Sunday 25 January 2009

Dribble continues

Obama is at it again. And they mocked Bush for saying silly things:

"Frankly, the news has not been good. Each day brings, I think, a greater focus on the problems that we are having, not only in terms of job loss but also in terms of some of the instabilities in the financial system," he said.

Shall we deconstruct this short speech, the only bit quoted fully in the SMH today - possibly because it contained the smallest amount of gibberish.

So he tells us he is going to focus on two things - job losses and financial instability. Well, one thing I know about focus - you can only focus on one thing at a time. It doesn't matter whether you using a microscope or a camera or a telescope or the Mark I eyeball - you focus on one thing, not two, or three, or four.

But that is not the worst of it. Say that little speech out aloud, and try and figure out what he is saying. What's this about "....the problems that we are having, not only in terms of..." - none of that makes sense. I hate this "in terms of" figure of speech. It's dribble. It's useless. It's a waste of airtime.

For God's sake, speak in complete sentences. If you can't do it off the cuff, bring back the teleprompter. Spare my eardrums this cascade of piffle!

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