Huzzah for the Farmer from Plains!
I've taken a lot of crap over the years for liking Jimmy Carter. But I don't care. He was the first and last decent human being to be President of the United States during my lifetime. A perfect President - no way. No such thing, to be honest. (I don't love all of Obama's policy statements, but he's getting my support and vote).
One thing I've always admired about Jimmy is his courage. It took enormous courage and dedication to bring about peace between Egypt and Isreal. I remember that they pre-empted Battlestar Galactica - the original series (either the premiere or second episode, can't remember which)- for the primetime signing of the Camp David Peace Accords. I was pretty pissed at the time, but I've forgiven Jimmy for it.
And I think today he may have done the most courageous thing of his life. He publicly said that Israel probably has at least 150 nuclear weapons.
Why? The pea-brained pundits are screaming this question but not answering it - just taking this as another opportunity to bash Jimmy Carter, one of their favorite sports.
I think I know why. We'll find out someday and I'd like to get my two bits in right now. I think Jimmy made this rather shocking announcement because he hopes to avoid another pointless war. If the world at large knows that Israel has 150 or so nukes, then it also knows that in a war with Iran or any other power in the Middle East, Israel can take care of itself. It doesn't need it's big and overextended brother, the US of A, taking on Iran to protect it. Little ol' Israel can do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, because it's got a wall of nuclear weapons - most of them pointed straight down Iran's gullet.
With the threat of a THIRD WAR looming over us before the election - Bush and Cheney seem to be all but promising this! - former President Jimmy Carter has boldly and courageously put himself on the line to stop it. He's already taking enormous heat for this and it's only going to get worse, but I think he doesn't care. He thought he was doing the right thing. When was the last time Bush did this? Has he ever? Will he ever? (If he vetoes the new GI Bill, he goes down as worst President ever. And he will. He will).
Once again, I am extremely proud of Jimmy Carter. Huzzah for the Farmer from Plains!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Jimmy & Me
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10 comments:
Yes, good guy; lousy president. Oh, well. Don't blame me, I voted for John B. Anderson.
Carter has been sucking up to Hamas and the other Palestinian "freedom fighters" for the past couple of months. I view him as an anti-semitic buffoon. Whatever his "peace loving" motives might be, he is cozying up to the wrong folks.
while this site :
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/30087_Why_Does_Jimmy_Carter_Hate_America
tends to go over the top somewhat (ok, alot over the top), if you pick through the vitriol, there is some key info.
All I remember from his time as president is peanut jokes and Billy Beer, but I salute him for his second career in the decades since. Always admirable.
And Nazz--you can be against Israel's policies without being anti-semitic. Israel has had their own plan to wipe Palestine off the map for at least a couple decades if not more.
I went and read this, man, but I think I still agree with Carter. This is really a continuation of his groundbreaking efforts in the 70s - no one ever thought he could get Isreal and Egypt together for a peaceful conference. (I got to admire Anwar Sadat so much that the day he was assassinated - a day I was home sick from school - is still a horrifying memory to me; more than the day the attempt was made on Reagan's life).
And in order to get things going, perhaps no matter how un-American it may look, he has to ask the EU to go against US policy because US policy may be on one of the hindrances to peace in the Mideast. That's what I'm thinking right now, at least.
Oh, I have to admit to owning on of the horrible litte Amy Carter troll dolls that came inside of a plastic peanut shell. That poor girl got made fun of way more than Chelsea Clinton ever did.
I remember the day Reagan got shot. I came home from school and my mom was crying (reliving those old JFK memories I suppose) and I asked her what happened and she told me Reagan got plugged. I said something like "good, I hope the fucker dies" and my mom threw something at me and threw me out of the house.
Good Times, Good Times
Jan 11, 2007
Fourteen members of the Carter Center advisory board have resigned after concluding that the Center’s founder, former president Jimmy Carter, has turned to "malicious advocacy" for the Palestinians and against Israel.
William B. Schwartz Jr., who served as the United States Ambassador to The Bahamas during the Carter administration, is among the group.
The mass resignations come after Professor Kenneth Stein resigned his position as Middle East Fellow of the Carter Center and after Professor Melvin Konner declined a position advising Carter.
[This is a quote from one of the resignation letters]:
Your book has confused opinion with fact, subjectivity with objectivity and force for change with partisan advocacy. Furthermore the comments you have made the past few weeks insinuating that there is a monolith of Jewish power in America are most disturbing and must be addressed by us. In our great country where freedom of expression is basic bedrock you have suddenly proclaimed that Americans cannot express their opinion on matters in the Middle East for fear of retribution from the "Jewish Lobby" In condemning the Jews of America you also condemn Christians and others for their support of Israel. Is any interest group to be penalized for participating in the free and open political process that is America? Your book and recent comments suggest you seem to think so.
http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Semitism_Domestic/carter_reactions_ws.htm
Strange bedfellows....
White supremacist forums such as Stormfront, the longest-running white supremacist Web site on the Internet, Aryan Nations Forum, a Web forum operated by the South Carolina-based Aryan Nations group headed by August Kreis, and Vanguard News Network (VNN), a white supremacist Web site and discussion forum run by neo-Nazi Alex Linder, have included posts praising President Carter for standing up to the "Zionist lobby" and Israel and reaffirming their views on the inherent evil nature of Jews. Many of the messages expressed support for Carter, claiming that any criticism of his book is an attack by "the Zionists."
By far and away the worst President in my lifetime. Well below Bush 2 (and that's saying something). Down around Warren G. Harding, James Buchanan and just below Nixon.
Considering that you worked for the man...well, that's saying something, eh?
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