?” We ask, instead, “What’s your favorite grocery store?” “Which store is cheapest?” “Which has the freshest vegetables?”

Interesting, eh?