Lactivism

[Joe Guy]

The use of the word 'affluence' has had too much influence and this thread is now a nuisance filled with pollutants due to lack of prudence.

[Lord Jim]

Right then, let's try posting the definitions of affluence yet again:

af·flu·ence
noun
\ˈa-(ˌ)flü-ən(t)s also a-ˈflü- or ə-\
Definition of AFFLUENCE
1
a : an abundant flow or supply : profusion b : abundance of property : wealth
2
: a flowing to or toward a point : influx

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affluence

af·flu·ence (fl-ns, -fl-)
n.
1. A plentiful supply of material goods; wealth.
2. A great quantity; an abundance.
3. A flowing to or toward a point; afflux.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

affluence [ˈæflʊəns]
n
1. an abundant supply of money, goods, or property; wealth
2. Rare abundance or profusion

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

Definition of affluence
noun
[mass noun]

the state of having a great deal of money; wealth: a sign of our growing affluence

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definitio ... /affluence


I don't see the phrase "free time" there anywhere. I don't see the word "contentment" anywhere....

I do however, see the word "wealth" four times....

Therefore, it seems pretty obvious to me that the defining characteristic of "affluence", the one factor that absolutely must needs be present to apply the term accurately, is ...uhh..."wealth"....

One absolutely, positively, cannot be called "affluent" without it.

One can however, be affluent and have free time or not have free time. (Plenty of affluent people have little or no free time.)

One can be affluent and not be content. (Many, many, affluent people aren't)

One can live "an affluent lifestyle" and not genuinely be affluent. (They could be doing it all on credit...many people have done this)

But once again, one absolutely positively cannot be "affluent" without wealth....to be wealthy is the defining characteristic of being affluent.

If the definitions from Webster, Colliers, American Heritage, and the Oxford English Dictionary aren't enough to convince you of this, (and apparently they aren't for some) here's more proof:

affluent [af-loo-uhnt or, often, uh-floo-]  
Main Entry:
affluent  [af-loo-uhnt or, often, uh-floo-]
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: wealthy[gee, for Thesaurus.com it's not even a synonym; it's the definition]
Synonyms: flush*, loaded, moneyed, opulent, prosperous, rich, stinking rich, upper class, upscale, well-off, well-to-do [see anything about "free time" or "contentment" there?]
Notes: to be affluent is to be prosperous or rich while effluent means flowing out or forth
Antonyms: destitute, impoverished, needy, penniless, poor

http://thesaurus.com/browse/affluent

Synonyms for affluent

Similarity of adj affluent

1 sense of affluent

Sense 1:
affluent, flush, loaded, moneyed, wealthy
rich (vs. poor)[gee, still no sign of "free time" or "contentment"]

http://www.synonym.com/synonyms/affluent/

Synonyms for affluent


modified

wealthy, prosperous, well-to-do; see rich 1. See syn. study atrich.

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Okay, for those of you keeping score at home, it is now :

Reputable sources backing up "wealth" as the defining characteristic of "affluence" - 7

Reputable sources backing up anything else as the defining characteristic of "affluence" - zero, ziltch, nada, goose egg, naught, nil, zip.....0

[Lord Jim]

(And comparing her to Gwenhwyvar was just downright mean. )

Don't forget LoCa...

(It was actually her post that was the proximate inspiration for the analogy.)

[Econoline]

Well, I still think that "wealth" and "affluence" have different connotations and are not exact synonyms, but who am I to argue with Mr. Roget?

What word would you use for the concept of "affluence" the way bsg and I would like to use it?

[Lord Jim]

I would use the word "rich" because that word has long been applied to mean things other than material wealth....(unlike affluent)

People have for many many years used the phrase a "rich and full life" to talk about a life that is rich in many ways other than materially; "rich in friends" for example....

Since we already have the word "rich" which has through common usage over a long time been expanded to have a broader definition, I don't see the need make the definitions of any other related words more imprecise.

[Joe Guy]

"The defining characteristic of affluence is free time..."

Pardon my politically incorrect take on this, but the defining characteristic of the wives of many affluent men is free time.

[BoSoxGal]

Thanks, Econoline, for being able to read the content of my post about language - specifically the word 'affluence' - without the blinders of hatred and petty rivalry skewing your comprehension of my meanings.

I will not allow my use and enjoyment of the language to be constrained by small minds. Sadly, there appears to be an affluence of such present in this thread.

[Lord Jim]

Come to think of it, politicians should love the phrase, "time affluent"....

They could use it to describe the unemployed, and re-name the unemployment rate the "time affluent rate"....

They could justify it on the grounds that calling someone "time affluent" is far less damaging to their "self esteem" then calling them "unemployed"....

"The number of Americans who are time affluent rose by two tenths of a percentage point last month"...

Gee, that sounds kinda like a good thing.....

[Lord Jim]

Thanks, Econoline, for being able to read the content of my post about language - specifically the word 'affluence' - without the blinders of hatred and petty rivalry skewing your comprehension of my meanings. being encumbered by the actual meaning of the word.

