6/21/2023

Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            The name “Biden” gets 12 hits when using the Google’s find command on WP’s website. I would congratulate you, but ½ of them relate to Hunter (RHB). Will his situation harm your campaign, since “the history of troubled presidential children is extraordinarily long, often the result of struggles to live up to lofty expectations amid the glare of public attention?”

            Your other mentions have to do with your calling Xi “a dictator,” NDM, a resolution to impeach you & your unpopularity. Nothing about your CA trip. Oh well.

RHB may be a sympathetic character since ½ of Americans say they have a family member or close friend who is addicted. I’m grateful that you are modeling a stance of unconditional love & that RHB is talking about his “healthy fear of relapse” & the realization that he is one bad choice away from spiraling.

            Since I live with someone who calls himself an addict, I understand addiction does not define a person, but I have to admit I am dubious about RHB’s business dealings in Ukraine & China.

            RHB’s situation got me thinking about morality & thinking about morality brought to mind my Dartmouth philosophy prof, Bernie Gert (BG), which led me to his book, Hobbes: Prince of Peace, which I am now going to get out of the UCD library. BG introduced me to Freud & I am finding myself wondering about the id & the role it plays in our lives. My hypothesis is that drugs & alcohol suppress our super-egos, letting our id run free, which leads to bad decisions. What’s your take on addiction?

            Please discuss Burma with NDM during his visit & invite him to follow your example regarding sanctions. As you know reporters at the NYT lament that you are showering “attention on a leader presiding over democratic backsliding in the world’s most populous nation.” Please introduce NDM to our mantra WINTA & remind him that practicing Hindu supremacy will not bring harmony to his country.

            BYBS,