What does this phrase mean?

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skystar30097

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Both the extreme interventionist focus on forms and non-interventionist focus on meaning have problrms, which often lead to further pendulum swings, as advocates mistakenly see flaws in the rival position as justification for their own.
 

TheParser

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***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello,


1. You know what a pendulum is. Right?

2. Well, in politics, we say that if the pendulum goes to the far right, then it will swing back to the far left.

a. For example, when I was a child, school discipline was pretty far to the right. That is, the teacher could swat (hit) us when

we were naughty. One day when I was about 12, I threw a rock. The teacher ordered me to bend over. He then used a

board to hit my buttocks. I have never thrown a rock again (I'm 75 years old). The pendulum, however, has now swung to

the far left. That is, it is now almost impossible in many American schools to use any kind of physical punishment, In fact, the

word "punishment" is forbidden.

*****

Thus, regarding your example:

Let's say that country X intervened in the problems of country Y. Let's say that country X lost many soldiers. But let's say that the leader of country X says, "It is our duty to intervene anywhere at any time for any reason."

Well, maybe when country X gets a new leader, that new leader will say: We intervened and lost many soldiers.

So I have decided that we will never intervene again for any reason at any time. Do you see how the pendlum swung

from one extreme to another extreme?


James
 

5jj

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That must have been one heck of a board if it's the memory of that that stops you throwing rocks 67 years later. :)
 

5jj

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Rover_KE

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A better title would have been pendulum swings.

Thread titles should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed. (Avoid phrases like "HELP!", "Urgent!", "translation please", "how do I say this", "I'm new" and similar expressions.) (Extract from the Posting Guidelines)


Rover
 

skystar30097

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Ok, you are right Rover.
Thanks TheParser. I got the meaning of 'pendulum swings'. Your explanation was perfect!
 
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charliedeut

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