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severe the ties of their puppeteers

English translation: sever (cut) The strings by which their puppet masters control them

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:severe the ties of their puppeteers
Selected answer:sever (cut) The strings by which their puppet masters control them
Entered by: Jack Doughty

07:26 Jan 16, 2017
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
English term or phrase: severe the ties of their puppeteers
I need help to understand this phrase. Thank you!

Context:
“Adequate research is missing and the government needs to take responsibility and fund independent scientific studies in this area if it places any value on human and environmental health.
This is likely to happen only if we value health above greed and if those in positions of power are principled and can severe the ties of their puppeteers.
Nam Vo
Vietnam
Local time: 18:29
sever (cut) The strings by which their puppet masters control them
Explanation:
Not "severe", but "sever". But the sentence still seems wrong because surely it must be "those in positions of power" who are themselves the puppeteers, controlling those whom they appoint to advise them on health. "By which they control their puppets" would make more sense.
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:29
Grading comment
Thank you. I appreciate your support!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +7sever (cut) The strings by which their puppet masters control them
Jack Doughty
5 +3become independent from those who control them
Margarida Martins Costelha


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
sever (cut) The strings by which their puppet masters control them


Explanation:
Not "severe", but "sever". But the sentence still seems wrong because surely it must be "those in positions of power" who are themselves the puppeteers, controlling those whom they appoint to advise them on health. "By which they control their puppets" would make more sense.

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:29
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44
Grading comment
Thank you. I appreciate your support!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
18 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Steffen Walter
20 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Victoria Britten: Spot on
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  B D Finch: But, those in positions of political power may still be controlled by "puppeteers" who hold economic power.//I think it's implied: the government is being required to act, so they are "those in positions of power" and who else could be their "puppeteers"?
5 hrs
  -> Thank you. There is nothing in the context we have to indicate the existence of such higher-ranking puppet-masters.
agree  jccantrell
15 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Ashutosh Mitra
1 day 20 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
become independent from those who control them


Explanation:
Suggestion.
By the way, the verb should be 'sever'.

Margarida Martins Costelha
Portugal
Local time: 12:29
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
8 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
1 day 8 hrs
  -> Thank you, Tina
agree  katsy
2 days 5 hrs
  -> Thank you, katsy
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