fontman
07-03-06, 08:09 AM
It's No Secret, Jimmy Carter Thinks America Sucks
July 03, 2006
By Doug Powers
Former President Jimmy Carter (words that come out as difficult as "ex lover Sandra Bernhardt") has an oped column in today's Washington Post. It's entitled "We need fewer secrets."
Here's the opening paragraph:
The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) turns 40 tomorrow, the day we celebrate our independence. But this anniversary will not be a day of celebration for the right to information in our country. Our government leaders have become increasingly obsessed with secrecy. Obstructionist policies and deficient practices have ensured that many important public documents and official actions remain hidden from our view.
Okay so far, but keep going and you'll see Jimmy do what he does best: find other countries and say "this is how we should be doing it."
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and current special ambassador to Everywhere, has spent the better part of a few decades practicing conflict resolution on the world. Jimmy has attempted to mediate settlements from the Israeli-Palestinian fight to the Jessica Simpson-Nick Lachey marriage, and traveled to all unmopped corners of the globe to offer hug-therapy seminars for thugs in need of a dose of soothing malaise.
Just recently, Carter monitored the Palestinian election and essentially concluded that it was better and more fair than U.S. elections.
Here's what Jimmy Carter had to say about the Palestinian election mere hours after the voting: "The elections were completely honest, completely fair, completely safe and without violence."
Remember the days when Billy was the embarrassing one?
What Jimmy Carter, knowingly or unknowingly, said to the world was that suicide bombings and other violence at polling places won't occur as long as terrorists are allowed a spot on the ballot. Nice.
Carter also exercised his tried-and-true "fingers crossed" technique, expressing his hope that Hamas would "act responsibly." Jimmy is relatively sure that Hamas will do just that. After all, they told him they would.
There are two options with Jimmy Carter: He's either a gullible fool in search of a legacy or a closet despot lover in search of a closet.
Speaking of loving depots - In 2002, Carter visited Cuba and hooked up with Fidel Castro for what almost resembled a creepy eHarmony.com ad. At the time, Carter's visit rankled nerves in the Bush administration because it was thought that Castro had, at the very least, a limited biological-weapons program.
It was also thought that Cuba had shared that technology with rogue terrorist states. Castro could have easily accomplished this by planting the information in Carter's back pocket and letting him unwittingly deliver it during his next "grip-n-grin" with the rogue terrorists in question.
Carter came out of his trip doubting that Cuba had any such programs. Why? You guessed it: Because Castro told him he didn't. Well, that and because Castro granted Carter "free access to any place that you may wish to see" (with 24-hour notice for "tidying up"). The Cuban government also told its people that they were free to speak openly with Carter, provided they were polite, courteous and willing to spend the next 20 years in a labor camp.
It's been pointed out that Carter's monitoring of the Palestinian election and subsequently deeming the vote as "fair" and "honest" should in no way be read as a Carter endorsement of Hamas.
Isn't it strange how, mere hours after the Palestinian elections - and others around the world - Carter was able to praise the vote as "fair, peaceful and honest," but Jimmy would never, ever, consider offering the same knee-jerk deference to an American election?
Why? Because Carter thinks America sucks. Reasons for his bitterness could be deep and wide, but it may have something to do with the fact that we've never been convinced that he was anything but a lousy president.
So, when he visits with Hamas and they're "very open" with him, or Fidel Castro promises Jimmy he's not doing anything wrong, Carter concludes they have no secrets, and the U.S. government shouldn't either.
Oh, by the way, Jimmy, the government used to have fewer secrets because there was a press that realized which side they were on and knew what could be dangerous to the country to report. We no longer have that.
July 03, 2006
By Doug Powers
Former President Jimmy Carter (words that come out as difficult as "ex lover Sandra Bernhardt") has an oped column in today's Washington Post. It's entitled "We need fewer secrets."
Here's the opening paragraph:
The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) turns 40 tomorrow, the day we celebrate our independence. But this anniversary will not be a day of celebration for the right to information in our country. Our government leaders have become increasingly obsessed with secrecy. Obstructionist policies and deficient practices have ensured that many important public documents and official actions remain hidden from our view.
Okay so far, but keep going and you'll see Jimmy do what he does best: find other countries and say "this is how we should be doing it."
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and current special ambassador to Everywhere, has spent the better part of a few decades practicing conflict resolution on the world. Jimmy has attempted to mediate settlements from the Israeli-Palestinian fight to the Jessica Simpson-Nick Lachey marriage, and traveled to all unmopped corners of the globe to offer hug-therapy seminars for thugs in need of a dose of soothing malaise.
Just recently, Carter monitored the Palestinian election and essentially concluded that it was better and more fair than U.S. elections.
Here's what Jimmy Carter had to say about the Palestinian election mere hours after the voting: "The elections were completely honest, completely fair, completely safe and without violence."
Remember the days when Billy was the embarrassing one?
What Jimmy Carter, knowingly or unknowingly, said to the world was that suicide bombings and other violence at polling places won't occur as long as terrorists are allowed a spot on the ballot. Nice.
Carter also exercised his tried-and-true "fingers crossed" technique, expressing his hope that Hamas would "act responsibly." Jimmy is relatively sure that Hamas will do just that. After all, they told him they would.
There are two options with Jimmy Carter: He's either a gullible fool in search of a legacy or a closet despot lover in search of a closet.
Speaking of loving depots - In 2002, Carter visited Cuba and hooked up with Fidel Castro for what almost resembled a creepy eHarmony.com ad. At the time, Carter's visit rankled nerves in the Bush administration because it was thought that Castro had, at the very least, a limited biological-weapons program.
It was also thought that Cuba had shared that technology with rogue terrorist states. Castro could have easily accomplished this by planting the information in Carter's back pocket and letting him unwittingly deliver it during his next "grip-n-grin" with the rogue terrorists in question.
Carter came out of his trip doubting that Cuba had any such programs. Why? You guessed it: Because Castro told him he didn't. Well, that and because Castro granted Carter "free access to any place that you may wish to see" (with 24-hour notice for "tidying up"). The Cuban government also told its people that they were free to speak openly with Carter, provided they were polite, courteous and willing to spend the next 20 years in a labor camp.
It's been pointed out that Carter's monitoring of the Palestinian election and subsequently deeming the vote as "fair" and "honest" should in no way be read as a Carter endorsement of Hamas.
Isn't it strange how, mere hours after the Palestinian elections - and others around the world - Carter was able to praise the vote as "fair, peaceful and honest," but Jimmy would never, ever, consider offering the same knee-jerk deference to an American election?
Why? Because Carter thinks America sucks. Reasons for his bitterness could be deep and wide, but it may have something to do with the fact that we've never been convinced that he was anything but a lousy president.
So, when he visits with Hamas and they're "very open" with him, or Fidel Castro promises Jimmy he's not doing anything wrong, Carter concludes they have no secrets, and the U.S. government shouldn't either.
Oh, by the way, Jimmy, the government used to have fewer secrets because there was a press that realized which side they were on and knew what could be dangerous to the country to report. We no longer have that.