Jimmy Carter's Tough Talk in Boston
[Confounding all predictions of the talking heads on TV, Jimmy
Carter gave what may be the strongest, most direct speech
excoriating the fascist, extremist war-mongering policies of the
George W. Bush administration. It was an excellent political
speech, delivered in his usual gentle fashion. It's hard not
to wince at the irony of Jimmy Carter talking (quite accurately)
about how Bush has squandered the good will of much of the world
after 9/11. Jimmy Carter should know about squandering. Jimmy
Carter is the man who rode to the Presidency on the hopes of
people who were horrified by the war against Vietnam, by the
lies of the US Government, by the fascist denial of civil
liberties of the Nixon thugs, by the outrages of COINTELPRO,
by the sleazy political dirty tricks and lies of Watergate.
Jimmy Carter was the man who strode down Pennsylvania Avenue
and threw open the doors of the Justice Department... and who
soon was in Tehran toasting the Shah of Iran as a "beacon"
of freedom in the Middle East. Jimmy Carter squandered a
lot of opportunities, too. Three years after he was elected
as a candidate of peace in a wave of national revulsion against
the US war on Vietnam, people were screaming "Bomb-Bomb Iran"
when the Pahlavi's dictatorship was overthrown and the CIA-infested
staff of the US Embassy in Tehran was taken hostage. What did
Jimmy Carter do, then, to help the world understand the Islam
about which he has now become educated?
Jimmy Carter is still blind to the truths of what Amerika is.
Not long ago, Jimmy Carter went to Cuba, was totally taken
in by the lie of the "Varela Project," and had the collosal
gall to lecture Cubans on justice. Jimmy Carter's blindness to
the truth of Amerika is willful. He's not a moron. He's not
ignorant. He knows, but he does not want to retain that
knowledge. He is surprised, every time, by the awful truths.
We shall see how he behaves in Venezuela next month.
Despite all that, Jimmy Carter made a good speech tonight,
probably the only one worth listening to at the choreographed
circus that is the "united" Democratic National Convention.
Here it is. -- NY Transfer]
via the Associated Press
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/07/26/the_text_of_former_president_carters_speech/
The text of former President Carter's speech at the Democratic
National Convention, July 26, 2004, Boston, Massachusetts
My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm not running for president. But here's
what I will be doing: everything I can to put John Kerry in the White
House with John Edwards right there beside him.
Twenty-eight years ago, I was running for president, and I said then, "I
want a government that is as good and honest and as decent and as
competent and as compassionate as are the American people." I say this
again tonight, and that is exactly what we will have next January with
John Kerry as president of the United States.
As many of you know, my first chosen career was in the United States Navy,
where I served as a submarine officer. At that time, my shipmates and I
were ready for combat and prepared to give our lives to defend our nation
and its principles.
At the same time, we always prayed that our readiness would preserve the
peace. I served under two presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower,
men who represented different political parties. Both of whom had faced
their active military responsibilities with honor.
They knew the horrors of war, and later, as commanders-in-chief, they
exercised restraint and judgment and had a clear sense of mission. We had
confidence that our leaders, military and civilian, would not put our
soldiers and sailors in harm's way by initiating "wars of choice" unless
America's vital interests were endangered.
We also were sure that these presidents would not mislead us when it came
to issues involving our nation's security. Today, our Democratic party is
led by another former naval officer -- one who volunteered for military
service. He showed up when assigned to duty, and he served with honor and
distinction.
He also knows the horrors of war and the responsibilities of leadership,
and I am confident that next January he will restore the judgment and
responsibility to our government that is sorely lacking today. I am proud
to call Lieutenant John Kerry my shipmate, and I am ready to follow him to
victory in November.
As you know, our country faces many challenges at home involving energy,
taxation, the environment, education, and health. To meet these
challenges, we need new leaders in Washington whose policies are shaped by
working American families instead of the super-rich and their armies of
lobbyists. But the biggest reason to make John Kerry president is even
more important. It is to safeguard the security of our nation.
