Posted on 01/02/2025 8:52:40 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
It was a decision that robbed hundreds of athletes of their once-in-a-lifetime chance at Olympic glory, and for more than four decades, it weighed heavily on the man who made it — Jimmy Carter.
Carter's passing Sunday has unearthed memories from his 1977-1981 presidency. Somewhere between his greatest foreign-policy success (the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt) and his greatest failure (the Iran hostage crisis) sits the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
The subject comes only because of Carter's death.
This is so far down the very long list of Carter’s bad decisions...
Which is why it’s in the news.
What made Carter dangerous was his naïveté. He cancelled the neutron bomb project to entice the Soviets into more peaceful positions and attitudes in other areas of the world. They didn’t play. They’re losses in Ukraine are both good for us and tolerable to them.
Reagan put in Pershing missiles. Then came Star Wars. The left was agains both. They worked.
The USSR and its minions boycotted the 1984 LA games right back. Given what the Olympics has devolved into I no longer care about them presently or what happened in the past anymore.
(The USSR and its minions boycotted the 1984 LA games right back.)
That’s when O.J. Simpson carried the Olympic torch and lit the Olympic flame.
**Jeff Blatnick on the 1984 Olympic team, met Carter on an airplane years later. According to an essay written by the late USOC spokesman Mike Moran, Blatnick said: “He looks at me and says, ‘Were you on the 1980 hockey team?’ I say, ‘No sir, I’m a wrestler, on the summer team.’ He says, ‘Oh, that was a bad decision, I’m sorry.’”**
Newsmax article. It’s the only quote(second hand)that Carter made a mistake. No real proof he second guessed himself. When it comes to the subject of war Newsmax shouldn’t of gone fishing for something to beat him up with.
Give Carter credit for Camp David and airline deregulation. Just don’t make up stuff one can’t verify.
It punished our athletes and did nothing material to Russia.
A list of Carter’s good decisions...cannot exist.
Because Carter.
**The USSR and its minions boycotted the 1984 LA games right back.**
The good news-we were introduced to Mary Lou Retton and that winning smile. Romania showed up to warm welcome
**Given what the Olympics has devolved into I no longer care about them presently or what happened in the past anymore.**
It’s always been political. We did it because of a war and not sweep it under the rug.
**It punished our athletes and did nothing material to Russia.**
I remember that one. It wasn’t fair to them. Still the issue of war trumps collateral damage.
“Carter Reflected on 1980 Olympic Boycott: ‘A Bad Decision’”
Just one of many bad decisions this douche made.
Carter was not a good president but he also was not an ideological president like we’ve had with Obama and Biden. Carter made a lot of bad decisions but he also cut taxes and started deregulation.
People forget that while America voted for Reagan knowingly supporting his stronger stance against Russia, it was still scary to go against the media’s constant warnings that his strategy of constantly confronting them would cause Nuclear War and Armageddon.
There was a lot of tension in the first years and we were constantly reminded by the media and Hollywood of the risk of Reagan’s gamble, it sure paid off, one Russian leader after another died off until after Reagan’s second election, Russia finally decided to go with a Gorbachev as the compromise man to deal with Reagan’s newly formed world situation and previous successes.
The election of Carter to the Presidency—or anything else—was a bad decision.
**it was still scary to go against the media’s constant warnings that his strategy of constantly confronting them would cause Nuclear War and Armageddon.**
I was one of those scared folks who voted for Carter twice. It had to do with swallowing the feel-good lies the left put out. After 4 years of Reagan I learned not to trust the left. It mighta had to do with turning 30 years of age in ‘84.
**The election of Carter to the Presidency—or anything else—was a bad decision.**
Blame the right. Nixon gave Them an inch and the left took a mile. Ford gave him a pardon and we ended up with Whip Inflation Now complete with baseball caps and bats. Talk about stupid. Weak republicans like Ford and ‘41 is an Oval Office gift to the left. Proof-Bush ‘43.
What kind of American are you?! You’re nuts. It would have been better for our athletes to go and beat the hell out of the Ruskies on their home turf! What’s the matter with you?
Furthermore, the Olympics isn’t even the Olympics when either US or Russia isn’t there. These past few games after the demonization and removal of Russia have been extremely boring. A victory tends to be hollow if your main competitor isn’t present.
The Olympics isn’t even close to President Carter’s worst foreign policy failure.
Panama Canal and dumping Taiwan were the worst.
I was in favor of the Panama Canal treaties under Carter. So was our libertarian hero Wm. F. Buckley. The problem is the same as Israel turning the Gaza over to the Palestinians.
We need to have more faith in the Latins trusting the gringos. History will say we did the right thing. Same as turning Japanese territories back.
Israel had no business trusting the muslims outside of Egypt. It’s still could go in the other direction. Gonna be interesting.
**dumping Taiwan were the worst.**
You may be right. I blame Clinton granting MFN status. Then there’s Loral. Nixon started it with ping pong diplomacy. He knew the drill rerecording the Soviets. Then business interests intervened weather it was Clinton or bush ‘43.
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