[Theodore R.]

"Truman was an unmitigated disaster for US foreign policy and resistance to Communist agression worldwide."

Yet so many today, thinking of the A-bombs in 1945, hail HST as "strong," "decisive," and "successful." Even the Republicans have fallen into this trap. One never hears Democrats hailing the accomplishment of certain Republicans (other than occasional references to Lincoln). But the Republicans just keep on and on about FDR (Reagan, Gingrich, Ford, Dole) and HST (Goldwater,McCain, etc.) and of course JFK. (Notice how the Bushes just guffaw over the Kennedys.) And Nixon could never stop hailing the failures of Woodrow Wilson.

Probably the next generation will buy into the "Carter is Great" philosophy being peddled by the Nobel Prize Committee. Already Republicans have meekly jumped on the "Carter: Great Ex-President" mantra. And I don't think GA is even a good ex-president either, once he gets past nailing a few boards on houses for the needy. It was under Carter, am I not right, that more countries fell to communism than other any president since FDR?

[rightwing2]

It was under Carter, am I not right, that more countries fell to communism than other any president since FDR?

Actually, I think Truman beats Carter (and FDR) easy. Under Truman, all of the nations of Eastern Europe fell to Communism as did mainland China and North Korea which like Eastern Germany, Manchuria and northern Japan was awarded to the Soviets by FDR/Truman. Angola, Mozambique and South Vietnam fell to Communism under President Ford. Carter lost Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Afghanistan plus Iran to the ayatollahs. By any measure either in number of countries or in their combined population, Truman lost more to the Communists than any other US President.