Carter was quoted in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as calling the Bush administration the "worst in history."
When he was subjected to a barrage of criticism [former Presidents usually don't openly attack current administrations) instead of standing his ground he blamed others and said his "words were taken out of context."
He then twisted himself into a pretzel saying he was comparing this administration's foreign policy with that of Richard Nixon's. According to Carter, Nixon had a productive foreign policy.
In fact his words were not taken out of context. What he actually said was:
"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history." "The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."
Irrespective of what people might think of the Bush administration, what this demonstrates is how Jimmy Carter is always quick with some excuse or ready to blame others for his problems.
5 comments:
Even most historians "rewrite" history, as if even a scholar can be totally objective, unbiased.
I don't understand why you are attacking Carter, besides the obvious fact you don't seem like him. Do you deny what he has said about Bush as true or not? And if not, why? The issue of an ex-president who decides to attack a current administration doesn't seem to have the same gravity as considering the disastrous consequences of what our current administration has accomplished over the last five years. They've done more then rewrite history, they have reframed it; Bush using his Axis of Evil analogy with the Middle East, a nice little distortion defining who the good guys are based on WWII historical events.
Robert:
Thank you for your comment. I was not talking about the substance of Carter's remarks. [Note my comment in the post: "irrespective of what people might think about the Bush administration...."]
I wanted to make the point that when Jimmy Carter missteps he claims that his words were taken out of context or that he did not hear someone say something [e.g. Hamas leaders calling for the destruction of Israel] or that he was misunderstood or that he is being unfairly skewered.
That was my point.
And regarding whether I "like" Carter or not, that is completely immaterial. I am referring to his propensity to always wiggle out of uncomfortable situations if not more than that.
sorry for the delay in posting this.
thanks for your response. I visited your blog because of my interest in Holocaust studies, I've visited the camps, seen the remaining evidence, talked to survivors, and find it amazing how the event can still be denied. But facts don't always filter through correctly to other cultures and even our Western culture.
I think that the thing to be remembered is that deniers are acting out of an antisemitic motivation [what other reason is there to deny the best documented genocide in history... a dubious distinction of coure]. Antisemitism is a form of prejudice or pre-judice. Antisemites and, by extension, racists, homophobes, and all other prejudicial people do not want to be confused by the facts. They have already made up their minds.
Certain segments of Western culture ignore the Holocaust or "relegate" it to a Jewish matter and a matter, about which they will say far too much has already been said.
However, hardcore deniers are not rational they are motivated by an all consuming hate and contempt of Jews.
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