Communications and lies

Canada in the news again. This must be something of a record. Nicholas Sarkozy has been invited to join George Bush, to eat Poutine at a "Dinner of Fools" by some jokers from Quebec. No doubt there will soon be a recording of the phone call circulating on the web.

I hate the phone, by and large. If I talk to someone, I'd much prefer to do so face to face. On the phone it is so easy to lie, whereas body language tends to give away ones motives and intentions. I was always brought up to tell the truth, and lying does not come easily to me. I am not saying that I have never lied, I am sure that I have, but it always makes me feel uncomfortable, and besides, I have such a poor memory that I always got caught out. Telling the truth has it's drawbacks too as so often it involves telling someone what they don't particularly want to hear. Surely though, that is better than letting them find out the truth by some other means. My strategy these days is to say very little at all and to offer opinions only when asked and to avoid making any comments about my own personal feelings. It makes for a quiet life i guess.

eMail and text messaging are as bad in many ways - worse in some. I have heard of people being sacked or dumped by text messages. If that isn't a demonstration of sheer cowardice then i don't know what is. To destroy a person by text or email is morally and ethically evil.

Having said all this, telephone conversations and email are so much better than nothing at all. At least it is a way of keeping a line of communication open, and i know that I would be lost without the latter. I could live without a phone I think. My mobile phone lives in a desk drawer a lot of the time and i rarely need to pay any charges on it. I am never happy though, when I have no access to email.

I am not sure if Mr Sarkozy saw through the prank, or just didn't like Poutine, or maybe doesn't like George Bush. Maybe all three.

ps For anyone who doesn't know what Poutine is - It's basically french fries covered in cheese and gravy; a sort of coronary in a takeaway. It is delicious.