BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Jeremy Bash, a founder and managing director of Beacon Global Strategies and a CIA and DOD alum
How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “Robyn and I and our three daughters are celebrating in Hawaii (where it is 3 a.m. and I’m wide awake!).”
How did you get your start in your career? “I got my start in my career as an intern for Sen. Chuck Robb, from my home state of Virginia, in 1989. He was the only senator who served simultaneously on the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. I opened mail, manually clipped and taped up newspaper articles, and Xeroxed the clips.”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or finished? And why? “I just read Mitch Landrieu’s book, ‘In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History.’ It’s a powerful statement about what makes a diverse country strong and united. Next up on my nightstand: David Sanger’s ‘The Perfect Weapon,’ (about cyber) and ‘Sapiens,’ by Yuval Noah Harari (which is a history on the origins of humanity).”
What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention?
“A thing that doesn’t get enough attention: we are still at war in Afghanistan – 17 years after 9/11 -- yet we almost never hear national leaders discussing it. Also, Pakistan is a country that has an enormous stockpile of nuclear weapons; we always need to worry that those weapons might fall into the wrong hands. Again, crickets. But probably the biggest issue never discussed is that 45 percent of the voting age population doesn’t vote. The whole concept of voter ‘registration’ needs to be rethought.”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “Fun fact: Robyn and I are both twins. We feel very blessed. We have a wonderful family and live in an amazing country. We also met in the kitchen at Juleanna Glover’s house in 2007 at a party and and started soon afterwards.”