For equalizing the tax burden, "an abatement is a particularly ineffective tool," the report said.

They say persuasion is an ineffective tool for collecting debts, particularly since the ultimate threat, dismissal, deprives the family of income.

No organization more embodies the U.N. at its worst than this ineffective tool of cynical politics.

An ineffective tool is not only useless, but can be deleterious in that it takes time from the user, but does not return value.

Newsweek and Time agree that the Internet was an ineffective cult-recruiting tool, and certainly not the cause of the suicides.

Since the sightings aren't posted in anything like real time, it would be a ludicrously ineffective tool for "real" stalkers.

"Either you Cadmians are ineffective or bloodthirsty tools of the Duarches?"

However, on the basis of its own statistics it would also appear to be a rather discriminatory and largely ineffective tool.

You are focusing solely on the Stability and Growth Pact which has proved to be an ineffective tool, in particular, during the crisis.

"But changing people's cultural practices through criminal law is often a very blunt and ineffective tool."