by Anura Guruge
on October 30, 2021
Just for the record in case anyone was suspecting sour grapes, I, given my background, am no stranger to motorcades. There were days I went to school in a motorcade though it was but one car & four motorbikes. The last time I was in a motorcade was in August 1992. But, that is by the by … However, while we are at it, let me also point out that I am also more familiar than most with International diplomatic protocols given that my adoptive father was a high-ranking diplomat for over three decades in Paris & D.C. So, I can & will comment on this.
Italy had the right to have put their foot down — BUT they put it down in the wrong place! They enforced, and, moreover, got the U.S. to accede to their COVID protocols. That was good. They, however, did not go far enough or, more to the point, think it through carefully. They are NOT Italians for nothing.
85 cars with 3 passengers = 255 people.
Two of those were Joe & Jill Biden. That still leaves 253 people. They could NOT all have been CLOSE presidential aides & staff. Even Biden couldn’t have an entourage that BIG. So, some of these, probably close to 125, had to have been the travelling press corp.
But, here is my point. All of these people, including the press corp, went over to Rome by plane. Even with empty seats, whatever, they sat in close proximity for 7 to 8 hours on plane.
So, why couldn’t they have been assigned to buses with similar or even better spacing between the seats. So, rather than 85 cars, we could have had 5 cars & 10 buses.
This was STUPID. Biden was STUPID not to have seen this coming. His staff was even stupider — but we already knew that. Yes, I am NOT amused. This was STUPID.
