Jimmy Carter, ex-president, current badass.

[Rex Kickass]

I'm sure this thread will go like four posts before people jump all over him for something unrelated to this... but Carter stood up for the refugees in Darfur this week. Literally. And this is a pretty badass story.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071003/ap_on_...hoYC01JO98V6w8F

 

The 83-year-old Carter wanted to visit a refugee camp in South Darfur but the U.N. mission in Sudan deemed that too dangerous. Instead, he agreed to fly to the World Food Program compound in the North Darfur town of Kabkabiya, where he was supposed to meet with refugees, many of whom were chased from their homes by militias and government forces.

 

But none of the refugees showed up and Carter decided to walk into the town, a volatile stronghold of the pro-government janjaweed militia, to meet refugees too frightened to attend the meeting at the compound.

 

He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.

 

"You can't go. It's not on the program!" the local security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders."

 

"We're going to anyway!" an angry Carter retorted as a crowd began to gather. "You don't have the power to stop me."

 

Eventually, he had to be soothed by Richard Branson, the Secret Service and Nelson Mandela's wife to go back into the security detail he left to meet with refugees that were too scared to show up for a meeting.

 

That's pretty cool.

[EvilMonkey]

Sounds more like a wandering, senile old fool to me. It's suprising he kept his clothes on, since the old folks suffering from dementia seem to lose those pretty fast.

[kapkomet]

Sounds more like a wandering, senile old fool to me. It's suprising he kept his clothes on, since the old folks suffering from dementia seem to lose those pretty fast.

That's pretty harsh, don't you think?

 

I 100% disagree with his political stances on everything damn near, but at least he was there. I won't go into it more then that, because Rex wanted a nice thread.

 

[Mplssoxfan]

Sounds more like a wandering, senile old fool to me. It's suprising he kept his clothes on, since the old folks suffering from dementia seem to lose those pretty fast.

 

Jimmy wasn't the best of Presidents, in fact he's probably bottom five, but this is so over the top it's ridiculous.

[Texsox]

Sounds more like a wandering, senile old fool to me. It's suprising he kept his clothes on, since the old folks suffering from dementia seem to lose those pretty fast.

 

That is easily the stupidest thing you have ever posted.

[EvilMonkey]

An 83 year old man goes walking off in a foreign country by himself with an attitude that he can no way back up by himself, gets rescued by a local security cheif and in the end, backs down anyway, after his false bravado wears off. if this would have been Bush Serion, you all would have been claiming that senility has set in. Your hero Carter doesn't wear a cape, but he probably wears Depends. While his trip may have had some noble intentions, this pathetic attempt to prop him up as a brave man, or a hero, is just weak.

[Gregory Pratt]

"current badass" is a huge stretch but good for Carter, bringing attention to this issue. And this is coming from probably his biggest critic on this site.

[EvilMonkey]

I'll admire the dedication to the issue, I'll ridicule the attempt to resurect any kind of positive vibe by making him appear to be brave, or a 'badass'.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Jimmy wasn't the best of Presidents, in fact he's probably bottom five, but this is so over the top it's ridiculous.

 

Everybody knows it's the fault of Bill Clinton's Penis that Jimmy Carter was such a bad president.

[NorthSideSox72]

The fact that, at age 83, the guy is in a very dangerous place trying to do some good for the world, deserves my respect. Maybe his argument wasn't the smartest move, but do admire Jimmy's attempts to do some positive things in dark places.

 

[LowerCaseRepublican]

The fact that, at age 83, the guy is in a very dangerous place trying to do some good for the world, deserves my respect. Maybe his argument wasn't the smartest move, but do admire Jimmy's attempts to do some positive things in dark places.

Everybody knows badasses that deserve to be lauded only go into a green zone of highly protected and militarized zones under such covert guard and secrecy that the initial meeting and appointment are only announced to the general public when the public figure/leader is already back into the United States.

[Rex Kickass]

An 83 year old man goes walking off in a foreign country by himself with an attitude that he can no way back up by himself, gets rescued by a local security cheif and in the end, backs down anyway, after his false bravado wears off. if this would have been Bush Serion, you all would have been claiming that senility has set in. Your hero Carter doesn't wear a cape, but he probably wears Depends. While his trip may have had some noble intentions, this pathetic attempt to prop him up as a brave man, or a hero, is just weak.

