The Reframe Game
It ain't “government-business-landlord-triad collusion,” it's "cooperation." Well, two can play at that game...
New Territories West lawmaker-elect Eddie Chu Hoi-dick has been the subject of death threats after alleging that “government-business-landlord-triad collusion” was behind the scaling down of a public housing project in his constituency.
Yuen Long rural leader Leung Fuk-yuen objected to what he called Chu’s “white terror” tactics, saying that it wasn’t “collusion,” but instead “cooperation” between those involved. See what he did there? Leung has skillfully reframed the narrative to manipulate public perception. We want to have a go!
• “Typhoons only showing up after work” will be reframed as: “Weather-government cooperation.”
• We’re ditching “Cultural heritage demolitions” for “legacy reallocation initiatives.”
• “Ineffective gibbering mass”? Try “Legislative Council.”
• “Rampant air pollution” will be recoined “value-added atmospheric enhancement.”
• “Yawning poverty gap” sounds depressing. Let’s go for “social mobility opportunity arena.”
• “Strongmen who run the city north of Boundary Street” will be reframed as“Heung Yee Kuk.”
• “Collusion”? Let’s go ahead and reframe that: “Welcome to Hong Kong.”