Carter plays Hardball with israel
At 82, Carter has the same boyish smile, the luminous blue eyes and friendly demeanor that helped him win the presidency in 1976.
I remember when he lost to Reagan in 1980. He was too level headed and honest to win a second term.
They thought they were through with him, then. They figured he'd fade into history as another one of those one term presidents who people would only vaguely remember.
Boy were they wrong.
At 82 years of age, Carter could have retired quietly and still would have made history for everything he's accomplished since he left office.
But, he decided instead to go out with a bang.
Jimmy Carter turned out to be the most courageous man to hold presidential office in America since John F. Kennedy and hands down the man with the most integrity.
In this Hardball interview, he puts what's-his-face to shame when he tries to minimize the appalling conditions in the West Bank and Gaza by comparing it to the massacres in Rwanda. Essentially, Carter tells him to talk to the hand.
He may be mild-mannered and unassuming - but, the man not only knows how to play Hardball with ISRAEL before the world - with everything that entails - he has the courage to do it singlehandedly.
God Bless him.
Jimmy Carter will go down in history as the only American president EVER to call the israeli occupation what it is - HORRENDOUS and APARTHEID.
I don't trust this. Why now? Israel has been occupying Palestine for decades - even during carters presidential term - why is he speaking up now? Question everything people, just because you agree with the message, it's still propaganda designed to manipulate the people. Why is carter generating negative feeling towards Israel now????
he needs to clear his conscience before he dies and he doesn't care what they do to him now.
He's too good-natured to imagine that they might take their revenge on anyone in his family but him. Unfortunately, he's probably wrong.
They were NOT expecting this - not so late in the game. It's extraordinary and that makes it all the more effective.
To Above- Better Late Than Never !
I have long admired JC, and I couldn't agree more with his stance on the (supposed) State of Israel in what is really Occupied Palestine.
Given that he really bloomed, and found his political calling after his term at #1600, might I make a suggestion to the American electorate (who are still the government in the land, I believe?)?
Amend the US Constitution to allow a Single Term Presidency ONLY.
Your comments appreciated.....
then they wouldn't have to worry as much about politics while they're in office.
Also, foreign policy decisions should become subject to Constitutional review by the Judiciary.
This way, a citizen can sue his ass if he tries to do unto others what the Constitution won't allow him to do unto US.
In this case I think we can take Jimmy Carter at face value. Perhaps he didn't know the conditions when he was president. And, obviously he has complete freedom now to say what he thinks, which he didn't as president. I think he traveled there and saw things which appalled him.
*Also* while I am thrilled to see/hear somebody on mainstream media say what he says (I heard him on Terry Gross, Tim Russett, Larry King, Charlie Rose), many things he says I don't agree with- such as the Israeli Arabs have all the same rights as Jewish Israelis. Patently untrue. Such as that Israel was conceived as a noble idea.
Still, one has to be happy that millions of Americans are hearing things they never did before. The question is - what do they do with what they hear? Do they say - this is new to me, I'm going to investigate and see if it is true? Or do they say, (as some have)oh Jimmy Carter he's gone off the deep end, and write him off.
Never underestimate the intellectual laziness of the American people.
rasheeda
respect mr.carter,the truth shall be set free and you are doing it.this is america and we will be critical of anyone we want as long as it is the truth,it is a free country still despite how much they want to supress the voices of truth.israel carries out massacres every day so let it be known.
When American politicians and statesmen criticize the Zionist project, the standard response from the Jewish lobby has been to smear, blackmail or bribe them back onto the reservation. The worst dirt that can be thrown at Carter is that he was once President of the US.
God bless this old man for saying it like it is.
GOD BLESS YOU MR.PRESIDENT, NEVER TOO LATE TO TELL THE PUBLIC THE TRUTH.
AM SURE YOU HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY AIPAC OR ADL, THATS THEIR NORMAL STANDARDS. COZ THEY NEVER LIKE ANYBODY TO TELL THE TRUTH.
BE STRONG, AND WE NEED MORE BOOKS, SO AMERICAN PUBLIC WILL BE AWARE OF THE REAL
NEWS, BECAUSE IT IS FORBIDDEN IN OUR MEDIA, WHICH IS OWNED AND DIRECTED BY ANTIGOYIMS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf6jxLnflSg
1. it's hi time this country joined the world's democracies and introduced 'one man, one vote';
2. Prez: max one-time term, 5 yrs; then go back to earning an honest living with no contacts with govt allowed for rest of life;
3. senators: one-time 3 yrs, then go back to earning an honest living with no contact with govt for 10 years;
4. congresspeople: one-time 3 yrs, then go back to earning an honest keep with no contacts w/govt for 7 yrs;
5. anyone caught doing ANYTHING unconstitutional shd hv his/her privileges suspended pending immediate trial...
6. add constitutional amendment to avail compulsory media discussions to presidential aspirants; free time for tax breaks, with moderator with right to curtail b.s. and grandstanding: only real issues allowed;
...only then can We The People hope for equal access to power by wo/men who represent WTP, like President Carter, not the top 1%.
Anon said,
"...Question everything people, just because you agree with the message, it's still propaganda designed to manipulate the people. Why is carter generating negative feeling towards Israel now????"
I'm not sure Carter's aim is to generate bad feelings toward Israel as much as it is to get people to face facts. And then, in the course of facing the way things are, all sides through work could come to a resolution, I think a great success will have occured.
I doubt we could expect progress in this situation without at some point people feeling badly about Israelis, Palestineans, or Americans. I take it all have done terrible things to each other.
We should not avoid dealing with these facts, or trying to come to a resolution, merely because we can't tolerate bad feelings.
I think one of the reasons why so many prominent US government officials, like Jimmy Carter, are now publicly denouncing Israel's actions is because there is a general fear that Israel will be successful in coercing the current US administration to attack Iran, which will do unimaginable and incalculable harm to the US for decades to come.
Recently I read a piece by Colin Powell, in which he stated "the US will not attack Iran". The new report issued by Baker suggests an international conference to discuss the Iraq debacle and Middle East in general, and it aims to sideline Israel. Not only that but it even alludes to the Palestinians right to return, which is an issue that has not be discussed publicly for decades. There are other examples if you search the web.
With the situation in Iraq spiraling out of control, the housing market and US dollar collapsing, and his support wavering even among some Republicans, GW needs something to rescue his presidency, and another false flag attack against the US or its interests in the Gulf, which will serve as a pretext to attack Iran, might just be under consideration. It's this reality that I think has many insiders fearful, and for that they are now speaking out about Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians. Let's just hope they are successful.
Regards,
Mark