 

Had this been coming from Poppy Bush, he would have gotten the same props from me actually. But the reason that it wouldn't is that Jimmy Carter actually gives a damn - at least now that he's no longer in office. Carter gets no free pass from me, especially since he suspended wheat shipments to famine devastated Ethiopia over its' government's relationship with the USSR during the beginning of the Afghanistan war. But here's a man who at age 83 is willing to put his life on the line - which is what he did - because he won't stand to see what's happening in Darfur continue.

 

I think what you see here is Carter acting as a man of faith, not as a man of power. It's my opinion that as a man of power, Carter was sorely lacking and without the gravitas needed to lead our country. As a man of faith, Carter often shows the leadership I wish he could have brought to Washington with him.

[southsider2k5]

Good for Carter. I am glad to see someone else standing up for these people. The UN sure didn't care that much, that supposedly being the reason for their exsistance and all. Fight the good fight, Jimmy.

[southsider2k5]

Had this been coming from Poppy Bush, he would have gotten the same props from me actually. But the reason that it wouldn't is that Jimmy Carter actually gives a damn - at least now that he's no longer in office. Carter gets no free pass from me, especially since he suspended wheat shipments to famine devastated Ethiopia over its' government's relationship with the USSR during the beginning of the Afghanistan war. But here's a man who at age 83 is willing to put his life on the line - which is what he did - because he won't stand to see what's happening in Darfur continue.

 

I think what you see here is Carter acting as a man of faith, not as a man of power. It's my opinion that as a man of power, Carter was sorely lacking and without the gravitas needed to lead our country. As a man of faith, Carter often shows the leadership I wish he could have brought to Washington with him.

 

You mean Poppy Bush who didn't care enough to head up a group with the man who took his job to try to save lives after the Indian Ocean tsunami? I have a hard time saying that any of our recent ex-Presidents don't give a damn. The last few at least have gone out of their way to try to do a lot of good in the world. I don't really remember anything about Ford or Nixon's lives after the White House, but I know Carter, Bush41, and Clinton have all thrown themselves into beneveloent projects.

[Texsox]

You mean Poppy Bush who didn't care enough to head up a group with the man who took his job to try to save lives after the Indian Ocean tsunami? I have a hard time saying that any of our recent ex-Presidents don't give a damn. The last few at least have gone out of their way to try to do a lot of good in the world. I don't really remember anything about Ford or Nixon's lives after the White House, but I know Carter, Bush41, and Clinton have all thrown themselves into benevolent projects.

I think your analysis is spot on.

 

Nixon pretty much went into exile. Ford was public, did some lower key charity work and IIRC advised the GOP. Of course he also played a lot of golf in Pro-Ams, hitting spectators along the way. Reagan quickly went to Japan, pocket a few million in speaking fees, then retired. But I think that was also a function of age.

 

I place Carter well ahead of Clinton and Bush in their post Presidency actions. From building homes to supervising election, he has certainly walked the walk when it comes to human rights. I also realize that for many posters here, they are repeating what they were taught in history class about Carter. The Presidency had bottomed out in many ways after Nixon/Ford and Carter did righten the ship and set the stage for Reagan, a bigger than life cowboy. I think anyone in that position, including his opponent, Ford, would have had a similar unspectacular Presidency. Ford's economic plan was wearing a Whip Inflation Now button.

[southsider2k5]

Reagan also had alzheimers disease, which made it pretty much impossible to talk about what he did after his 8 years in office.

[Texsox]

Reagan also had alzheimers disease, which made it pretty much impossible to talk about what he did after his 8 years in office.

 

And there are conflicting opinions as to when the Alzheimer's began. It certainly is unfair to compare Reagan with the other Presidents. I am certain that Bush and Clinton appreciated the heat Reagan took for the Japan speaker fees, it set the stage for them to make millions.

[Rex Kickass]

You mean Poppy Bush who didn't care enough to head up a group with the man who took his job to try to save lives after the Indian Ocean tsunami? I have a hard time saying that any of our recent ex-Presidents don't give a damn. The last few at least have gone out of their way to try to do a lot of good in the world. I don't really remember anything about Ford or Nixon's lives after the White House, but I know Carter, Bush41, and Clinton have all thrown themselves into beneveloent projects.

 

You're right. Elder George Bush has done some wonderful things since leaving the Presidency as well. I guess what I meant to say was that no other former President seems willing to stick their neck so far out on the line to do the right thing as Carter has been. George Bush and Bill Clinton raise money. Carter has gone a step further in his actions since leaving the White House. That's all I meant there.

[southsider2k5]

You're right. Elder George Bush has done some wonderful things since leaving the Presidency as well. I guess what I meant to say was that no other former President seems willing to stick their neck so far out on the line to do the right thing as Carter has been. George Bush and Bill Clinton raise money. Carter has gone a step further in his actions since leaving the White House. That's all I meant there.

