Understanding rhetorical じゃない in written form


> ああ、連中の考えることときたらおまえ、まともじゃない。わしらとは人種が違う。  
>  Ah, when it comes to how these folk think, _you're decent aren't you?_.
> They're a different kind of people from us.

This is a response to being asked whether a plan will work. I'm confused about
the おまえ、まともじゃない part.

The people in the discussion pride themselves on being decent, so translating
おまえ、まともじゃない as "you are not decent" would not make sense. It would make sense
if おまえ could mean 'they' but I doubt that is the case.

My best guess is that じゃない is rhetorical, and that the phrase means "you're
decent aren't you?". Of course I could be way off.

If I'm right, it got me wondering. Would a fluent speaker instantly see this
as rhetorical, or would it trip them up and require them to re-read the
passage a couple of times like I had to?




This is not a rhetorical question. This おまえ is not the subject of まともじゃない but
is working like "you know", "mind you" or "listen". The basic meaning of this
sentence is:

> 連中の考えることときたらまともじゃない。  
>  When it comes to how these folks think, it's not sane.

Similar examples:

  * それはあなた、当然でしょう?  
Hey that's only natural, isn't it?

  * そりゃお前…。  
It's, well, you know, ...

  * 北海道といえば君、旅行はどうだった？  
Speaking of Hokkaido, how was your trip?

These あなた/おまえ/君 are not subjects but just "(hey) you".




This is not a rhetorical question. This おまえ is not the subject of まともじゃない but
is working like "you know", "mind you" or "listen". The basic meaning of this
sentence is:

> 連中の考えることときたらまともじゃない。  
>  When it comes to how these folks think, it's not sane.

Similar examples:

  * それはあなた、当然でしょう?  
Hey that's only natural, isn't it?

  * そりゃお前…。  
It's, well, you know, ...

  * 北海道といえば君、旅行はどうだった？  
Speaking of Hokkaido, how was your trip?

These あなた/おまえ/君 are not subjects but just "(hey) you".

