Jimmy Carter: Like Iraq The Revolutionary War Was Unnecessary!

Harball 10/18/04

[snowsislander]

CARTER: Well, one parallel is that the Revolutionary War, more than any other war up until recently, has been the most bloody war we‘ve fought. I think another parallel is that in some ways the Revolutionary War could have been avoided. It was an unnecessary war.

President Carter's profound lack of knowledge of history explains to some extent his profound inability to appreciate reality.

It is little wonder that no Presidency until Clinton's rivals Carter's for sheer foreign policy lunacy. Were Senator Kerry to be elected, unfortunately, he might well actually prove to be worse than either.

[krb]

the Revolutionary War, more than any other war up until recently, has been the most bloody war we‘ve fought.

This statement is just so wrong on so many levels.

One, the Revolutionary War was not at all the most bloody war. By far the US Civil War was the worst in our history.

Two, after he expresses the idea that the Revolutionary War was the bloodiest war we've had ever, he implies that the current situation in Iraq is worse. That depends, of course, on how one reads "up until recently," but still he is definitely slipping in some weird history or weird commentary about the current administration.

And three, the fact that a former POTUS and COMMANDER-IN-FREAKING-CHIEF of the US Armed forces is making this statement is the element which really takes it to the "messed up" level...

[af_vet_1981]

How did this person get elected to be President ?

Don't blame me. I voted for Gerald Ford.

[Darnright]

>I guess Kerry thinks the Boston Tea Party was unnecessary because they should have just kept paying the taxes? King Kerry!<

I'd wager that a (gag me) President Kerry would insist we begin paying an income tax to the United Nations. After all, we have to pay our global fair share, don't you know.

[Selkie]

IM SO glad that Im too young to remember Carter's presidency at all.
What an @sshat.

[AmarilloMorning]

Jimmy Carter is a madman. Kerry reminds me a lot of Carter, I hope he doesn't get in.

[nothingnew]

The man was insane then, he was insane when he got frikkin elected and he is insane now. There really is nothing(new) else to say, is there?

FMCDH(BITS)

[doug from upland]

You beat me to that question. How did this person become the president?

[Sam Cree]

Reflecting on Carter's remark a little more, had there not been an American Revolution, the world likely would not be graced with the only nation ever founded on the premise of individual freedom, nor the beautiful document that secures that precarious freedom, our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

But then I doubt that these things carry the meaning for Jimmy and the Democrats that they do for many of us.

[Blue Scourge]

To the generation that came before me...how in the good Lord's name did you let this buffon become President.

Thats not intended to be a poke at anyone here.

[ApesForEvolution]

Do you remember the voter fraud in '76?

[Strategerist]

Actually Carter's point is that the war was unecessary from the BRITISH point of view.

Look, I dislike Carter as much as anyone else on this thread, but

1) People seem to be misunderstanding what he meant

2) Nothing he said is really out of line historically. As has been pointed out, it was the bloodiest American war as % deaths of the (very small) population back then.

And quite a lot of respectable historians prior to Carter have noted how easily the British could have avoided the war. There really wasn't widespread deep-seated sentiment in America for a break; basically initially it was a handful of hotheads in Boston. And even well into the war vast sections of the country were primarily populated by Tories.

It was an egregious series of policy and PR blunders by an uncharacteristically incompetent government of Britain of the time that caused the war. Looking at it, compared to other historical events, it wasn't something that was inevitable.

[ApesForEvolution]

Did you know that John Kerry can speak French to Haitians in Florida??

[Moconservative]

Jimmy Carter is in the beginning stages of senile dementia. The two things don't even equate. Please stop talking and embarrassing yourself.

[ALPAPilot]

LOL

[GeronL]

SAY WHAT????

CARTER IS A TOOL

[yooper]

"CARTER: Well, one parallel is that the Revolutionary War, more than any other war up until recently, has been the most bloody war we‘ve fought."

Absolutely wrong! What a shithead! I can't believe Carter said this. Has he studied any of the wars since the revolution? The casualty statistics? The Revolutionary War was not on a par with any American War, with the possible exception of the war in Cuba.

As a "Nucular Engineer" Carter should have a better grasp on the facts than this monumentally ignorant statement. The bloodiest war we fought was the War Between the States; no war before or since can begin to compare with regard to American casualties.

Carter is a transparent idiot.

[cmotormac44]

"this man is a fly speck on a 'pile of dung'---"

[pop-aye]

This man is a fly speck in the annals of history.

remove an "n"

[Susannah]

Mathews should have done a little studying if he really wanted to play hardball with Carter! (some excerpts below from Carter's 1980 state of the union address)

http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/speeches/su80jec.phtml

Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.


I believe that our volunteer forces are adequate for current defense needs, and I hope that it will not become necessary to impose a draft. However, we must be prepared for that possibility. For this reason, I have determined that the Selective Service System must now be revitalized. I will send legislation and budget proposals to the Congress next month so that we can begin registration and then meet future mobilization needs rapidly if they arise.