Jimmy Carter: Our Worst Ex-President
To give him the benefit of the doubt, former President Carter may have Christian intentions, but he supports a major swath of the atheistic materialism of liberal-socialist-progressivism.
While Franklin Roosevelt remains, without contest, our worst-ever President, Mr. Carter is our worst living ex-President.
For a scholarly exposition of Jimmy Carter’s place in history, read the article by Joshua Muravchik from the February issue of Commentary Magazine.
What emerges is the picture of a man prepared to present half-truths and deliberately distorted versions of fact, a man ready to praise the most loathsome of dictators, while denouncing the policies of the United States.
As supplemental background on Mr. Carter’s actions, see Democratically Elected?, which describes one aspect of the liberal paradigm espoused by Mr. Carter.
Another aspect of his liberalism is explained by Mr. Carter’s brand of Christianity, which is more akin to the last century’s Social Gospel movement than to the Bible-based traditions of Judeo-Christianity.
With regard to the Social Gospel movement, the progenitor of Mr. Carter’s quasi-Christian world view, I wrote in Truth:
Even before the 1917 Russian Revolution, leading universities in the United States had begun a transition from the Christian roots of our nation into atheistic, secular materialism in their teaching of the so-called social sciences.
Nominally-Christian theological seminaries were in the vanguard of the movement toward socialism. Rochester Theological Seminary’s professor Walter Rauschenbusch, one of the best known socialist spokesmen of his era, was a founder of the Social Gospel movement late in the 19th century. Social Gospel was nothing more nor less than socialism masquerading as Christianity.Â
Social Gospel embraced the avowed aims of socialism, which sound similar to the results that flow from the Bible’s commandment to love one’s neighbor as he would wish to have his neighbor love him. The insurmountable problem is that socialism, and therefore Social Gospel, is atheistic and materialistic, i.e., the antithesis of Christianity and religious Judaism.
To believe that Social Gospel is true Christianity is to believe that the Soviet dictatorship of the proletariat was truly democratic.
In “Christianizing the Social Order†(1912), Professor Rauschenbusch wrote:
“The Socialists found the Church against them and thought God was against them, too. They have had to do God’s work without the sense of God’s presence to hearten them…..Whatever the sins of individual Socialists, and whatever the shortcomings of Socialist organizations, they are tools in the hands of the Almighty…….Socialism is one of the chief powers of the coming age……God will raise up Socialism because the organized Church was too blind, or too slow, to realize God’s ends.â€
Two other prominent seminaries, among many others, were active promoters of socialism. Their spokesmen also were nationally known figures: Dr. Harry F. Ward of Union Theological Seminary in New York and Dr. Bernard Iddings-Bell of St. Stephens College in Annandale, New York.
Dr. Ward wrote “The New Social Order,†to express sympathy for Socialism and to laud the Bolshevik revolutionary movement in Russia, which he regarded as a desirable replacement for the Russian Orthodox Christian Church. Dr. Ward also was chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which actively defended the terrorist tactics of the radical IWW labor organization, whose members murdered more than a dozen employees and executives of industrial companies they sought to intimidate with demands for labor seizure of management control.
Dr. Iddings-Bell in “Right and Wrong After the War,†in this case World War I, advocated Sigmund Freud’s version of Marxian materialism, in which human life is controlled by hunger and the sex urge. From this theory of secular and materialistic human nature, he concluded that (1) private property should be abolished; (2) income earned from investments, savings accounts, and rental property is robbery; (3) the family as a social unit should be abandoned except as a temporary arrangement for purely sexual relations.Â
In his sermon delivered on May 23, 1920, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Dr. Iddings-Bell gave his support to revolutionary labor demands for abolishment of the wage system and control of industry by communistic labor unions. He declared that the New Social Order had arrived and that people were obliged to accept it. Among other things, that meant that internationalism must replace American patriotism.
That is essentially the foreign policy stance that Jimmy Carter tirelessly promotes in his self-appointed role as diplomat extraordinaire.
Thomas E. Brewton is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc. The New Media Alliance is a non-profit (501c3) national coalition of writers, journalists and grass-roots media outlets.
