A Simple Truth
A Complex LieHow many times have you gone to a blog and found that lengthy post filled with dozen of links and paragraph after paragraph devoting to making a simple point, a point that could be made easily and briefly. But no, the writer in their eagerness to convince, to convert, to confirm felt he must take you on the long journey deep into the grass of complex reasoning, of half truths and a multitude of platitudes.
When the founders set out to write our greatest documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution they had one thing on their side---a truth, a solid lasting principle that everyone understood. So when they put pen to paper the words flowed smoothly, like those from the mouth of a child who is yet to learn of the lies of man. The truth in these great and lasting documents needed no supporting links and pages of explanation for the founders knew these "truths to be self-evident".
Recently, the political leaders of today sat down to write a new document on health care, a document filled with thousands and thousands of links and tens of thousands of paragraphs and thousands of pages and perhaps a quarter million words to tell us not a simple truth, but to explain a great lie and justify it to Americans. A great lie must always be explained and be filled with half-truths and complex phrases to make it believable, but the truth; well the truth can stand alone.
When the founders set out to write our greatest documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution they had one thing on their side---a truth, a solid lasting principle that everyone understood. So when they put pen to paper the words flowed smoothly, like those from the mouth of a child who is yet to learn of the lies of man. The truth in these great and lasting documents needed no supporting links and pages of explanation for the founders knew these "truths to be self-evident".
Recently, the political leaders of today sat down to write a new document on health care, a document filled with thousands and thousands of links and tens of thousands of paragraphs and thousands of pages and perhaps a quarter million words to tell us not a simple truth, but to explain a great lie and justify it to Americans. A great lie must always be explained and be filled with half-truths and complex phrases to make it believable, but the truth; well the truth can stand alone.
Politicians, as well as some bloggers, engage in *mundane verbosity*.
ReplyDeleteBy way of comparison, the United States Constitution, arguably the greatest document of its kind ever written, runs a whopping 12 pages and fewer than 5,000 words.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures say it all don't they. There should be a rule/law that any bill proposed must be written on ONE PAGE of paper only. Anything more complicated than that should not be proposed or passed.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
Ron,
ReplyDeleteI believe it was Forrest Gump who said it best, "Simple is as simple does!"
We just need to get back to "Simple"
Lock & Load!!!
These people lie so much, they don't know what the truth is anymore, but WE DO!
ReplyDeleteWe should send all of them a simple message.
"You're Fired"!
That great "l" I hadn't thought about the Gump quote---at times I feel like Forrest!
ReplyDeleteOkay. Yes. Correct. Sometimes I'm guilty of that.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I try to make my point by way of numerous links and attributions.
BZ
I hadn't noticed that on your blog BZ, but now that you mention it I'll keep an eye out in the future, ha!
ReplyDeleteSimple and elegant - we have made everything too complex. Last year I went to work for a Danish Company, these folks believe in simple. They run a flat organization with a few measurements they hold you to and let you make your decisions on how to get there. It was quite a wake up call for me coming out of Six Sigma analysis and corporate Hell, where hundred of folks were hired to study our business but not actually do it. It has been refreshing and liberating and even in this economy we are making a ton of money. We must again become a Country that is comfortable with ambiguity and innovation.
ReplyDeleteDolley Madison
http://abigailanddolley.blogspot.com
Well, I do sometimes make the long post and multiple citations, but I'd like to think that I never engage in half truths.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct though. There are times, probably more often than not, when brevity and truth are our friends.
Well said.
I suppose I need to clear something up. I have no problem with post being long or containing some links, but many bloggers go to extremes and it those I'm speaking of. The blogs I regularly visit are not in that group. My main complaint in this post is the god awful lengths of bills coming out of Congress and the language they are written in. I'm sick of double talk, half-truths, and lawyerly language that no one can understand, often not even another attorney. Americans do not need this, do not want this and will not tolerate this for much longer.
ReplyDeleteThe longer and more complex they make the legislation, the easier it is to insert something they hope we will never take notice of.
ReplyDeleteValid point Ron, another thing worth mentioning is that liberal politicians seldom carry out what they campaigned on or do what they actually promised.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Ron. Seeing the picture of the Declaration next to the healthcare bill is striking, it really drives home the point.
ReplyDeleteWell said Ron, well said.
ReplyDelete