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The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.

– Laozi

In Civil Beat’s “Fishery Council Downplays Worker Abuses On Hawaii Ships,” reporter Nathan Eagle asks a Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) member about recent reports alleging labor violations of foreign workers on U.S. longline fishing boats.

“Things could definitely be better,” the Wespac member responds. “But they could definitely be worse.”

Now, I know little about labor laws, but zip about the commercial fishing industry. Still, I know words. And I love these words, in particular.

I love the speaker’s placing of “could,” a word expressing conditional possibility, beside “definitely,” a word expressing unconditionality. That’s what we sissy poet types call paradox.

The pronoun, “things,” floats just out of reach, on the other side of our understanding — unnamable, unattributable. Things are that they are.

And I love that the world this sentence describes is so vast, so inclusive, that it could be referring to literally anything and everything existing on the spectrum of what’s considered good and what’s what’s considered bad. It’s as if in saying so much, the sentence says almost nothing. Free your mind, y’all, that’s Taoism!

So, as a demonstration of my love for these words — and for funsies — I give you 10 things that could definitely be this, but they could definitely not be this, a remix of Eagle’s article.

Come along.

Take a walk with me.

The Southeast Asian contracted laborers sure can’t.

1. The Tao could definitely be a council that manages 1.5 million square miles of ocean in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean, but they could definitely not be a council that manages 1.5 million square miles of ocean in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean.

2. 

   The Tao could definitely be advising the National Marine Fisheries Service on catch limits, endangered species mitigation and stock assessments, but they could definitely not be advising the National Marine Fisheries Service on catch limits, endangered species mitigation and stock assessments.

3. The Tao could definitely be paying Southeast Asian contracted labor as little as 70 cents per hour to work and live in unsanitary, unsafe conditions without much legal recourse, but they could definitely not be paying Southeast Asian contracted labor as little as 70 cents per hour to work and live in unsanitary, unsafe conditions without much legal recourse.
4. The Tao could definitely be taking forced-labor allegations seriously, but they could definitely not be taking forced-labor allegations seriously.
5. The Tao could definitely be implementing a Universal Crew Contract, designed with forced-labor evaluation criteria from the United Nations International Labor Office, but they could definitely not be implementing a Universal Crew Contract, designed with forced-labor evaluation criteria from the United Nations International Labor Office.
6. The Tao could definitely be denying business services to any vessel unable to demonstrate that forced labor is not being used, but they could definitely not be denying business services to any vessel unable to demonstrate that forced labor is not being used.
7. The Tao could definitely be framing the situation as a public relations “snafu,” but they should definitely not be framing the situation as a public relations “snafu.”
8. The Tao could definitely be saying that in comparison to boats from China, Japan and other countries, the U.S. boats are “like heaven,” but they should definitely not be saying that in comparison to boats from China, Japan and other countries, the U.S. boats are “like heaven.”
9. The Tao could definitely be saying, “We don’t care who’s fishing, we just want to make sure they’re reporting it appropriately,” but they should definitely not be saying, “We don’t care who’s fishing, we just want to make sure they’re reporting it appropriately.”
10. The Tao could definitely be unable to find U.S. residents willing to do the hard, dangerous work for the amounts being paid, but they could definitely be able to find U.S. residents willing to do the hard, dangerous work.