18 August 2021 - punditese

In punditese, “X must do Y” means “Wouldn’t it be nice if X did Y?” For example, “In the face of the pandemic, international cooperation is essential” translates to “Come on people, why can’t we get it together?” It’s easy for a pundit to say, because they don’t have to sit through the many meetings and negotiate the compromises, if they’re possible.