4/27/23

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Do you know how old you are? I ask because at your press conference yesterday you said, “if I guess how old I am, I can’t even say the number.” That remark baffles me.

            Next time, please talk about the wisdom that comes from your extra time on this planet. You have learned a lot, witnessed history firsthand, seen how things get done. That’s what makes you so effective.

Next time a reporter asks you about your age, you can break into song, as Yoon Suk Yeol (YSY) did last night at the state dinner when he sang, “American Pie.” You can make some adjustments to Helen Reddy’s lyrics, “Yes, I am wise, but it’s wisdom born of pain… You can bend but never break me, cause it only serves to make me, more determined to achieve my final goal & I come back even stronger, not a novice any longer, cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul” While you aren’t a woman & maybe not invincible, you are strong & it’s ok to be old.

            It seems that you had a blast with YSY last night. It was sweet of him to allude to your Irish roots when he noted, “a good friend is like a four-leaf clover - hard to find and lucky to have.” I feel that way, too.

            Did you talk with YSY about Burma yesterday? Did you talk about India, too? According to the Diplomat, Burma poses 2 challenges for Modi (NDM)i:  1) It is getting closer to China & 2) various ethnic groups in India’s Northeast region are getting riled up. I encourage you to reach out to NDM to see what he wants to do to bring peace to Burma.

            Since WINTA, let’s stop weaponizing & start trading. Feeding the growing population of the world & preventing further climate change will require all our resources. Let’s optimize the use of these through free markets & stop fighting.

            BYBS,