Nomination for the most egregious misuse of excess verbiage for indeterminate ends
An excerpt of a Call for Papers for an academic conference:
There is an increasing recognition of the need to combine intellectual forces, across disciplines, to theoretically delineate the precise ways in which the myriad elements of the Indian reality constitute an articulated whole. This is the immediate conjuncture. Intellectually, this conference relates to two preceding theoreticalattempts within social science to understand the specificity anddynamics of economic formations: viz. the European transition debate, and the Indian 'mode of production' debate.
While academics must maintain some mystique around their work in order to keep their jobs, this was impenetrable even to me.
Fortunately, my brothers are both make a living out of simplifying and clarifying.
These translations courtesy of US Government.
VERSION 1
Some people are realizing that they don't understand how the pieces of India add up to India, and wish to correct this. During this conference, people who think this will use a lot of hollow words to defend points of view that don't make any sense: viz. the emperor is wearing no clothes.
VERSION 2
Action Memo to Deputy Secretary [Name of Big Boss]
From: SCA - [Name]
Recommendation: that you convene a working group to investigate India.
Approve: _________ Disapprove: __________
Date: __________ Time: _____________
Background:
India is big and important.
India is complex.
We need to understand it better.
Attachment:
Tab - 4000 page academic study of the complexity of India
Clearances:
D (ok)
P (ok)
S/P (ok)
SCA/FO (ok)
SCA/IN (ok)
EEB (ok)
DRL (ok)
G/Ofc of Relgious Freedom (ok)
ECA (ok)
There is an increasing recognition of the need to combine intellectual forces, across disciplines, to theoretically delineate the precise ways in which the myriad elements of the Indian reality constitute an articulated whole. This is the immediate conjuncture. Intellectually, this conference relates to two preceding theoreticalattempts within social science to understand the specificity anddynamics of economic formations: viz. the European transition debate, and the Indian 'mode of production' debate.
While academics must maintain some mystique around their work in order to keep their jobs, this was impenetrable even to me.
Fortunately, my brothers are both make a living out of simplifying and clarifying.
These translations courtesy of US Government.
VERSION 1
Some people are realizing that they don't understand how the pieces of India add up to India, and wish to correct this. During this conference, people who think this will use a lot of hollow words to defend points of view that don't make any sense: viz. the emperor is wearing no clothes.
VERSION 2
Action Memo to Deputy Secretary [Name of Big Boss]
From: SCA - [Name]
Recommendation: that you convene a working group to investigate India.
Approve: _________ Disapprove: __________
Date: __________ Time: _____________
Background:
India is big and important.
India is complex.
We need to understand it better.
Attachment:
Tab - 4000 page academic study of the complexity of India
Clearances:
D (ok)
P (ok)
S/P (ok)
SCA/FO (ok)
SCA/IN (ok)
EEB (ok)
DRL (ok)
G/Ofc of Relgious Freedom (ok)
ECA (ok)
Comments