When Presidents of the United States leave office they have traditionally gone on to become statesmen – some of greater stature than others – padding a legacy for history. Sometimes they have been vocal in opposition to their successors’ policies, sometimes critical though generally supportive.
John Quincy Adams, an unpopular president, despite solid accomplishments on behalf of the people, was elected to the House of Representatives (running at the request of his Massachusetts neighbors) where he served his country for years afterward. Adams died, in 1848, in the Capital Building while still hard at work.
Theodore Roosevelt, though vehemently opposed to the policies of Woodrow Wilson and loathing the man as a weakling and a liar (“He Kept Us Out Of War”), volunteered to raise a regiment to fight in Europe during World War One, but his efforts were rebuffed by President Wilson. In response, TR returned to his editorial duties and engaged in tireless efforts to raise money and supplies for the war effort. Trying to serve his country.
Herbert Hoover was called upon to assist in feeding the people of Europe, following World War Two, based on his ability to gather and distribute humanitarian aid, as he showed following the First World War.
Harry Truman, combative from start to finish, was a sought-after commentator for the Democrats based on his reputation for ‘telling it like it is’. “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry” had no compunction about speaking out when he thought a president was going the wrong way.
Bill Clinton … well … nobody ever expected him to comport himself as a statesman, and he certainly hasn’t. But there have been times when his post-presidential actions have been seen by both major parties as a positive thing for the US.
But James Earl Carter seems to have wandered far from the ‘reservation’. So far that he is now camping in the land of Jihad. Whatever goodwill he had attained from Republicans during his tenure with Habitat For Humanity has evaporated. Carter has managed to side with some of the most loathsome individuals in the world while castigating his own country for defending itself, defending freedom, fighting terrorism and chaos. Poorly chosen words spoken in inappropriate venues seems to have become his hallmark.
Acting in violation of US law, Carter has ‘negotiated’ with foreign governments (ala Jesse “Hymietown” Jackson) and NGOs to further his bizarre aims. So bad is he thought of among many of us that even the strangest rumors regarding Carter have gained traction.
Carter – the Dixie Chicks of Democratic politics – has once again sounded off. This time against a staunch US ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Telegraph reports: “’Tony Blair’s lack of leadership and timid subservience to George W Bush lie behind the ongoing crisis in Iraq and the worldwide threat of terrorism, according to the former American president Jimmy Carter.’” Yes, Jimmy Carter, loyal American, is disappointed because Blair has not bitch-slapped George Bush. Because Bush is wrong, as Jimmy Carter knows. Sister Toldjah has the best post on the latest from the Carter Land of Jihad. I won’t fisk Carter’s nonsense. What’s the point?
Carter is evidence of how far, how utterly insane and unreasonable, a Pacifist can be or become. In Carter’s world Palestinian Terrorists are exactly the same as Israeli soldiers. Slaughtering Israeli civilians as a matter of policy and intent is exactly the same as killing civilians while fighting back.
Equivalence is what Carter is all about and he sees no problem cozying up to a murderer like Castro, a tin-pot dictator like Hugo Chavez, or the Hermit King of North Korea. But every person who would act against these beasts is wrong. In Carter’s world. In his mind.
What a sad legacy James Earl Carter has earned for himself. And earn it he has.
John Quincy Adams, an unpopular president, despite solid accomplishments on behalf of the people, was elected to the House of Representatives (running at the request of his Massachusetts neighbors) where he served his country for years afterward. Adams died, in 1848, in the Capital Building while still hard at work.
Theodore Roosevelt, though vehemently opposed to the policies of Woodrow Wilson and loathing the man as a weakling and a liar (“He Kept Us Out Of War”), volunteered to raise a regiment to fight in Europe during World War One, but his efforts were rebuffed by President Wilson. In response, TR returned to his editorial duties and engaged in tireless efforts to raise money and supplies for the war effort. Trying to serve his country.
Herbert Hoover was called upon to assist in feeding the people of Europe, following World War Two, based on his ability to gather and distribute humanitarian aid, as he showed following the First World War.
Harry Truman, combative from start to finish, was a sought-after commentator for the Democrats based on his reputation for ‘telling it like it is’. “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry” had no compunction about speaking out when he thought a president was going the wrong way.
