A NOBEL FOR JIMMY CARTER [Jimmy -- Worthy Nobel Laureate?]

Miami Herald Online ^ | Sunday, October 13, 2002 | House Editorial

[JohnHuang2]

The Nobel Peace Prize is a deserved tribute for Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. president who based his foreign policy on human rights and has spent the 21 years since trying to resolve some of the world's most intractable conflicts. Certainly his peacemaking efforts -- including his brokering of the Camp David peace accord between Egypt and Israel in 1978 -- merit recognition. Continues.

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Jimmy -- Worthy Nobel Laureate?

First, let me make one thing perfectly clear: Rarely, if ever, do I find myself agreeing with decisions by the Nobel Prize Committee, a blowhard cabal of Bolshevik deadwood and daffy revisionist time-warps who, in my book, rivet media attention far beyond all relevance.

But -- and it pains me to say this -- I must part company with fellow conservatives regarding the wisdom in awarding Jimmy Carter the Nobel Peace Prize. My conservative brethren seem shocked and appalled at the decision.

Not I.

Now, before you jump to conclusions ... No, I've not 'joined' the 'dark side.' And no, I haven't 'lost it.' It's just that, after some soul-searching, after some sober-minded reappraisal of the Carter record, I think the former president more than deserved the award.

The Nobel Committee sited Carter's "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts to advance democracy and human rights." Sure the Committee was being brazenly political; awarding 39 was seen as a swipe at 41. Indeed, chairman Gunnar Berge made no bones about it. "It [the citation] should be interpreted as a criticism of the line [towards Iraq] that the current [Bush] administration has taken," he said.

But let me give you my 10 solid reasons why Carter merited the honor nonetheless. I'll walk you through them, one-by-one.

Reason No. 10: When Carter was elected president in '76, inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index) stood at under 5%. Four years later, inflation soared to double-digits -- over 12%.

Er, how does that make Carter worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize?

Answer coming up -- stay with me.

Reason No. 9: Under Carter, interest rates rocketed to 22%, devastating the housing market, capital goods industries, depressing consumer sales across-the-board.

Reason No. 8: Carter gave us the longest unemployment lines in four decades. By '80, the unemployment rate stood a shade under 8%, well on its way towards double-digits, too.

Reason No. 7: Jimmy Carter gave us the Misery Index -- remember that thing? The index is the sum of inflation and unemployment. When Carter took office, the index stood at 13.5. Four years later, the country was staggering under misery indexes well over 20.

Reason No. 6: Under Carter, median family income fell dramatically.

Reason No. 5: Under Carter, the standard of living fell dramatically.

Reason No. 4: Remember those long gas lines common circa late 70s? Another Carter achievement. As candidate, Jimmy 'I-will-never-lie-to-you' Carter promised no more high gas prices. Then came 1979 and $1+ gas. A phony "Energy Crisis" resulted.

Reason No. 3: Carter, human rights champion, drove U.S. ally Mohammed Reza Pahlevi -- the Shah of Iran -- from power in 1979, making Iran the headquarters of global radical Islamic fundamentalism and among the world's chief sponsors of terrorism.

Reason No. 2: In 1979, Carter drove the pro-U.S. government of Anastasio Somoza in Nicaraqua from power, another brilliant stroke for human rights. A 10-year reign of terror followed, under the brutal and corrupt communist Ortega brothers.

Which brings us to Reason No. 1 on why I think Jimmy Carter more than earned the Nobel Peace Prize ...

Drum roll, please?

Here it is, Reason No. 1: The Carter disaster paved the way for ... President Ronald Wilson Reagan, America's 40th!

It's real simple: Without Carter, America might not have had Reagan, who brought down the Iron Curtain and ended the Cold War without firing a shot!

It's called 'Peace Through Strength', the Gipper's motto. It led to the end of the Soviet Union -- the greatest threat to world peace in the latter half of the 20th Century.

If Reagan was the Great Communicator, Carter was the Great Ex-Communicator. Jimmy drove millions of voters out of the Democrat party to cast their ballots proudly for Reagan.

Well, there you have it, folks.

So Thank You, Jimmy!

For saving the world -- from you.

Anyway, that's...
"JohnHuang2"

[JohnHuang2]

Sunday, October 13, 2002

Quote of the Day by friendly

[JohnHuang2]

Time to hit the sack -- see y'all soon.

[ambrose]

bump!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Here it is, Reason No. 1: The Carter disaster paved the way for ... President Ronald Wilson Reagan, America's 40th! .....Peace through strength

BUMP!

Carter was going for the peace through communist oppression model. Nothing more peaceful than a country that denies individual rights.

[Brian Allen]

Good on yah, John.

Got him pretty well covered and accounted for.

Except, least we forget, he also gave away America's Panama Canal and saw to it that his friends, the Peking-based, mass-murdering gangsters who self style themselves as communist China's government got control of that most vital American assett.

