2/16/2026
My Dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,
Happy President’s Day! According to the Act of Congress signed into law by POTUS 19 in 1879, we are actually celebrating Washington’s Birthday. AI says even though “Congress rejected a formal name change to "Presidents’ Day" in 1968” we call it that anyway due “to widespread use by retailers promoting "Presidents’ Day sales" on cars, furniture, & appliances.” As we evolve away from capitalism, we may no longer be so prone to retailers messaging. I can’t wait!
Did I miss a WH proclamation about Washington’s Birthday? Your statements about POTUS 1 suggest you aren’t that impressed by him. Perhaps it’s time to remedy that & make it clear you understand he accomplished an amazing feat by fighting off the British & then relinquishing power when the time came.
My Brave Browser did find a President’s Day statement from NE Rep. Flood noting that “through the years, citizen statesmen built the American republic into the greatest country in the world as they won the Revolutionary War, ended slavery, & rallied the people of our nation together to confront significant challenges.” Do you consider yourself a “citizen statesmen” who rallies us together?
Do you think that a charismatic leader could rally the people of Burma to confront their challenges? Do you think the root of their problems stem from their past as a colony of Britain & the ways in which the imperialists took advantage of ethnic rivalries among the tribes there? Do you think their struggles reveal the breakdown of capitalism as we know it? These challenging questions came up at our Quaker Meeting yesterday as we grappled with what we might do to address the human suffering among the citizens of Burma, especially the children.
During our conversation about why Myanmar Matters, the idea of moral imagination as a source of inspiration came up, so I share it with you today. I invite you to take a look at how Abe Lincoln (15) demonstrated his moral imagination by grappling with his conscience. Michael Knox Beran wrote in 2014 about how 15 was haunted by his own ambition & worried that his desire to distinguish himself might lead him to cause harm. 15 frequently consulted Macbeth to prompt his reflection on whether he was doing the right thing. Maybe you would benefit from doing that, too.
Is anyone in your cabinet talking about post-capitalism? It came up yesterday in our Quaker conversation & I hope to learn more about it from my Friends. I’ll keep you posted.
BYBS,
