This is the Friends of History Debating Society. I am Gaius.

Dramaticus is here. We're headed to the theatre. I regret to say there's your

ripities tonight. I won't even explore it. There'll be more preaching.

But before you'reuties and before sacrificing

to the God Augustus we're going to deal with a fact that's recently come in from

the 21st century that delights, but I'll let Germanicus explain. I learned from a

colleague in the 21st century who traveled from New Zealand, representing the New Zealand government,

to a conference of Asia-Pacific nations held in Malaysia,

the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

This is Southeast Asia, including New Zealand and Australia,

Indonesia, Malaysia, Bob and Guinea. All the small states, Singapore, of course was represented, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar.

All together to talk about the issues that concern the most here in the 21st century.

And what I learned from my informant, a Kiwi,

is that Ukraine barely came up.

Even the Chinese who were represented ably in the conference didn't mention it.

And when the Malaysians were asked, the Malaysians themselves were asked,

what is your opinion of Ukraine?

What they conveyed was, we don't care about Ukraine, what's it to us?

And then they used identity politics.

It's a white people's war. We're concerned with our part of

the world, not theirs. Germanicus, the puzzle about Malaysia, why does Malaysia care about Ukraine?

Or to put it another way, is it okay that Malaysia doesn't care? it sort of judgment. I think the real issue is about why they should care at all after what they've been through. Now Malaysia is an

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