AND bankrupted his heavily-subsidised peanut farm!

A truly dynamite example of "DemocRATic" potty leadership!

FReegards -- Brian

[Aeronaut]

I'm glad you finally got to it. I was beginning to suspect your sanity at about number three.

[.45MAN]

Oh Yes!!! I remember all 10 very well. But I guess your right, if not for him we would not have had Reagan....But the Nobel Peace Prize ?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Where does Luckovich keep his brains?

[MeekOneGOP]

Bwahahahaha !! You had me goin', scratchin' my head for a minute there JH2 !! LOL !! Good one !

Yeah, the first or second paragraph of the first article I saw on this the Nobel chairman idiot was referring to/slapping at Dubya regarding Iraq. Makes me wonder about the Nobel guys. What's so ironic is that Nobel invented gun powder, which led to modern firearms/warfare, which ultimately leads the U.S. might and power to protect freedom in the entire world, and they turn around and give the prize to the man that reigned under terrors thumb for 444 days and once Reagan took office (on the very DAY Reagan was inaugurated, in fact !!), they release our hostages, knowing Reagan woulda kicked their a**es instead of puttin' up with that BS !!

Hmm?? Did the Iranians get a Nobel prize for their 444 day adventure, I wonder? </sarcasm>

[MeekOneGOP]

A truly dynamite example of "DemocRATic" potty leadership!

heh heh !! Good one.

[MeekOneGOP]

...."DemocRATic" potty leadership!

I'm a GOOD 'RAT !

[MeekOneGOP]

Oh Yes!!! I remember all 10 very well. But I guess your right, if not for him we would not have had Reagan....But the Nobel Peace Prize ?

Well, of course he didn't deserve it, and the Nobel chairman/jerk showed it was a political jab at Dubya right off.

John just found the truth and the silver lining in it. Of course the Nobel prize for peace belongs to Reagan.....

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Carter credits his 'partner in everything' - Sit down for this one***She was at Camp David, for example, when Israel and Egypt made peace, taking notes, whispering advice and re-hashing the day's event with the president. The wife-as-sounding-board-and-confidante pattern continued over the next 25 years.

She accompanied the ex-president on virtually every major peace-undertaking -- in Kosovo and Uganda, Nicaragua and North Korea. "We had a whole list of things that Washington had asked us to do with Kim Il Sung," Jimmy Carter recalled. "We found that he was quite amenable to being flexible. So Rosalynn suggested we ask Kim to cooperate in the recovery of the remains of Americans buried in North Korea during the Korean War." Carter said that in general in dealing with foreign leaders, his wife was "sometimes more skeptical or cynical than I was. I'm inclined to be more trusting." ***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Upon leaving the White House, after being beaten by Ronald Reagan, the Carters found small-town life personally trying. They collaborated on a book, "Everything To Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life," a recipe for emotional and spiritual health. Ironically, the book strained their own marriage. They worked in separate rooms, sometimes not talking for days. Jimmy Carter said "it was the worst thing we've been through." Rosalynn Carter elaborated Saturday: "We worked through all that. We disagree just like everybody else. We have a good relationship. Everybody needs some space of his or her own. That is what we learned when we came home." ….Carter credits…

THE VERY DEEP THOUGHTS OF JIMMY AND ROSALYNN CARTER*** Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, who used to be employed as a live-in couple in Washington, have written a book. Actually, it's more than a book. Around my house Everything to Gain has become a complete home-entertainment center. Using the Carter opus, I've developed no less than five swell new parlor games. They are better than Trivial Pursuit, charades and nude Scruples combined. The rules are printed below. Try them yourself.***

[MeekOneGOP]

http://www.list.org/~mdoyle/issues.html

THE CASE OF IRAN:

At the beginning of the 20th century, both Britain and Russia had spheres of influence in Persia (Iran).  This country was rich in oil reserves, but its government was very corrupt.  During World War I, Persia became a battlefield for Russian, Turkish, and British troops, and the war left Persia in a state of bankruptcy and chaos.  Between 1921 and 1925 a young army officer, Reza Khan, achieved control of the military and became the prime minister.  Two year later, a Constitutional Assembly voted to end the ruling dynasty and Reza Khan was declared Shah (king).  He became the first ruler of the new Pahlavi dynasty.  The ancient empire of Persia thus became the modern nation of Iran.

Reza Shah made many changes in Iran.  In education, a Western-style curriculum was introduced, and girls' schools were established for the first time.  Women were urged to put aside the veil and divorce laws were changed in their favor.   To modernize his country, the Shah supported commerce, transportation, and industry.

The Shah's search for independence from the Soviet Union and Britain drove him closer to Nazi Germany.  By 1941 Germany was operating an effective spy system in Iran and the Shah would not allow the Allies to use the Trans-Iranian Railway to send war supplies to the Soviet Union.  In 1941 Reza Shah was forced to step down by the Soviets and British in favor of his son Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.

