Final Word from Thursday, August 25, 2022
The U.S. has a long-term policy of "strategic ambiguity" about whether it would go to war with China to defend Taiwan. Joe Biden seemed to nullify this ambiguity twice, once in Oct. 2021 and then in May, but the White House set the record straight both times: Biden's pledge to defend Taiwan did not reflect a policy shift. The Cato Institute concluded that, "Strategic ambiguity on Taiwan is dead," but didn't Biden merely affirm that the policy is more alive than ever? If you're not even sure you can believe what the president says, isn't that the ultimate strategic ambiguity? And then there's Czech PM Petr Fiala on energy. He vowed to cover all housing costs above 30% of income, only to have Labor Min. Marian Jurečka correct him. Fiala also declared that, "We're ready for the winter." Except that the LNG purchases haven't yet been finalized, Jurečka chimed in. When you're not even sure you can believe what the PM says, isn't that the ultimate strategic ambiguity about Czech energy policy? [ Czech Republic United States White House natural gas ]
Glossary of difficult words
to nullify - o make legally null and void; to invalidate;
to pledge - to commit (a person or organization) by a solemn promise;
to chime in - to add (one's comment or opinion) to a conversation or discussion that one has been listening to.