I could not agree more!
I think it actually "started" in 1977 when Carter forced Prime Minister Begin to meet with Sadat. Carter forced Israel into relations with Egypt. Sadat actually did want peace, but the establishment of formal relations was a timebomb for Sadat personally and the entire region. But you are right, the most duplicitious foreign policy decision in recent American history was betraying the Shah of Iran. The Shah was certainly not a "saint," but he was the greatest friend America had in the Middle East aside from Israel. The oil crisis of 1973-74 would have been catastrophic for America without Iran's assistance, and Carter "rewarded" this friendship with the greatest betrayal in American history. Neville Chamberlain is often seen as the symbol of appeasement. However, many don't realize that Chamberlain eventually realized the error of his ways and resigned his post to help Churchill form a coalition government (Chamberlain served on Churchill's cabinet). Chamberlain soon became ill and died a year into WW II, I believe that had he lived he would have become more far more outspokenly apologetic about his blunders. Carter has been out of office nearly a quarter of a century, and all we have seen from him has been increasingly anti-American rhetoric.
http://worldatwar.net/biography/c/chamberlain/