The Shah continued with the modernization process that his father had begun. But the modernization was uneven.  As one of the world's largest oil producers in the 1970s, Iran benefited from he oil boom.  The Shah of Iran was the main promoter of the first large oil price increases in the 1970s, and Iran's gross national product soared between 1970 and 1977.  Money from oil did not benefit everyone.  There was a tremendous gap between the rich and poor in Iran, and the number of poor  was rising.  As the population grew and the movement of people from small villages to large towns added to social unrest, and there was a feeling that the Shah had tried to go too far to fast with his industrial and agricultural reforms. Moreover, the shah was a tyrant who used his secret police and an elaborate network of informers to eliminate any opposition to his regime.

In foreign affairs, Iran's largest supporter was the United States.  The Shah's modernization projects brought in Americans and other Westerners and equipment to build  his modern state.  Iran's geographic location (bordering the Soviet Union and at the headwaters of the Persian Gulf) made Iran strategically important to the United States.  Despite the growing resentment of the people to  the Shah of Iran, the United States remained one of his staunchest allies in order to balance Soviet power in the region.

Social unrest grew in Iran in 1978, and many people were killed in demonstrations against the government.  Shiites known as Mujahhedin opposed the influx of foreigners in Iran.  The Western values of foreigners were held in contempt by the Mujahhedin, and they felt that their own values were under attack.

Leading the religious opposition was Ruhollah Khomeini, an Islamic religious man.  (called an Ayatollah)

  The Ayatollah Khomeini

For many years the Ayatollah had lived in exile in France. Using taped speeches that were smuggled into the country, he built  a large following of people who were discontent with the policies of the Shah.  In January of 1979, the Shah left the country, never to return.  In February of 1979, Khomeini triumphantly returned to Iran, and in April of that year he won a landslide victory in a referendum that made Iran an Islamic Republic. Khomeini eliminated western influence from Iran and implemented Islamic law based on the teachings of the Koran.

The United States was a particular target of Iran because of its close relationship with the Shah.  In November of 1979 when then president, Jimmy Carter, allowed the shah to enter the United States for medical treatment, university students in Tehran who supported the revolution took control of the American embassy in Tehran. The students wanted the Shah (and his money) returned to Iran.  The hostages were held in Iran for 444 days.  This crisis played a major role in the electoral defeat of president Jimmy Carter, and the election of Ronald Reagan.

While Iran was perceived to be weak, Saddam Hussein of Iraq took the opportunity to try to take from Iran some oil rich land along the Shatt-al-Arab.  The resulting war lasted 8 years (1980-1988) with no clear victor.  During that time, the United States patrolled the Persian Gulf to protect Kuwaiti oil tankards

The Iranian Revolution is one of the most significant events in recent times in the Middle East.  This successful rebellion of Islamic fundamentalists has led to an increase in its political and religious influence in the Middle East and North Africa. Many Muslim fundamentalists focus on trying to live up to the ideals of Islam in their daily lives.  Others, however, have resorted to violence.  They seek to overthrow existing governments and impose their ideal of Islamic society on others. Militant fundamentalists are called Islamists.  They reject Western culture and its political  and economic imperialism. They reject and call for the destruction of Israel and consider the United States an enemy because it supports Israel.

The effects of Islamists have been seen in recent years in several Middle East countries, and Iran has been accused of exporting terrorism and supporting Islamists in other countries.

Use the following links to find out more about Iran and the Iranin Revolution:
 

• Iran Online Newsroom
• NetIran
• CNN Impact

[MeekOneGOP]

[RocketJsqurl]

Jimmy Carter's poor management of the Iran crisis in the late 70's sparked the Islamic revolution.
jimmy is not evil like Bill clinton , he was just a weak leader.
The Nobel price is like a grammy. Big deal. he got one. For what? It was given to him to diss GWB. That's all. By the anti semetic facist of europe.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Jimmy Carter awarded Nobel Peace Prize "Each and every one of you have opened my eyes to things I did not know.I only thought I was in the "know" of things but y'all have liberated me.Thank you one and all.Is it any wonder how americans can be deceived by the left wing media.My impression came from prior FR knowledge of Jimmy Carter.I realy had no idea he was that far on the left,thanks again." ….eastforker

[johnny7]

HA! Good one! I always thought Jimmuh was better suited for the priesthood.

He was not our worst president... that goes to the bastid from Arkansas... but he was a pacifist.

Reagan made a fool out of him in the debates. Carter said he relied on his daughter, Amy, for strategic nuclear advice.

He will always be remembered for the botched rescue attempt in Iran.

[dansangel]

Great job! You had me going for a minute...but it's early and I'm not firing on all brain cells.