4/10/2024

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            What’s Jill wearing to the state dinner tonight? I hope she models an outfit she’s worn before so the world can see, it’s ok to wear a nice dress twice. I’m sure you have a tux you’ve worn more than once. Maybe she should just get a cool tux & wear it over & over again.

            When you have your trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida & Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, please do not sell them any weapons!!! I will remind you that Japan regretted their participation in WWII, so much so that they prohibited themselves from maintaining an army, navy or air force. Do not tempt them to go against this prohibition!

            The Marcos family has proven to be quite untrustworthy, so no arms for them! Right?

I’m not thrilled about your plan for a big military exercise in the South China Sea either, but at least that’s about teamwork & showing China that we can collaborate.

            At your meeting tomorrow, please be sure to discuss Burma. Did you see the latest news that an Israeli company, Cognyte sold a cyber-intelligence systemto  the junta in violation of the arms embargo & Bibi’s declaration that Israel had stopped exporting weapons to Burma? Please see what your buddies think about this.

            Thanks for recognizing care-givers yesterday. We couldn’t live without our caregiver & try to let her know that every time she comes! Your remarks about the nature of care, reminded me of Nel Noddings’ work & her philosophies regarding the emotional labor of teaching which she characterized by receptivity, relatedness & engrossment. I’m trying to model that for my students, but they aren’t used to profs who care in this way.

            BYBS,