7/9/2022

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Did you notice that I did not write yesterday? Instead, I used my early morning to produce a personnel review. It was the 1st in my stint as Department Chair. Since the employee has a part-time appointment, it wasn’t a big deal, but it still took a couple of hours. Constructive, honest feedback requires time & attention.

            Speaking of constructive feedback, have you figured out how you provide your critiques to MBS on your visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday? I appreciated your explanation in the Op-Ed in the WP about why you are going to the Mid-East. I did not notice anything about the suggestions you plan to give to MBS regarding human rights. It was especially encouraging to read that after 5-years of silence, Israel’s PM spoke with a Palestinian authority.

That’s the kind of “resurgent, radical” compromising that Tony Blair was trying to promote in his recent Future of Britain conference. The CSM ran a sobering piece about it which included the statement, “gladiatorial partisan politics are corroding democracies at a time when the issues governments are facing are too complex, and too politically fraught, to be resolved by any one side’s slogans, rhetorical flourishes, or easy promises.” You know all about that so you don’t need to read the article.

Back to the topic at hand, please pass on my appreciation to Sec Blinken for giving some constructive feedback to the ASEAN members regarding Burma. It was reassuring to hear him say that they “need to hold the regime accountable, continue to demand an immediate cessation of violence, the release of political prisoners and the restoration of Burma’s democratic path.”

I will continue to offer honest, constructive feedback to you as frequently as my new job allows. I would love to know if it’s helpful to you.

BYBS,