Political writer Don Watson fears that the English language is being strangled by modern jargon, cliches, and “weasel words.” The breaking point? When his eleven-year-old granddaughter received a classroom assignment to write a personal mission statement, followed a year later by her first English essay—to be created in PowerPoint.
Death Sentences argues that lifeless terms such as “valued customer” and “key competencies” deaden the essential elements of written communication: emotion, humor, and clarity. Worse, words such as “downsize” and “attrite” provide hiding places for politicians and CEOs attempting to escape the consequences of their actions. Watson sees this language decay spreading like an infectious disease into segments of society where it does not belong, such as libraries, galleries, museums, and welfare agencies.
A glossary of terms offers his most wounding words, which include bottom line, customer, product, and almost anything having to do with strategy: strategic, strategically, strategize, and strategizing.
Watson is a former speechwriter for the Australian prime minister as well as a freelance writer. His writing repertoire extends to political satire; however, while Death Sentences has an air of sarcasm, it is a serious action plan for change—um, make that a call to arms.
- Mallory Stark