Posted: Jan 11, 2016 3:17 pm
Thommo wrote:To be fair, it doesn't. I think it heavily implies it, and I think Scot is talking a lot of shite, but that quote does not actually call the membership shite.
The prounoun "it" and the pronoun "that" do not directly have to refer to the object "the membership" appearing later in the sentence "It really is a load of shite but that is the membership for you." to make sense.
For example, suppose you spent 4 hours queuing at the passport office, then when you got to the front of the line they closed up for the day, slamming the grille in your face and wasting your time. On relating this story to your friend they respond "It really is a load of shite but that is the passport office for you.", the natural sense to read the pronouns "it" and "that" is in reference to the events that happened, possibly as an exemplar of what the passport office usually does.
Ah, so what Scot is saying is that the discussion itself is shite and that such things are to be expected from the membership.
Which isn't directly calling the membership shite, but only that such shite is to be expected of the membership.
That really isn't much of a vast improvement and nor do I see anyone being unjustified in holding the view that Scot basically called the membership "shite." And to claim he has said that, really doesn't pass muster as a misrepresentation.