I will not allow my use and enjoyment of the language to be constrained by small minds the actual meaning of the language.

Fixed.

[BoSoxGal]

So, the mighty Lord Jim summarily overrules Merriam Webster?

Bwahahahaha!

[BoSoxGal]

affluence[af-loo-uh ns, uh-floo-]
Main Entry: affluence
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: wealth
Synonyms: abundance, fortune, luxury, opulence, plenty, prosperity, riches, wealthiness

Again, what I have tried pointing out is the smallmindedness exhibited by the many responses defining affluence in one narrowly tailored fashion; I can be affluent in (or have a wealth of) friends, experiences, time, etc.

Just because the most common usage is the only one known by you, doesn't make you right in declaring the other usages are wrong.

LJ, you are DEAD WRONG in pursuing that line of argument. You are NOT a linguist. Prove I'm not wrong for maintaining some respect for you by acknowledging the plain facts set forth before your eyes.

Or, not.

[loCAtek]

(And comparing her to Gwenhwyvar was just downright mean. )

Don't forget LoCa...

(It was actually her post that was the proximate inspiration for the analogy.)

'Eh? I did no such thing, you're the meanie!

[Gob]

Still; though many have tried to define affluence and the way the retard used it, and fair play, it's been a good battle, no one has yet tried to convince ANYONE that even if we accept, (and I do not,) that breastfeeding women having the time to go for a coffee with some like minded individuals is "affluent", doing so shows "excessive affluence," which is the phrase he used, not just "affluent".

Even fewer, (i.e. none) have tried to show that the retard was right to call this; "breastfeeding women going for a coffee with like minded individuals style "excessive affluence,"" as "never pretty."

Any takers?

Or should we assume that despite the best attempt of some, the retard's comment is still shitty nasty-mindedness of the sort he is famed for?

[The Hen]

When I went for coffee with other mothers of children of a similar age to mine, I was neither affluent with wealth or time.

I was incredibly time-poor in fact.

But I reorganized my priorities and tasks in order to fit in a meeting once a week to make sure that some of my darker and disturbing thoughts were usual for post natally depressed mothers.

As stated earlier, breast-feeding by me in public was never something done. For some reason I was never able to breastfeed comfortably with my feet on the ground.

[BoSoxGal]

I have already clearly stated that I did not weigh in here in defense of rubato's point, but to point out the error of the crowing over the wrongly asserted 'one true' meaning of affluence.

Econoline was spot on; the 'hate rubato' stuff is tiresome and I was merely addressing a valid point with regard to language - an attempt to broaden the horizons of some - and also trying to change the direction of the conversation.

This thread has barely been about public breastfeeding - which I fully support, with some modesty provisions.

The title should be modified to 'we hate rubato; see how much'.

[The Hen]

Or, we could get back to the bloody topic and leave that behind as I was so often requested in the past asked.

So ... I ask now, how about a discussion on mothers groups and whether they should be confined to private dwellings or allowed out in public?

Eh?

[BoSoxGal]

Cheers, Hen. My above post was in response to Gob's latest, not yours.

I've asserted my position on public breastfeeding - it applies to groups or singles.

I have nothing else to add to the topics in this thread, so I'll take my leave.

[Gob]

I have to disagree, if retard hadn't chipped in with his nastiness, woudl this still be a "hate retard" thread?

This is the entirety of his first post;

Excessive affluence.

Not pretty.

yrs,
rubato

Why? What is the point of that?

He describes breastfeeding women going for a coffee as "excessively affluent" and the event as "not pretty", if you cannot see that that was the start of any unpleasantness in this thread, then I give up!

If I posted that his recently bragged about past holiday in France, and forthcoming holiday in Spain, as "Excessive affluence. Not pretty", what would be your comment then?

[The Hen]

Fine. My fight in this thread was Rube's over generalization towards the opening post which, as a woman who could have been the subject of the opening post, I found ignorant and narrow.

Do not believe his statement holds true for the majority of mothers with young children you might see apparently smiling and having a wonderfully carefree and "affluent" time in a coffee house.

I know of many in my group that were achingly trying to find sanity. Naturally I count myself amongst them.

[BoSoxGal]

In response to Gob:

He was stating an opinion, not taking at swipe at you or LJ. It's one thing to counter the opinion, and another to spend two pages calling rubato names.

As I've said numerous times before, I don't 'get' the hate rubato thing. He's arrogant, but he rarely calls names unprovoked. It seems one could easily ignore him, if one wished.

Anyway, rubato doesn't seem to care much about you or LJ, and he doesn't need me to defend him. I point out unnecessary disharmony on the board because I think it diminishes the atmosphere.

I don't want to make any enemies of any of you.

To Hen: I wholeheartedly agree. I do not support rubato's position that women who advocate for the right to publicly breastfeed are necessarily affluent - in time or money - nor is their cause a silly one. I think that's my third time posting in support of public booby suckling.