Under the thumb?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thumb">thumb</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="passage">passage</span> (<span word="China">China</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="nod">nod</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="left">left</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="anxiously">anxiously</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span>, <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Economist">Economist</span>, <span word="February">February</span> 3, 2011):</p><p><span word="Forcing">Forcing</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="homes">homes</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="cutting">cutting</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="utilities">utilities</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="road">road</span> <span word="access">access</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="banned">banned</span>. <span word="Courts">Courts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="settle">settle</span> <span word="disputes">disputes</span>...<span word="The">The</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="apply">apply</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="evictions">evictions</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="rural">rural</span> <span word="land">land</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="disputes">disputes</span> <span word="occur">occur</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="cases">cases</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="usual">usual</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="courts">courts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thumb">thumb</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="governments">governments</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="dominance">dominance</span>, <span word="total">total</span> <span word="control">control</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absence">absence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="independent">independent</span> <span word="judicial">judicial</span> <span word="system">system</span>, <span word="courts">courts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="governments">governments</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> – <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="defendant">defendant</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="guilty">guilty</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="innocent">innocent</span> – <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="wanton">wanton</span> <span word="disregard">disregard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="legal">legal</span> <span word="evidence">evidence</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="local">local</span> <span word="courts">courts</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="governments">governments</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="pressured">pressured</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="politically">politically</span> <span word="correct">correct</span> <span word="verdicts">verdicts</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="so">so</span>-<span word="called">called</span> “<span word="stability">stability</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="paramount">paramount</span>”.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="stop">stop</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="learning">learning</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> – <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thumb">thumb</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="nice">nice</span> <span word="nimble">nimble</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="too">too</span>, <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="think">think</span>?</p><p><span word="Two">Two</span> <span word="interesting">interesting</span> <span word="theories">theories</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="origin">origin</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span>.<span word="com">com</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="dates">dates</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> 16<span word="th">th</span> <span word="century">century</span> (<span word="To">To</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="under">under</span> (<span word="someone">someone</span>’<span word="s">s</span>) <span word="thumb">thumb</span> “<span word="be">be</span> <span word="totally">totally</span> <span word="controlled">controlled</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="person">person</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="recorded">recorded</span> <span word="from">from</span> 1586).</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="theory">theory</span> <span word="points">points</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="Rome">Rome</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="gladiators">gladiators</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="thrown">thrown</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="arena">arena</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="gladiators">gladiators</span> <span word="or">or</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="worse">worse</span>, <span word="tigers">tigers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lions">lions</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="spectacles">spectacles</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fate">fate</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gladiators">gladiators</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="decided">decided</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spectators">spectators</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spectators">spectators</span> <span word="liked">liked</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gladiator">gladiator</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="performance">performance</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sign">sign</span> <span word="of">of</span> “<span word="thumb">thumb</span> <span word="up">up</span>”, <span word="raising">raising</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="thumbs">thumbs</span> <span word="upward">upward</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gladiator">gladiator</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="live">live</span> – <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="day">day</span>. <span word="On">On</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="audience">audience</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="performance">performance</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="thumb">thumb</span> <span word="down">down</span>” <span word="sign">sign</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="pointing">pointing</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="thumbs">thumbs</span> <span word="downward">downward</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="death">death</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gladiator">gladiator</span>.</p>
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