A Drink and a Laugh

Small world. Today, President Biden met with President Putin, the United States and Russian leaders holding summit under a tense and fragile relationship. But some things never change. Today, I’m reading a book by a former Secret Service agent recalling the time when, during the heights of the Six Day War in the Middle East, the Vietnam War in the Far East, and the Cold War between nuclear powers, President Johnson shared a vodka with the Soviet Premier and they talked about their grandchildren, in New Jersey of all places. Talking about family and sharing a laugh didn’t cure all the ills of a broken relationship, but it certainly didn’t hurt. I hope Biden and Putin also managed a drink and a laugh and a chat about their kids. #PeaceAndLove

“…although Johnson and Kosygin failed to resolve any major differences, the one thing they agreed was to avoid the risk of nuclear war so that their grandchildren might live in a world of peace.” Clint Hill, Five Presidents, p.254

GoodReads Review of Five Presidents