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"
