More gobbledegook from the king

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Gary Chow | No Comments » | Trackback URL

A couple of month’s ago I wrote about how well President Barack Obama spoke and how we can learn from him.

Obama gets his message across because he speaks in plain English. He uses words most people can readily understand. He also uses words that engage his audience, words that are meaningful. He knows his goal is to deliver a message not to impress with flowery language.

Now compare Obama’s speeches with that of our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. One man speaks in lucid language, the other speaks in pure gibberish.

Here’s a speech Rudd delivered recently. I appreciate that he is speaking to an audience that may have some idea of what he’s talking about but this is classic gobbledegook. Take this passage as an example:

“Through these radically changing circumstances, the Government has sought to apply consistent principles of economic management – countercyclical macroeconomic policy to maintain stability while continuing to prosecute a comprehensive program of microeconomic reform.”

And this:

“In summary, the Government’s core economic principle of conservative countercyclical policy interventions is standing the test of the gyrations of the economic cycle. From boom to bust and recovery, the Government continues to apply constant principles to changing economic circumstances.”

What the heck is this man on about!

That’s just two examples in a lengthy, long-winded speech littered with jargon, buzzwords and nonsense.

I’m just glad I wasn’t in the audience having to put up with it.