"Foreign policy credientials"

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

But we have had very bad presidents with executive experience. You are wanting to attribute the fact that we have had lousy presidents to an issue of experience when, in fact, you ought to be looking elsewhere (judgment and intelligence).

Carter had plenty of executive experience. How do you think he did as president?

In spite of his flame-out domestically, Carter arguably has done more for peace in the middle east than any US president. (speaking to the foreign policy theme of this thread)

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

In spite of his flame-out domestically, Carter arguably has done more for peace in the middle east than any US president. (speaking to the foreign policy theme of this thread)

I think giving islamists their own country (Iran) cancels out the Egypt/Israel peace agreement.

Was there a single anti-American dictator or aspiring dictator he didn't want to make out with?

Carter was a disaster in every way, IMO.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I think I pretty clearly stated that I don't see any truth or consistency at all in saying foreign policy experience isn't important for a president, but domestic experience is. As Lebowski pointed out, the irony is that Carter has been far more effective on foreign policy (much of which came after serving as president) than he was on domestic policy despite the fact that he had limited foreign policy experience and loads of domestic experience upon becoming president.

By the way, we do need a leader to have the guts to do what Carter did- ask Americans to sacrifice.

We'll have to part ways on Carter, especially his post-term work. The man was a foreign policy disaster in office and has only gotten worse with age.

[Travis Henry]

Originally Posted by Tex

We'll have to part ways on Carter, especially his post-term work. The man was a foreign policy disaster in office and has only gotten worse with age.

I think the funniest nickname I've ever seen is "Dhimmi Carter." What a trainwreck of a President that guy was. Funny thing is he couldn't just stop at being, arguably, the worst President in history, he had to be the worst ex-president also. His stamp of approval on the Venezuelan elections is all you need to know about this guy.

[SeattleUte]

How could I omit one of Truman's greatest foreign policy achievements: the state of Israel.

[MikeWaters]

Jimmy Carter had the guts to call the Israeli occupation an apartheid. That takes some balls. And it's accurate too.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Jimmy Carter had the guts to call the Israeli occupation an apartheid. That takes some balls. And it's accurate too.

I just finished his book. Highly recommended. It's mostly a recounting of the history of Israel-Palestine conflict, including insights from his unique perspective in the Camp David Accords and his many trips/activities since then. But it gives a thorough, honest, and accurate accounting of the current situation in the West Bank. It is astonishing to read how much more aggressive the hawks have become in the occupied territories during Bush admin due to almost zero pressure from the US regarding settlements and human rights. The Palestinian businesses, farms, and infrastructure are almost completely destroyed at this point. Widespread poverty and many families are lucky to get one meal per day. God bless Carter for calling it like it is.

[SeattleUte]

The Palestinians get no sympathy from me as long as they are a front for barbarians like blew up the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan last night. You know why the Palestinians are miserable? Because of the utter moral bankruptcy of Islam--religion in its most pristine iteration. The Palestinians are no more wretched than they were before Israel, and as wretched as are the masses in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, South Asia, et al. Israel and the U.S. are the Palistinians' only hope.

The kind of lazy, unintelligent morality that caused Jimmy Carter to call the Palestinian situation apartheid is why he was such a catastrophically bad president. Carter is despicable and nearly ruined this country. Please, Jimmy Carter, just shut the fuck up.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

The Palestinians get no sympathy from me as long as they are a front for barbarians like blew up the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan last night. You know why the Palestinians are miserable? Because of the utter moral bankruptcy of Islam--religion in its most pristine iteration. The Palestinians are no more wretched than they were before Israel, and as wretched as are the masses in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, South Asia, et al. Israel and the U.S. are the Palistinians' only hope.

The kind of lazy, unintelligent morality that caused Jimmy Carter to call the Palestinian situation apartheid is why he was such a catastrophically bad president. Carter is despicable and nearly ruined this country. Please, Jimmy Carter, just shut the fuck up.

You are a bright guy, SU. But posts like this illustrate that you can be as bigoted, biased, and just flat-out ignorant as anyone. Until you are willing to have an honest discussion on the occupied territories based on actual facts, how about if you just shut the fuck up?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

You are a bright guy, SU. But posts like this illustrate that you can be as bigoted, biased, and just flat-out ignorant as anyone. Until you are willing to have an honest discussion on the occupied territories based on actual facts, how about if you just shut the fuck up?

Saying that Israel practices apartheid, and "god bless" the idiot who said it, is intelligent?

I am saying nothing different about Islamic theocracies than scores of other experts have said. Apart from the poverty, the inability to provide basic public service to their populaces, these countries have the worst human rights records in the world right now, besides their tolerance for, giving aid and comfort to, or support for terrorism against civilians. They all have one thing in common. Palestine is no different.

Israel is democratic enough to have just forced its Prime Minister to resign. That's a pretty impressive sign. Like most any true democracy, Israel is a prosperous and nice place to live, because of what Israelis have done. I have no doubt that if the Palestinians weren't backed by Hamas and Hezbollah and engaging in terrorism they could be a part of that. It's the nature of liberal democracy.