Jimmy Carter is "the best ex-President ever"

Great Debates
1

Quote from the BBC World Service - December 10

The BBC has a long history of distorting the facts to suit its peculiar world view, but I think this time that’s going a bit far.

I am prepared to concede that Carter is the better ex-President when comparing him with Kennedy, Roosevelt and Lincoln. You may even be able to argue that for the last 5 years he’s outperformed Reagan, although I’d have my doubts on that score. But to say he is “universally admired” in Washington is so far off the mark, if I know anything about US politics, that they have outdone themselves here.

Anyone else go along with me on this?:rolleyes:

2

The “universally admired” part is a bit much.

But I still believe that, regardless of his mistakes, Carter’s heart is in the right place.

3

That’s a nice arbitary assertation given that the BBC has the strictest rules on impartialilty of any news service. As you can see they are not offering it as there own opinion.

4

That’s a nice arbitary assertation given that the BBC has the strictest rules on impartialilty of any news service. As you can see they are not offering it as there own opinion.

Also note that they are not calling him “the best president ever” but “the best ex-president ever”.

5

Um, I’ll agree definitely that Carter has been a better ex-Pres than any of the ones who’ve died in office.
:confused:

6

oops double post, btw Lincoln and Kennedy have spent their entire ex-presidencyship as stiffs, so it’s hardly suprising that Carter has managed to outdo them

7

Carter is a pretty cool frood. He gives the impression that he always knows where his towel is.

8

“universally admired”, means nothing more than both Democrats and Republcans in Washington admire him.

9

Yes, the BBC article is extremely heavy-handed. I seriously doubt, given Carter’s hyper-liberal views on foreign affairs, that he is “universally admired”, nor unequivocably regarded as the best ex-pres “ever”. Granted, his charity work is first-rate, and I don’t think anyone argues that he hasn’t helped a lot of people, but that’s only a piece of the puzzle - “universally admired” is so hyperbolic as to boggle the mind.

Jeff

10

Carter has never acknowledged my greeting to him as he passed through the East Tenn. State University campus in 1983.

One time, Carter turned me into a newt.

[sub]I got better.[/sub]

11

Well answer this can you nameone ex-president is has achieved as much as Carter out of office? Carters views are hardly ‘hyper-liberal’ and they pretty much reflect what the world outside the US is thinking. Again universally admired only means he is admired by both Republicans and Democrats in Washington, do you despute this?

12

It’s good to see a real lover of “peace” be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I suppose it is as fitting as the award going to Kissinger or Teddy Roosevelt. Carter should be praised for his “peace” actions, such as:

Ordering the CIA to organise the killers running the death squads in Argentina to train Nicaraguan Contras in Honduras and hurl them into battle against the Sandinista government,

dispatching millions in aid and riot equipment to the Salvadoran military and sending US personnel to train Salvadoran officers in Panama,

sending special envoy Richard Holbrooke to South Korea, where workers and students were demanding democracy, (Holbrooke gave US backing to the South Korean military and insisted that they crush the rebellion. Some 3,000 South Koreans were killed in March 1980.)

authorising the covert CIA operation in Afghanistan that led to the creation of the mojahedin and giving the green light for Saudi religious, ideological and financial intervention, begun under the leadership of Osama bin Laden,

re-arming Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Thailand after they were defeated by the Vietnamese,

leading a campaign in favour of the release of Lieutenant William Calley, found guilty of mass murder in the My Lai massacre in South Vietnam,

supporting and supplying weaponry to the Indonesian military dictatorship after the brutal occupation of East Timor,

encouraging the rise of the Christian right,

accepting financial help from the Bank of Credit and Commerce International while this outfit calmly cheated its depositors.

13

“Universally admired” sounds like a bit much even when the man has a Nobel Prize.

But, as people are pointing out, the statement is allowing a lot of wiggle room.

14

Point taken, but, though you may not agree with what their accomplishments were, I think John Quincy Adams and Wm. Howard Taft provided the country with very valuable service after their terms expired. Hoover spent 20 years as the eminence gris of the Republican Party during the FDR/Truman period. And Thomas Jefferson would rank with them if he had only done half what he did as an ex-President.

But Carter is in a select group.

15

I have seen more than a few “comments” by the BC. That one does not appear to be anyone else’s opinion. They are attributing to people ideas. The BBC is incorrect.

Taft. 'Course, most ex-presidents are too old to do something impressive.Beiung a president is generally the high point and ofetn the end point of one’s career.

  1. It does not necessarily mean that. It is likely, however.
  2. Number (1) above is irrelevant because the statement is nowhere nears true. Just ask some Republican congessmen. Or President Bush.
16

I agree that Carter is a very good ex president. Didn’t he win the Nobel Peace Prize? He’s done a lot of things trying to work for peace, I understand, from seeing a show on TV about him.

17

I don’t think Carter was the best X-President. Heck, at least Reagan had heat vision… ::d&r::

18

Not sure what your trying to say but if you know the BBC they NEVER offer an opinion on news programmes, they did not say he was the best ex-president, just that he was regarded as the best ex-president…

That seems rather irrelevant to me as they are not commenting or comparing his presidental career just his career as an ‘ex-president’.

  1. It does not necessarily mean that. It is likely, however.
  2. Number (1) above is irrelevant because the statement is nowhere nears true. Just ask some Republican congessmen. Or President Bush. **
    [/QUOTE]
19

Not sure what your trying to say but if you know the BBC they NEVER offer an opinion on news programmes, they did not say he was the best ex-president, just that he was regarded as the best ex-president…

That seems rather irrelevant to me as they are not commenting or comparing his presidental career just his career as an ‘ex-president’.

Universal praise in newspeak, means praise from all quarters, this does not mean all Republicans or Democrats like him just that he has been praised by Republicans and Democrats.

  1. It does not necessarily mean that. It is likely, however.
  2. Number (1) above is irrelevant because the statement is nowhere nears true. Just ask some Republican congessmen. Or President Bush. **
    [/QUOTE]
20

I’ve heard him referred to as the “best former president”-mostly to mean that his greatest achievements came AFTER his presidency.

That’s all.

Chumpsky, SITE???