Today, our dominant international challenge is to restore the greatness of
America -- based on telling the truth, a commitment to peace, and respect
for civil liberties at home and basic human rights around the world. Truth
is the foundation of our global leadership, but our credibility has been
shattered and we are left increasingly isolated and vulnerable in a
hostile world. Without truth -- without trust -- America cannot flourish.
Trust is at the very heart of our democracy, the sacred covenant between
the president and the people.
When that trust is violated, the bonds that hold our republic together
begin to weaken. After 9/11, America stood proud, wounded but determined
and united. A cowardly attack on innocent civilians brought us an
unprecedented level of cooperation and understanding around the world. But
in just 34 months, we have watched with deep concern as all this goodwill
has been squandered by a virtually unbroken series of mistakes and
miscalculations. Unilateral acts and demands have isolated the United
States from the very nations we need to join us in combatting terrorism.
Let us not forget that the Soviets lost the Cold War because the American
people combined the exercise of power with adherence to basic principles,
based on sustained bipartisan support. We understood the positive link
between the defense of our own freedom and the promotion of human rights.
Recent policies have cost our nation its reputation as the world's most
admired champion of freedom and justice. What a difference these few
months of extremism have made!
The United States has alienated its allies, dismayed its friends, and
inadvertently gratified its enemies by proclaiming a confused and
disturbing strategy of "pre-emptive" war. With our allies disunited, the
world resenting us, and the Middle East ablaze, we need John Kerry to
restore life to the global war against terrorism.
In the meantime, the Middle East peace process has come to a screeching
halt for the first time since Israel became a nation. All former
presidents, Democratic and Republican, have attempted to secure a
comprehensive peace for Israel with hope and justice for the Palestinians.
The achievements of Camp David a quarter century ago and the more recent
progress made by President Bill Clinton are now in peril.
Instead, violence has gripped the Holy Land, with the region increasingly
swept by anti-American passions. Elsewhere, North Korea's nuclear menace
-- a threat more real and immediate than any posed by Saddam Hussein --
has been allowed to advance unheeded, with potentially ominous
consequences for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. These are some of
the prices of our government's radical departure from the basic American
principles and values espoused by John Kerry!
In repudiating extremism we need to recommit ourselves to a few
common-sense principles that should transcend partisan differences. First,
we cannot enhance our own security if we place in jeopardy what is most
precious to us, namely, the centrality of human rights in our daily lives
and in global affairs. Second, we cannot maintain our historic
self-confidence as a people if we generate public panic. Third, we cannot
do our duty as citizens and patriots if we pursue an agenda that polarizes
and divides our country. Next, we cannot be true to ourselves if we
mistreat others. And finally, in the world at large we cannot lead if our
leaders mislead.
You can't be a war president one day and claim to be a peace president the
next, depending on the latest political polls. When our national security
requires military action, John Kerry has already proven in Vietnam that he
will not hesitate to act. And as a proven defender of our national
security, John Kerry will strengthen the global alliance against terrorism
while avoiding unnecessary wars.
Ultimately, the issue is whether America will provide global leadership
that springs from the unity and integrity of the American people or
whether extremist doctrines and the manipulation of truth will define
America's role in the world.
At stake is nothing less than our nation's soul. In a few months, I will,
God willing, enter my 81st year of my life, and in many ways the last few
months have been some of the most disturbing of all. But I am not
discouraged. I do not despair for our country. I believe tonight, as I
always have, that the essential decency, compassion and common sense of
the American people will prevail.
And so I say to you and to others around the world, whether they wish us
well or ill: do not underestimate us Americans. We lack neither strength
nor wisdom. There is a road that leads to a bright and hopeful future.
What America needs is leadership. Our job, my fellow Americans, is to
ensure that the leaders of this great country will be John Kerry and John
Edwards. Thank you and God bless America!
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