His weblog is THE VIEW FROM 1776
http://www.thomasbrewton.com/
Email comments to viewfrom1776@thomasbrewton.com
Thomas E. Brewton, who maintains this blog, had the great good fortune in the middle 1950s at Louisiana State University to study under two of the 20th century's great minds: Eric Voegelin in political science, and Walter Berns in Constitutional law. These two professors opened the door of education to a glimpse of Western civilization and of American political and social thought as they had been before socialism was unconstitutionally established as the official national religion of the United States in 1933. | More from Thomas Brewton
Stumble It!
January 20th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Ahhhh, Christian but not. Enlightening to see the malignancy traced from its nascence to present maturity. I wonder what “compassionate conservativism” will be discovered to be in years hence?
January 21st, 2007 at 1:04 am
This whole thing is rather silly, but FDR as the worst prez ever? He inspired our country to fight Naziism and fascism, led us out of the Great Depression, and set up social programs that have done more to fight poverty in this country more than any other president has. He did more to establish peace in the 20th than any other world leader.
And this whole thing about Carter’s form of Christianity – I think you have to do more to prove that he believes in what you describe than just saying that his religiosity “is more akin to the last century’s Social Gospel movement than to the Bible-based traditions of Judeo-Christianity” and then going on a completely unrelated tirade about that branch of Christianity, with lots of unrelated thoughts and accusations.
I mean, congrats on having a book that you can use as blog posts, but I guess it means that they’re publishing anyone nowadays.
January 21st, 2007 at 3:38 am
Fyedka, you have a very rosy view of history. Where did you learn this – “but FDR as the worst prez ever? He inspired our country to fight Naziism and fascism”.
Did he really? America was very late in joining the war and it took an attack by Japan to do it. The Japanese were hardly nazis or fascists. Fortunately for Europe and the world, the Japanese formed an alliance of convenience with Germany. Dull shits.
America could not have helped fight against Germany – the Nazis and Fascists – if Britain had fallen. There would have been no place to attack from. Not that America really cared about Nazis. Britain stood entirely alone after all the rest of Europe had fallen to the Nazis/Fascists, begging America for support. It didn’t come. FDR was an onlooker. Britain faced and fought the greatest air battle the world has seen and nearly lost it. Where was America during the Battle of Britain?
FDR was slow and indicisive. Not a great friend of freedom. Isolationist more like. A fence-sitter. The few young American men who joined the RAF were better leaders than FDR.
January 21st, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I completely agree that Carter was and is terrible. I like to think that maybe he is going insane. At least that would begin to explain his crazy behavior.
FDR as our worst President? Harding, Carter, and many others were much worse.
You state that FDR avoided the decision to go to war. Actually the he was one of the few that got us into war. Despite great public and political pressure to do nothing he sent money and equipment to England and China. The vast majority of people were very angry with him about that.
He also built up our military over several years so we could fight. In 1937 we were in no shape to fight. We barely had much in 1941.
True he definitely wasn’t proactive, but America was still an isolationist country back then and FDR was fighting just to get our congress to agree to anything. The American view of the world was very different then.
I think his accomplishments of getting us through the Great Depression and getting us through most of WWII make him one of our top 7 Presidents at worst.
I think Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan were among the very best.
January 22nd, 2007 at 8:13 am
Leave Jimmy alone. He be the man exposing Israel for the racist, Christian hating, bigoted, socialists that they are. Christians who support them are supporting Satan himself.
If Jimmy ran again, I’d vote for him. There’s something about an honest man that appeals to me.
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:08 pm
“NationalVoice” (of what, Cuba?) Israel is our only ally over there. And since you bring up Christianity, I have to say you should know that the Jews are still God’s chosen people. Any country who ignores that does it at their own risk. Not to mention, if you would vote for Carter, you would have to be one of the world’s most awesomely great idiots.
“Patriot”, FDR not only didn’t get us out of the depression, he seriously prolonged it. The unemployment rate, the interest rate, and the savings rate were exactly the same during the whole depression. The only that increased was the federal deficit. His work programs DID give lots of jobs, but they did nothing to fix the underlying problems. You may not like it, but it took a huge world war to finally kill off the “New Deal” before it destroyed America. It’s truly sad the “New Democrats” are trying to finish what FDR failed to do (and people are falling for it.)
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:31 pm
A spirited defence there Patriot, and maybe I was a bit hard on FDR as far as joining in was concerned. His actions during the war, economically helpful, were not militarily the best though, and his capitulation to demands by Stalin were immensely damaging later on. He interfered with the real leader of the allied effort, Churchill, immesurably, sacrificing whole damn countries to Russia against Churchill’s wishes, advice and exhortations. Just look at the Yalta fiasco. And the economic assistance came with a huge invoice.