 

Cool. I'm down with that. I have no problem saying that Carter has been the best of the ex-Presidents.

[kapkomet]

You're right. Elder George Bush has done some wonderful things since leaving the Presidency as well. I guess what I meant to say was that no other former President seems willing to stick their neck so far out on the line to do the right thing as Carter has been. George Bush and Bill Clinton raise money. Carter has gone a step further in his actions since leaving the White House. That's all I meant there.

 

 

Cool. I'm down with that. I have no problem saying that Carter has been the best of the ex-Presidents.

and I agree with that as well.

 

[Soxy]

Cool. I'm down with that. I have no problem saying that Carter has been the best of the ex-Presidents.

I met him. And then I had to sit down. Because I swooned. Seriously.

[Gregory Pratt]

I don't think that Carter has been the best of the ex-Presidents. I think he's an embarrassment, from lobbying for Iraq in 1991 to strong-arming Clinton into sending him to South Korea to running his mouth about how Bush's Florida was tainted because he holds a grudge against the Bush family because Reagan kicked his ass with G.H.W. (all while he ignores election fraud in many, many places) to his embarrassing, uncanny knack for embracing of dictators, criticism of Israel to his sanctimonious books. I can't believe he was one of the headline speakers at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Oh, Jimmy Carter builds houses. And he takes every dictator in the World to sleep in them. You know who's a good ex-President? Clinton. His AIDS work is marvelous, he's done hard work to help disaster relief places (with Bush and otherwise) all the while understanding that it is not the former President's place to make himself a spectacle or kiss up to dictators because he holds a grudge against his own country for voting him out (although I do have issues with Clinton as I do with all these guys). But more than anyone, I think, Carter's a fraud, a sleazy man who ran for Governor as a segregationist then said, "I'm against racism" as soon as he won, refused to run for re-election because he'd have probably lost, won the Presidency on the strength of one of American politics' biggest lies ("I will not lie to you") as well as Gerald Ford's lack of sex appeal or balance, only winning 50.3 or so percent of the vote, wearing that stupid thermostat and turning off the public as well as Tip O'Neill thereby failing to capitalize on maybe our one chance to truly reform energy, invading Iran with four helicopters -- and then he has to nerve to present himself as a beacon of integrity or honesty or decency? Thank God he doesn't pretend to be competent but I can't believe people buy the rest of it. And people "swoon" when they meet him? When they meet the man whose Nobel Prize was given to slight George W. Bush, no other reason -- whose "Peace Accords" had as much to do with him as i have with the sun rising? (They said, "We need a place to talk." He said, "So come here, and talk.")

 

Ha ha ha.

 

(And his coddling of dictators is especially embarrassing because he is no longer President. As such, he doesn't have to rationalize their murders with, "It'll save us money, it'll keep the economy going, it'll blank and blank" because he doesn't have to see it through that lense and think about saving the Democratic Party votes and saving the Economy. He can pick and choose who he wants to go to the laundromat with and he makes his decisions.)

Edited October 4, 2007 by Gregory Pratt

[Texsox]

I met him. And then I had to sit down. Because I swooned. Seriously.

 

I met him at Cominsky. He was in town to build a house and came to a game. His Secret Service detail was small and you couldn't guess who they were. Very cool.

 

Pratt, I was going to respond but instead I'll just

[Rex Kickass]

Although I think Carter misspoke on Venezuela, I think he kept us from an unnecessary war in North Korea in 1994. As much as he pisses off conservatives about how he speaks of the Bush administration, does anyone remember what he said about Clinton? I believe he called the man a disgrace because of the Marc Rich pardon.

 

I think presidential administrations dislike the man because he's honest about his motives - at least post 1981, and honest about his thoughts - despite whether you agree with them or not.

[Gregory Pratt]

Although I think Carter misspoke on Venezuela, I think he kept us from an unnecessary war in North Korea in 1994. As much as he pisses off conservatives about how he speaks of the Bush administration, does anyone remember what he said about Clinton? I believe he called the man a disgrace because of the Marc Rich pardon.

 

I think presidential administrations dislike the man because he's honest about his motives - at least post 1981, and honest about his thoughts - despite whether you agree with them or not.

 

Yeah? He said that? I don't doubt it. He's also the guy who pardoned the men who tried to kill Truman and the men who shot up the House because they were "political prisoners."

 

Presidential administrations dislike him for many reasons. I dislike him for many reasons, including his adoration of every dictator under the sun.