The drums beat in one direction, the trumpets blow in the opposite.

Báo Bình Phước•16/05/2023

The meaning of this idiom is that even with just one event, incident, or issue, two or more people interpret it differently, lacking coordination and therefore failing to achieve unity. In other words, two people are conversing, but each is discussing a completely different topic, resulting in a disconnect, a lack of integration, and even contradictory thoughts and actions. From another perspective, this idiom perfectly applies to the situation of "saying one thing and doing another." If someone is considered to be someone who "says one thing and does another," it means that person's thinking and actions are not only poor, but the consequence is a loss of trust. In life, once someone has lost trust, they will lose it forever. Meanwhile, trust is an intangible spiritual value with immense power, because with trust, one has everything.

In today's era of global integration, life presents countless difficulties and challenges to individuals and nations alike, but success or failure depends on the belief that an individual or nation builds. This simple philosophy is known and understood by everyone, but not everyone or every country can cultivate it. That's why we see situations where national representatives say one thing today, but their subordinates do something different tomorrow – a case of "the drums beat one way, the trumpets blow the other" or "those above say one thing, those below do another." Evidence of this is the meeting on April 15, 2023, when Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was visiting Vietnam. During the meeting, Mr. Blinken affirmed that the United States values its relationship with Vietnam, based on the principles of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems; and supports a Vietnam that is "strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous."

Thus, Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Vietnam demonstrates the importance the US places on its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam. It also clearly shows the strong commitment of the US to further promote the relationship between the two countries, making it deeper, more stable, and stronger at a new level in the future. However, immediately after Mr. Blinken returned home, and precisely when the Vietnamese people were celebrating the 48th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan announced on her website that: “April 30, 1975, is a ‘Black April,’ and we recognize this special moment for the people of Michigan to honor the tragic suffering and loss of countless lives during the Vietnam War, and to pay tribute to those who sacrificed for human rights and freedom for the Vietnamese people.”

Meanwhile, nearly 28 years ago, on July 11, 1995, US President Bill Clinton and Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet announced the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with the aim of putting the past behind them and looking towards the future to open a new chapter in the history of both nations. So why is the Governor of Michigan now deliberately exacerbating the pain of millions of Vietnamese people, while simultaneously inciting hatred among fanatical anti-communist exiles in the US? These are also the same people who vehemently oppose the lifting of the US economic embargo against Vietnam. That is why former President Bill Clinton said: “They fled their homeland out of cowardice. Now they want revenge on the victors by sacrificing American interests? It seems they are unaware of their own situation.”

Furthermore, on April 27, 2023, the California State Senate passed a so-called resolution designating May 11th as Vietnam Human Rights Day, with the stated purpose of "supporting efforts to achieve freedom and human rights for the Vietnamese people." The aim of this action is to create opportunities for hostile, reactionary, and politically opportunistic forces, along with some non-governmental organizations backed by the West, to carry out their dark motives and schemes to undermine Vietnam. However, it's clear to all Vietnamese people that this is a tactic by the West to "shake the tree and scare the monkeys" before implementing its "friendly foreign policy." Specifically, for Vietnam, democracy or human rights are merely pretexts; their main goal is to demand that Vietnam "reform so that the State can exist independently, without the leadership of the Communist Party."

In collusion with the aforementioned wrongdoings, under the pretext of commemorating the 50th anniversary of Australia's withdrawal from South Vietnam, the Royal Australia Mint and Australia Post have just released two types of merchandise featuring the "yellow flag," the flag of a regime that no longer exists. Specifically, the $2 coin features a helicopter in the center, surrounded by motifs, including the "yellow flag," and several types of stamps also depict the "yellow flag." On May 4, 2023, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated that Vietnam "regrets and resolutely opposes" the actions of the Royal Australia Mint and Australia Post. This is completely inconsistent with the positive development trend of the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership. Furthermore, during his visit to Vietnam in early April 2023, Australian Governor-General David Hurley affirmed: Australia is proud to have a reliable and close friend and partner like Vietnam… The two sides also agreed to discuss upgrading the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership at an appropriate time.

The issue here is that if the US truly "values its relationship with Vietnam, based on the principle of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems...", as Antony Blinken stated, or as the Governor-General of Australia affirmed, "Australia is proud to have a reliable and close friend and partner like Vietnam...", then why did they allow the aforementioned incidents to happen right on their own soil? Isn't this a case of "saying one thing and doing another"? And in today's era, trust is the beginning and the crucial foundation of international relations. Vietnam is ready to be a friend and a reliable and responsible partner of the international community, but it will certainly never be a friend or partner to those who "say one thing and do another."

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