Jimmy Carter is todays guest voice at "On Faith"

Here's your chance to go over and make a comment.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2006/12/faith_commitments_and_mideast.html

worst
president
ever

..no
argument
here...

Here's what I wrote (I inadvertently posted it twice at WaPo):

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So, according to President Carter, "the plight of the Palestinian people represents one of the most abhorrent cases of human rights oppression on earth."

He mustn't get out much if he thinks that being "Forced from their homes and land and surrounded by walls, they live under a system of mandatory segregation, with passes required to reach their jobs, schools, pastures and fields" represent the worst possible human rights violations. It's easy to find examples that make such restrictions look about as annoying as a parking ticket.

I have to wonder why Carter does not cite the violations of human rights represented by Palestinian terrorists killing and kidnapping Israeli citizens and the resulting climate of fear - perhaps these are invisible to him.

Perhaps the missiles lobbed from Gaza and Lebanon at random targets in population centers are just illusions.

Or perhaps Carter has taken cultural relativism so far he can't distinguish between offense and defense.

If the Palestinians would submit to the rule of law, admit Israel has the right to exist - something granted by the UN almost 60 years ago - stop murdering civilians and innocents, and focus their energies on achieving peaceful, property-respecting free market prosperity within Gaza, there would be no need for passes or gates. In fact, they would find themselves sitting right beside a valuable trading partner, who would be more than happy to work with them.

But Palestinian behavior since being given Gaza to inhabit seems to show they are unwilling to do anything but engage in murderous temper tantrums when they don't get everything they want. Why are the Palestinians not to blame for their plight?

The Jordanian, Egyptian and Saudi neighbors of the Palestinians had opportunities many times over the years to end the Palestinians' "homelessness" by granting them land. They have never done so. Why are they not to blame?

Carter says that "peace for Israelis, with peace and justice for the Palestinians" are goals everyone can agree with. However, when the method of achieving peace that is proposed is essentially the surrender of the victim (Israel) to the aggressor (the Palestinians) no justice is served. And why shouldn't the Israelis have justice too?

We need to define justice very carefully. Justice is when a harmed party is able to attain retribution or restituition from those who harmed them. If the founding of Israel harmed the Palestinians, then the UN must be the source of redress. Perhaps the UN can create an agreement to carve out a section of some other nation - Saudi Arabia? Egypt? Jordan? Libya? - as the new home for the Palestinians.

And what redress will the Israelis have for all of the harm done by the Palestinians? Carter has no answer.

I suspect that the Palestinians have given up on the ability to be anything but victims, and that they will, as they have, just turn on each other until no one is left to kill. Perhaps President Carter needs to come up with a plan to help the Palestinians develop the morality of life rather than the urge to kill and die, so peace can really be attained.

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I've seem some short and "flame-like" posts on this topic at the WaPo site. We need to remember to reason with the readers who come there, not just rant. There are opportunities here to help people understand why "peace and justice" don't exist in a moral vacuum.

I won't dignify anything that has to do with mr carter. I can't imagine anyone showing up for his state funeral. He's sure no Jerry Ford.

Considering that Jimmy Carter is hated as a coward and a traitor by his own country, why does anyone seek his views on anything? Clearly, even to the biased media, Carter is justly named the WORST PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

Carter's being the WORST PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY should make billyblytheclinton VERY relieved.

who gives a rat's ass what this anti-semetic a-hole says....he has a great legacy...the worst president in the history of the US!!!

The "misery index" under Carter was over 21%. (This was rate of unemployment plus the rate of inflation.) Carter also weakened national defense and predicted that the United States could not expect much improvement. It's as if he was cheering for the USSR, not the USA.

Rubbish from Carter.

Jimmy,here's a comforting thought for you. When you die at least half of the country will stand up and cheer. Great legacy huh ???