CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1.2. Commissives for threat/warning
Threat/warning is the second category of functions of commissives by the three presidents. When their commissives are used for the purpose of threatening or warning people, enterprises or countries, they are put into this category. Usually, the threats or warnings are not directly made again the direct addressees but against others. Following are examples of threats/warnings made by each president.
a. Bill Clinton
(4.61) Next month I will send you one of the toughest budgets ever presented to Congress. (January 25, 1994: State of the Union Address) (4.62) And we will impose new taxes on tobacco. (September 22, 1993:
Address on Health Care Reform)
(4.63) In Bosnia we can and will succeed because our mission is clear and limited, and our troops are strong and very well-prepared. (November 27, 1995: Address on Bosnia)
As regards Bill Clinton‘s threats/warnings, in example (4.61) the warning is about the toughest budget ever presented to Congress. In example (4.62), the threat/warning is about higher taxes imposed on tobacco, while (4.63) can be considered as a threat/warning against Bosnia when the president says “our mission is clear and limited, and our troops are strong and very
well-prepared”.
b. Barrack Obama
(4.64) It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century. (August 31, 2010: Address on the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq)
(4.65) That‘s what we did with Korea, and that’s what I intend to do as we pursue agreements with Panama and Colombia and continue our Asia Pacific and global trade talks. (January 25, 2011: 2011 State of the Union Address)
(4.66) But an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange. (September 9, 2009: Address to Congress on Health Care)
(4.67) We will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists whose location is known and whose intentions are clear. (December 1, 2009: Speech on Strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan) (4.68) We can -- and will -- defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world. (March 22, 2016: Remarks to the People of Cuba)
Like Bill Clinton‘s, Barack Obama‘s threats/warning are made both explicitly and implicitly against people, organizations or countries. In (4.64), it is a threat/warning against the world that the United States of America will sustain and strengthen their leadership, while in (4.65) the threat/warning is implicitly inserted in “That‟s what we did with Korea,
and that‟s what I intend to do”. Likewise, in (4.66) the threat/warning is implicitly made against insurance companies: “an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange”. However, in (4.67) and (4.68), the threats/warnings are in turn explicitly made when the president states “we cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists whose location is known and whose intentions are clear” and ―We can -- and will -- defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world”.
c. Donald Trump
(4.69) I don’t want to get into that battle, all right? (February 23, 2018:
Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference)
(4.70) That is why my Administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our Nation safe -- and to keep out those who would do us harm. (February 28, 2017:
Address to Joint Session of Congress)
(4.71) We are prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people.
(4.72) We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who want to commit mass murder to our civilian populations. (January 26, 2018: Address at the World Economic Forum)
(4.73) America and its allies will take all necessary steps to achieve a denuclearization and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world.
(December 18, 2017: Remarks on National Security Strategy)
When it comes to Donald Trump‘s threat/warnings, they are usually more
explicitly stated. For example, in (4.69) and (4.70) his warnings are quite direct as he inserts ―I don‟t want to get into that battle, all right?‖ and
―we will shortly take new steps to keep our Nation safe -- and to keep out those who would do us harm”. In (4.71), it is an explicit warning against the government of Venezuela when the president insists on taking “further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people”. The warning in (4.72) is made against terrorists about their mass murder: “We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who want to commit mass murder to our civilian populations”. In (4.73) the warning is about the future measures to “achieve a denuclearization”
for the world.