China’s foreign minister, seemingly trying to calm fears about “Beijing’s plan to impose security laws on the city,” according to news media, basically advised Hong Kong of no need to worry that you “will be unfavorably impacted.”
Well, that clears things up! Everything’s going to be just fine. Stop your rioting, citizens of Hong Kong! You won’t be “unfavorably impacted.”
Officials representing authoritarian — or, shall we say centrally-controlled governments — sure have a way with words. Here’s China, again, this time more threatening, with a warning that “all necessary measures” will be taken over Huawei rules, referring to “restrictions on Chinese tech giant Hauwei’s ability to use American technology.” AP News and other media reported the story.
What’s that supposed to mean? That “all necessary measures” will be taken. Does it mean duck and cover, we’re cranking up our missiles? Or, we’re going to yell like the dickens at you?
Even when such words sound benign, there’s just something authoritarian about them. It’s hard to pinpoint. But it’s there. It’s the tone, and messages behind messages.
And it’s more than words, sometimes. Like in the news when you see military parades in China, Russia and other centrally-controlled nations. It’s the uniforms, especially those giant military dress uniform hats worn by the top brass. The bill sticks out way too much and the brim is ridiculously high. Combined with the high-stepping, marching soldiers, the visuals scream dictatorship.
But, I’m digressing. Back to words. Who else puts out words sounding like China’s, regarding Hauwei?
Well, “President Donald Trump declared he has ‘total’ authority to order states to relax social distancing to combat the coronavirus outbreak and reopen their economies, and warned that governors who refuse would face political consequences.” Bloomberg News reported on that, back in April. Pretty strong words! A little authoritarian, maybe?
At least, so far, POTUS isn’t fiddling around with military uniforms, although he’ll probably want more military parades, with tanks rolling down avenues in the nation’s capitol. But he did, the other day, rub military folks the wrong way when he slammed Marine veteran and Congressional Rep. Conor Lamb in a tweet promoting Lamb’s GOP opponent in Pennsylvania. He called Lamb an “American fraud” and a “puppet” for “crazy Nancy Pelosi.”
And he picked, of all days, Memorial Day to go after Marine veteran Conor Lamb.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.