Bill Clinton … well … nobody ever expected him to comport himself as a statesman, and he certainly hasn’t. But there have been times when his post-presidential actions have been seen by both major parties as a positive thing for the US.
But James Earl Carter seems to have wandered far from the ‘reservation’. So far that he is now camping in the land of Jihad. Whatever goodwill he had attained from Republicans during his tenure with Habitat For Humanity has evaporated. Carter has managed to side with some of the most loathsome individuals in the world while castigating his own country for defending itself, defending freedom, fighting terrorism and chaos. Poorly chosen words spoken in inappropriate venues seems to have become his hallmark.
Acting in violation of US law, Carter has ‘negotiated’ with foreign governments (ala Jesse “Hymietown” Jackson) and NGOs to further his bizarre aims. So bad is he thought of among many of us that even the strangest rumors regarding Carter have gained traction.
Carter – the Dixie Chicks of Democratic politics – has once again sounded off. This time against a staunch US ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Telegraph reports: “’Tony Blair’s lack of leadership and timid subservience to George W Bush lie behind the ongoing crisis in Iraq and the worldwide threat of terrorism, according to the former American president Jimmy Carter.’” Yes, Jimmy Carter, loyal American, is disappointed because Blair has not bitch-slapped George Bush. Because Bush is wrong, as Jimmy Carter knows. Sister Toldjah has the best post on the latest from the Carter Land of Jihad. I won’t fisk Carter’s nonsense. What’s the point?
Carter is evidence of how far, how utterly insane and unreasonable, a Pacifist can be or become. In Carter’s world Palestinian Terrorists are exactly the same as Israeli soldiers. Slaughtering Israeli civilians as a matter of policy and intent is exactly the same as killing civilians while fighting back.
Equivalence is what Carter is all about and he sees no problem cozying up to a murderer like Castro, a tin-pot dictator like Hugo Chavez, or the Hermit King of North Korea. But every person who would act against these beasts is wrong. In Carter’s world. In his mind.
What a sad legacy James Earl Carter has earned for himself. And earn it he has.
8 comments:
Carter has been vying (sic) for this position since he left office.
I think perhaps what happens as we get older is that the control we once had as younger people (by this I mean things you may not have normally said aloud). Incomplete thoughts or just plain wrong or offensive statements just roll off the tongue.
I believe Carter has truly lost his mind. A world governed by his reality will never exist - but it is people like Carter that give the lie a look of truth.
wow ..great historical overview...excellent read Benning..I will link to this one too!..:)
Interesting. I'm being overwhelmed with reading right now...LOL. I just started your book and is already extremely good IMO. Chapter 7 page 65 :)
Jimmy Carter is a joke...but not a particularly funny one.
Carter feels the jaws of history closing in on him; he knows full well he will be regarded as one of the worst presidents of modern times.
He will do or say anything to avoid the inescapable... Talk about digging your own grave!
The one tidy morsel about Mr. Carter, is that although he is a Naval Academy graduate, and served as a Nuclear Submarine Commander, he had 2 near collisions with his boat and once made a near-catastrophic reactor shutdown,... all of which one has to dig deep if we are to find it in the main-stream press.....
....the "malaisse" continues to fog this man's life....
But there is always Billy Carter to redeem the family gene pool, no?>
Hand to God, tears are streaming from my eyes. "Jimmy Carter, the Dixie Chick of Democratic politics".
That is just too funny. Carter's actions are indeed criminal or at least un-American. You can tell simply by the fact that he's won a Nobel Peace Prize. To win those you have to be a murderous thug (Arafat) or hate America (every other winner).
It's in the rules, I think.
T-P: While Miss Lillian was touted by the press as a female version of Harry Truman, Billy was the family black sheep: embarrassing for his swilling beer. Billy Beer was lousy, but it was a funny marketing moment in American politics!
Kevin: Remember that those rules have changed. In the old days Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel for his work bringing Russia and Japan to the Peace table following the Russo-Japanese War. And TR was no thug! LOL
gunz: I hope it keeps you interested all the way through!
brooke: That's got to be the deepest grave ever dug.
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