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There seem now to be as many tribes, and as much conflict between them, as there have ever been.

-> Would it be safe to say that this as ~ as have ever been structure is used to make a statement that there haven't been as many tribes as well as the conflicts among them as there are right now in the course of our history? (used like a superlative)

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  • Note that as many is an inherently plural [count] usage, whereas as much is a singular [uncountable] form. So it's There are as many tribes as there have ever been and There is as much conflict as there has ever been. When both referents are used in the same utterance, it's normal in English to have the verb form agree with the second one ( the "plurality" of the verb should agree with the immediately-preceding noun phrase, if there are multiple nouns). There are as many tribes and as much conflict as there has ever been. Apr 10, 2021 at 13:48
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    'There seem now to be as many tribes as there have ever been, and there seems to be as much conflict between them as there has ever been' is incontrovertibly correct. But ponderous. I'm actually not sure about the acceptability of your deleted form, Nor would I know where to look. Apr 10, 2021 at 14:03
  • Note also that the equative construction as ... as ... is a negative trigger (like comparative and superlative constructions), licensing the NPI ever in the baseline proposition (as there ever has been). This is a very complex construction. Apr 10, 2021 at 14:41

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The statement being made is that there have never at any time in the past been any more tribes than there are now, or more conflict between them.

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