5/13/2022

My Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Whoever is running the WH Twitter feed needs to get on it! The ASEAN family photo appeared on your POTUS account but nothing about the summit was on your WH account. What is up with that?

Don’t you think a photo of the empty chair at last night’s dinner deserves a spot on the WH feed? It was such a creative way to show concern for the young folk in Burma who are fighting for their rights, it deserves some attention!

            Perhaps your staff was too embarrassed to post any photos of that event given the unsavory characters who were in attendance. Were they as creepy in person as they seem to be in print? The guy who gives me the heebie-jeebies is the Sultan of Brunei. He has declared himself “infallible” under the law, has 2 wives and supports laws that include death by stoning  for adultery, abortion & homosexuality.

            I learned about him when I was trying to find out about the diminutive man in the family photo. After much googling I learned he was Lao PM, Phankham Viphavanh who runs a country where the government “is the final arbiter of permissible religious activities.” That’s a lot of power for a little guy.

            I have to agree with the activists who are pointing out that by inviting these leaders you are “sending a message that the US will tolerate human rights violations in the name of forming a coalition to counter China.” We’ve been down this road before & it did not turn out well in Latin America. Please proceed with caution.

On a more optimistic note, isn’t it wonderful to see that Russian soldiers are refusing to fight? Today’s top story in the G explains that “Under Russian military rules, troops who refuse to fight in Ukraine can face dismissal but cannot be prosecuted.” The story indicates that Russia is facing a severe shortage of infantry. The fighters they do have are exhausted & there’s no one available to train any new conscripts because everyone is off fighting. Just goes to prove WINTA!!!

BYBS,

RCA