2/19/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Have you called Jimmy Carter (JECJ) to thank him for his service & his brave choice to spend his last days at home? The medical mindset of doctors can be hard to fight. They often position themselves as all knowing & are trained to provide their services even when further care won’t do much good. We are fortunate that JECJ’s choice to pursue hospice has been so widely publicized. It might help other folks in his situation.

            Did you see Ezra Pound’s nice piece about you in the NYT? I loved his observation that, “we overestimate the importance of eloquence.” He noted that your age may be an asset because you do “not delight in the sound of (your) own voice as (you) once did…(your) relative quiet is perhaps why (your) policy agenda has remained more popular than (you) are.” He says he has underestimated you. Savor the moment, it might not last long.

            The CSM had a piece about the GOP which concluded that they needed to work on “addition versus division” if they want to regain votes. Don’t you love it when folks use math terms to discuss politics?

            I encourage you to give Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo a call. As the new leader of ASEAN, he hosted a meeting of foreign affairs ministers to figure out how “to recalibrate the bloc's strategy for dealing with military-ruled Myanmar.” They had the idea to revise the 5-point plan so that the special envoy to Burma would serve for several years rather than one so the generals know that the envoy represents ASEAN & needs to be taken seriously. Please use your diplomatic channels to promote that idea.

            In his Bible lessons, JECJ reminds folks to forgive 70 x 7. Please keep that in mind as you visit Poland & talk about VVP.

BYBS,