Without clarity, criticism can simply  be obscene

SUNDAY, MAY 06, 2018
Without clarity, criticism can simply  be obscene

Re. “Trump’s dream our nightmare or more lies” (May 6).

The author’s claims of lies are, as usual, unsubstantiated, and the letter really addresses nothing of interest or relevance to world affairs. But perhaps more important is a lack of understanding of the very reason we have languages. Languages are essentially a means of communicating, of expressing ideas and opinions.
In the words of the great Lee Kuan Yew, “The written English we want is clean, clear prose.” As he said to his staff, “... do not try to impress me with big words – impress by the clarity of ideas”.
When we read “a true dollop of adjusted semantics” and “Trump’s most vocal anilingual myrmidon”, that hardly achieves the objective. It suggests the writer has something to both prove and hide, lacking the courage for honesty. He is trying to impress not communicate in plain, simple English. 
Why not say “a load of contrived nonsense” and “an unquestioning servile fool who talks out of his anus”? But then in plain English it reveals his true obscene, insulting mentality when confronted with a superior intellect. 
Good writers of the English language don’t try to impress with personal accolades, like name-dropping, they show it in their quality of writing. They also address facts objectively, not with emotionally intoxicated, indoctrinated bias. 
I would suggest to the regular contributor, that while his ideas are usually somewhat adrift of reality, he perhaps heeds the advice of Lee Kuan Yew and at least expresses them intelligibly “in clean, clear prose”.
JC   Wilcox