On Wed, 9 Mar 2005, Mark A. Mandel wrote: > > > On Wed, 9 Mar 2005, Jeff G. wrote: > > > > What are your personal opinions on assassination as a means to effect > > > > policy by (or within) a government? > > > > From: "Gomi no Sensei" <gomi at speakeasy.net> > > > ps you meant 'affect' > > --- "Jeff G." <Log0n5150 at hotmail.com> wrote: > > No, I meant effect. It can be used as a transitive verb ;) > > > > Jeff G > > Indeed it can. But did you mean it that way? Or was it just a slip of the > finger/brain? We all make those. Seems sensible to me as "effect" - the correct word for the Israeli example (though "assassination" is arguable in the context) but not the Booth example. Or, for example, one might well say that the Clinton admin tried to effect their goal of weakening al Qaeda by attempting to assassinate its leaders. Not that I'd use the word - it's too smudged now.