[chris (OP)]

I keep seeing this everywhere, especially in the US. People are quoted as saying things like "and this 'speaks to' the role of.."

This seems to be a new meme that is gaining traction; people often seem to relish using neologisms and novel phrases but this seems largely nonsense to me.

A few years ago "reaching out" where where it was at. I lost count of the number of presumably anatomically over-endowed (meaning long-armed) correspondents capable of extending their forelimbs across the Atlantic to repeatedly "reach out" with an advertising proposal. Now our US brethren are "speaking to" everything instead. Maybe AI speech recognition systems have suddenly got a lot better...

[Bill S]

Chris; obviously your post speaks to the evolution of the English language in which people reach out to embrace change – like.   And I’m like; what the hell, man; that’s progress. 😊

Nemium vetus cresco pro hoc stercore!

[alancalverd]

I hear you. My heart goes  out to you. You must come to terms with it or you won't find closure. And any other bullshit you can think of.

[evan_au]

The terminology "speaking to" sounds something like the traditional rules for meetings, where people speak "to" a motion?

If you want to move, second, or speak to a motion, stand and address the chair

- One speaks for the motion and then another speaks against the motion.
- Speakers are supposed to be selected so each party gets equal opportunity.

The Chair should alternate between those "for" the motion and those "against" the motion.

One problem in politics today is that we are mostly hearing from supporters of one side of the debate:
- Donald Trump was elected by silent supporters who weren't being interviewed by media on east or west-coast USA
- BREXIT was approved by silent supporters who apparently weren't accounted for - and their concerns were not adequately addressed
- Donald Trump is now busy stopping all scientific discussion that doesn't meet his criteria for authenticity
- So it seems like the majority of people speaking  "to" a topic are actually "for" that topic; the discussion lacks balance. 
- Perhaps a contributing factor is the internet/social media "echo chamber" effect, where people connect with, and only hear from, people who agree with their preconceived views?

This may sound to some like the "debate" on climate science, where they got 3 climate scientists opposing the concept of man-made climate change, and 97 climate scientists who believe that climate changes is caused by humans - all on-stage together.
- I don't think that this has been such a problem with science in recent centuries, since anyone who wants to propose  a theory can do so.
        - Some of them today end up on the "New Theories" section of this forum!
- If you have an invention (like "Yet Another Perpetual Motion Machine"), you can build a model and demonstrate it
- The real problem comes with the big subjects like Climate Change or Genetic Modification of wild populations, where you can't easily do controlled experiments

See: https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/education/activities/PDFs/SBSS_Lesson6_roberts_rules_of_order.pdf
...only NOAA has now been silenced, as it is not authentic enough!

[alancalverd]

 Mochtegernfuhrer Trumpf was elected (a) by the Press and TV, who gave airtime to every nauseating word he uttered and (b) by Hillary Clinton who, at least according to what little we were shown on TV, pointed out that the Democrats had no policy beyond "I am a woman" and (c) by a corrupt system that only allows the very rich to stand for election, and reserves the right to choose the president to the electoral college, thus making the popular vote irrelevant. Scarcely an improvement on the system that got George W Bush elected - have your brother count the votes.

Demos - the people. Crassos - the worst. Democracy: government by the worst people, or possibly, the worst possible government of the people..

[Petrochemicals]

The trump thing mentioned above seems to highlight how out of touch and blind the majority of people who represent the consensus mainstream are in regards to stock market crash trump, brexit, uk general election etc. But remember they were not wrong, it speaks to people  and thats why they are not a psycology textbook case of denial anger fear acceptance, they are willing to accept the fact that it speaks to people.  Anyway theyre driving at something again and your once again a passenger, so dont you feel informed ?

To the bomb shelter !

[Bill S]

"government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Guess it must be still around, somewhere, then. 

[Bored chemist]

On a related note, can we stop people calling forms "proformas"?
I realise it's helpful that they simultaneously label themselves as both pretentious and ignorant, but it's still ugly as sin.