Most people, even the average American and Briton, do not realize that Britain paid for absolutely everything America supplied in military aid during WW11 under FDR’s watch. Every ship, every plane, every bullet. Britain only finished off paying ‘compensation’ to America LAST YEAR, 2006, 60 years after the war ended. A huge interest bill came with the repayment schedule.
FDR considered the European war to be not an American one. America saw the war with Japan as the one they needed to fight, not unreasonably considering Japan attacked them. But America and FDR did not see Nazism to be a direct threat to America, but rather just another diverse political system to trade with. Trade they did, right up to the war’s outbreak. Meanwhile Britain was there to screw over.
War was a trade issue as far as FDR was concerned. Boy, did Britain pay a price. Friends paid more than enemies did. The Marshall Plan has been repaid times over.
As an almost side issue, America gained immesurable technological advantage from Britain. Just look at Jet engines as an example. The jet engine and associated airframe designs transformed aviation and transformed everything about how the current world works.
Britain was mistakenly under the impression that Germany was trying to build a jet powered fighter that could break the sound barrier, so started work on beating them. Both Britain and Germany had jet fighters flying before the end of the war. America didn’t even have a drawing of its own let alone a jet plane. These were the only jet planes in existence.
The American Gov (FDR) wanted to ’swap’ info on jet engine development and asked to see Britain’s research. They were given the Miles Co’s data and plans for a supersonic jet engine and airframme design. This was the most advanced anywhere. (it proved itself several years later).
(I said mistaken belief before, about Germany. This was a translation error at the time. The wartime intel translators had written down 1000 mph instead of kmph. The Germans were not planning supersonic but fast subsonic))
America then refused to hand over its own research data for national security/military secrets reasons and only later was it discovered that America didn’t have any to hand over. No wonder they wanted to keep mum about it. Unconscionable action.
The British plans from Miles were given to Bell Aero co, who went on to win the race to break the barrier (Chuck Yeager with a 3 minute rocket engine and a Miles’ designed flying tailplane and bullet shaped airframe, absolutly essential components), only after the Americans forced the Brits to drop Miles Co. with a bit of politico-economic blackmail. America was eventually to get into the jet design business after getting help from Roll Royce, another shonky deal.
America also took the designs of a trans Atlantic plane from De Havilland, shelved at the beginning of the war while De Havilland focused itself on war planes. (The plans just ‘disappeared’ from storage. No one at the time had a clue who had taken them, or at least no one was talking!). Immediately after the war what should suddenly appear in the skies but the Lockheed Constellation! First really big long distance general passenger plane. The same aircraft! Down to the last friggin’ rivet. It wasn’t just a Russian habit to steal from the west.
(Incidentally, if it were not for these unfriendly actions, the Americans would have been able to design the Shuttle much better. NASA wanted a Vulcan to play with and copy some design specs but Britain would not give one to them. Much of the Shuttle design was taken from Vulcan photographs and assumed back-engineering. A ‘quick ‘n’ dirty’ job. That and the fact that America had shot down a Vulcan over Maryland when on an excercise asked for by the Americans, but that’s another syory/nail in the coffin).
The Business of America is Business. War is a scource of fun and profit and not a little theft. The leader of America Co is the President.
Americans love to skite about separating from Britain with the Revolution a few centuries ago. But frankly America has stood on Britain’s shoulders well into the 20th century. The weight has done immesurable damage.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:25 pm
AMFORTAS:
We agree on many things. FDR would have definitely done better to listen more to Churchill and less to Stalin. I think Churchill is one of the greatest speakers of all time. Oh how we could use a man of his vision now.
Let me preface what I say below with a statement that I have a great respect for our very best friends in England. I served with many of them during my Air Force career including in Oman, Pakistan, and then Afghanistan just after the 9/11 attacks. Days after we were hit I was in-theatre and so were our British friends. I would defend England like I would defend my own country because they are great allies we can count on.
By your writing I take it you feel America has been kicking England around for a long time. I have known many people from England and your writing is the first I have ever seen of this belief. Whenever I met and worked with people from England they were always glad to have an American friend around.
I don’t want to rebut everything you said, but I do want to respond to a couple I know more about:
“Britain paid for absolutely everything America supplied………….A huge interest bill came with the repayment schedule.â€
Actually the U.S. gave a 75% discount to Britain for the equipment it sent and the interest rate for what was paid for was only 2%. The other 75% was covered by the American tax payer.
See sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease_program
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/29/britain.warloans.reut/index.html
“Both Britain and Germany had jet fighters flying before the end of the war. America didn’t even have a drawing of its own yet alone a jet plane.â€
Actually we had the P-59A Airacomet jet fighter flying as early as October of 1942. The engine was derived from the British design, but I just had to mention our plane that existed and flew because early in my career I got to speak to some “old-timers†that had worked on that program. Like all early jets it wasn’t very impressive. Since the P-51 was so good the P-59 got little funding.
See sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-59_Airacomet
Also, you mention that America “screwed over” England during the war. Please keep in mind that more American military members were killed or wounded in the European theatre than British and America spent far more money during the war.
WWII was the second time in about 25 years that the U.S. sent its troops to help Britain and hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops died in that service and many times that were wounded.
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:06 am
Frankly Patriot, I have always had the greatest respect for Americans. In 21 years military service, I have served many times with Americans and actually commanded a joint RAF/USAF control facility in the UK. (the Joint military ATC centre for Lakenheath, Mildenhall and Honington in East Anglia – ‘Honington Zone, Hub o’ de Universe’). I have always found them honourable men and women, both militarily and personally. ( I used to have what in the RAF was called a sports club responsibility too – that too was a joint enterprise – USAF and RAF men and women, we used to murder the three assault courses in the Thetford Chase every wednesday afternoon! Crikey we were good! I invented the club to escape having to play rugger. It wasn’t the game, it was all the drinking after the game that eventually defeated me.)
On the other hand I have rarely been impressed by their political leaders and apart from just one or two, hardly found my own, English or Australian having any worth either.
I think you should delve a little deeper into the P59A. The first operational Jet fighter was German. That actually saw combat in ‘44. The Brits were close behind having one flying in mid ‘44. If the Americans had one in ‘42, where the f*ck was it when we all needed it?
The Miles jet engine data was handed to the Americans in early 42, so maybe that was where the P59A came from.
Yes, I do think America treated the UK badly. This was a concerted multi-generational issue. America was quite jealous of Britain having an Empire. Anti-colonialism still shows in US rhetoric. Yet a vacuum will always be filled and I sit back with an English smile on my face and watch America take its turn in the barrel.
I love you guys. How do I love thee? I have an American Air Force button on my mess kit jacket. But its a wry smile on my face sometimes.
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:11 am
PS, Patriot, I was also a Colonel in the Confederate Air Force for quite a time back in the 70’s. Boy, those guys could drink! And the Inventory !!!!
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:14 am
PPS, Patriot. One of my good friends was Admiral Jim Stockdale who ran as Vice President on Ross Perot’s ticket. I liked Jim a lot. A fantastic American. He was a lot more articulate in private.
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:25 am
We are friends. And yes the P-59 engine was derived from the Miles engine data. Several were built, but it never became operational as it was a maintenance nightmare and offered little more than what the P-51 could do.
I have seen the fuselage of the first aircraft many times. It is on display across the street from the headquarters building at Edwards AFB. At the base museum they have film footage of the jet flying as early as October 1942.
By the way, in all my years I never knew members of any military that could celebrate harder and still fight well the next days as the Brits could. I just wish they would have stopped buzzing our camps with those darn Tornados.
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:27 am
PPS,
I met a few people that knew him as well. They said he was a great man.
Cheers!
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:43 am
Squiggy I believe you are mistaken about that whole, Jews (as a Nation) are still God’s chosen people thing. We (Christians) are the wild olive branches grafted on to the olive tree. They are the branches cut off, and since Jesus came, there is no longer any use for a temple over there, so now it’s primary use is a very nice tourist attraction.
Don’t get me wrong, I think we should support Israel as a friendly nation, as long as it is friendly to American interest. I am just not sure we need to place any special divine interest with it.
That having been said FDR, LBJ, and Lincoln were the worst Presidents for personal liberty in the history of this country.
The most effective at changing the direction of the country were Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan.
The Presidents that tried to make the grandest changes and failed would be Wilson (League of Nations), and GWB (Democratization of the Middle East).
Carter, Clinton, and Ford are the Warren G. Harding’s of the last half of the century, when it comes right down to it they didn’t do that much for them to be remembered.