1/12/2024

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I was relieved to start my day with the news that the junta & the Three Brotherhood Alliance have agreed to a ceasefire with the help of a Chinese mediator. I look forward to learning more about the concessions that were made. Let’s hope this is the first step toward a non-violent approach to resolving tensions in Burma.

            My joy did not last long when I saw that you chose the opposite approach to deal with the Houthis’ offenses on commercial ships in the Red Sea. It’s bad enough that you resorted to violence to settle our differences by striking 8 different locations in Yemen, but that you didn’t even consult with Congress! This kind of unilateral decision makes me wonder about your statements about how “sacred” democracy is to you.

            WINTA, WINTA, WINTA

            If I were a more cynical person, I would accuse you of amping up the conflict to get some votes. If anyone suggested that, they are misguided.

            I also worry that some trigger-happy Pentagon types took advantage of Sec. Lloyd Austin’s illness to sell you on the idea that our Tomahawk cruise missiles would somehow solve the problem.

            Why not just continue to swat down their flying projectiles? According to Politico, yesterday “U.S. & U.K. naval forces shot down nearly 20 drones & 3 missiles, preventing the severe damage the Houthis had intended.”

            Please follow the suggestion of  Jason Rezaian  & think about ways to “exploit Tehran’s obvious weaknesses & undermine its limited strengths” rather than using anymore of our weapons.

            Before I read the details of the US assault, I enjoyed seeing a bit on WFMZ about your visit to Main Street, Emmaus, where a worker at the Run Inn store which sells jogging shoes speculated that you would be going to Mac Trucks & then to South Mountain Cycle. I hope your visit is not tainted by the Houthis thing.

            BYBS,