Former President Jimmy Carter was interviewed by Al-Jazeera on Sunday (hat tip to LGF, video available here), and the former peanut farmer made some statements that many in America might find quite objectionable.
For instance: “Well, I don’t really consider, I wasn’t equating the Palestinian missiles with terrorism.” What? Excuse me? Palestinian missiles aren't acts of terrorism? Really?
Alas, that was just the beginning of a series of truly shocking comments made by a former president on an Arab television network that has continually shown itself to be hostile to American interests. Take a gander at this next abomination if you've got the stomach for it:
"Most of the condemnations of my book came from Jewish American organizations, which think that I believe there is racial segregation inside Israel.”
With all due respect to a former president, this is an extraordinary statement given the number of members of the Carter Center who have resigned as a result of his book. It seems that Carter must not be seeing this resignation letters.
Regardless, how about this little gem: “My whole book is written about Palestine and its lands, and about what is going on against the Palestinian people, which is, in my view, very similar, and in some cases even worse, than what happened to the blacks in South Africa.”
Finally, the former president not only seemed to voice his support for the Palestinians, but also once again expressed dissatisfaction with the policies of his own country for all of its enemies in the Arab world to hear:
Last January, after the elections were over and Hamas won, I went to London to meet the International Quartet. I urged them not to impose any kind of economic sanctions against the Palestinian people, but they decided to do so. When alternatives were proposed, by the Arab countries and by the United Nations, the US rejected the alternative, and (refused) to transfer money to the Palestinians. I think the reason is that the US wants to topple Hamas and (believes) that if it punishes the Palestinian people severely, the Palestinians will have to change their minds. I don’t know how true this is, but it’s not legal, proper, or morally right to deprive an entire people of the basic necessities of life because they participated in a democratic process and voted freely.
How disgraceful and undiplomatic. For those that can stand it, what follows is a partial transcript of his interview translated by Memritv.org.
Most of the condemnations of my book came from Jewish American organizations, which think that I believe there is racial segregation inside Israel. I don’t base it on that. My whole book is written about Palestine and its lands, and about what is going on against the Palestinian people, which is, in my view, very similar, and in some cases even worse, than what happened to the blacks in South Africa.
Well, I don’t really consider, I wasn’t equating the Palestinian missiles with terrorism. But when the Palestinians commit terrorist acts, and I mean when a person blows himself up within a bus full of civilians, or when the target of the operation is women and children – such acts create a rejection of the Palestinians among those who care about them. It turns the world away from sympathy and support for the Palestinian people. That’s why I said that acts of terrorism like I just described are suicidal for the popularity and support for the Palestinian cause.
In my book, I talk about violence from both sides, and I describe very carefully and accurately the number of casualties among Palestinians and Israelis, including children. The number of Palestinian children who died because of the violence is five times greater than the number of Israeli children, and I condemn this kind of violence on both sides.
Last January, after the elections were over and Hamas won, I went to London to meet the International Quartet. I urged them not to impose any kind of economic sanctions against the Palestinian people, but they decided to do so. When alternatives were proposed, by the Arab countries and by the United Nations, the US rejected the alternative, and (refused) to transfer money to the Palestinians. I think the reason is that the US wants to topple Hamas and (believes) that if it punishes the Palestinian people severely, the Palestinians will have to change their minds. I don’t know how true this is, but it’s not legal, proper, or morally right to deprive an entire people of the basic necessities of life because they participated in a democratic process and voted freely.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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Comments Policy
Funny that the ex-President h
January 16, 2007 - 15:10 ET by Roger the ShrubberFunny that the ex-President had to go to Al-Jazeera to speak out, instead of speaking with his pals in the US media.
Funny indeed, Al-Jazeera de
January 16, 2007 - 18:39 ET by MightyMouthFunny indeed, Al-Jazeera deserves about as much credibilty these days as the New York Times. The only difference is that Al-Jazeera is slightly less "Anti-American" than the Times.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Carter's coming home and finding his office is empty?
January 16, 2007 - 15:21 ET by acaiguanaCarter's coming home and finding his office is empty?
"because they participated in a democratic process and voted freely."
OK, here's how it worked 'freely' Jimmy, my pathetic poor lost legacy old man.
Hamas vote enhancer (armed with AK-47 and various grenades):
<Knock Knock>
Victim of refuge: "What?"
Hamas vote enhancer: "Time to vote or die?" <grin>
Victim: "Vote, what vote? There's an election. OK OK, don't throw any more grenades, we'll vote. Do you want my baby to vote also?"
Hamas vote enhancer: "If you help her, sure, everyone needs to vote - it's a free election. We're not even gonna charge you for a ride to the polls. But, you have to smile at the cameras or your daughter will be voting in her last election."
Victim: "Oh, great great - I love elections, really I do..."
End of that charade.
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "I love blind Monkeys and any inference that I am making fun of blind Monkeys would be wrong.
Jimmy Carter
January 16, 2007 - 15:21 ET by Jerry MackJimmy Carter continuosly destroys himself. I hope that he has a friend or relative that will tell him to shut up before he becomes a laughingstock.
Jerry,I think it is way too l
January 16, 2007 - 15:28 ET by Dave RJerry,
I think it is way too late for that. I was only sixteen when he (finally) left office, and as I recall, he was a laughing stock already.
That horse left the barn twenty-seven years ago.
Too late. He became a laugh
January 17, 2007 - 22:13 ET by DaveinILToo late. He became a laughingstock on 20 Jan 1981. He just makes it worse day by day.
And none of the money, if giv
January 16, 2007 - 15:24 ET by FastEdAnd none of the money, if given to the palestinian people, none of it, will go to terrorists. He must be suffering from Pythium wilt. (peanut disease)
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad
I think the peanut farmer
January 16, 2007 - 21:14 ET by we are not amusedI think the peanut farmer just proved himmself stupid.
Normally I don't say disparag
January 16, 2007 - 15:25 ET by SchwabertNormally I don't say disparaging things about old people or former presidents, but being old and a former president doesn't give you the right to make disparaging comments about your country, or make beneficial comments to people who are obviously our enemies. I don't like to use the T word, but if his comments can be construed as aiding the enemy, I'd be interested to see how the senate would handle this one.
--Perpetual itching without benefit of scratching to the enemies of America.--
You mean the Democratically c
January 16, 2007 - 16:08 ET by fosstenYou mean the Democratically controlled Senate? The one filled with RINOs like McCain who pushed for the Al Qaeda Bill of Rights?
Do you want me to save you the suspense or do you really want to hold your breath and wait to find out?
"but it’s not legal,
January 16, 2007 - 15:32 ET by james789"but it’s not legal, proper, or morally right to deprive an entire
people of the basic necessities of life because they participated in a
democratic process and voted freely."
Forgive my tough question here, Jimmy, but isn't it also unethicial, immoral and just plain stupid to provide terrorists with money, just because they participated in a democratic process and voted freely?
But hay what do I know, I rode the short bus to shcool.
Democracy must be established by force, and only America can do it.
Shi'ite cleric Iyad Jamal Al-Dinm
Why does this idiots family
January 16, 2007 - 15:35 ET by 1sttofightWhy does this idiots family not keep him locked in the attic like the rest of us do with our STRANGE relativies?
possibility
January 16, 2007 - 16:05 ET by misterbillperhaps he is the least strange???? Scary!
In the attic
January 16, 2007 - 17:54 ET by Bufordmisterbill I think you hit the nail on the head with your comment. We all remember brother Billy of "Billy Beer" fame.
Does anyone remember the ol
January 16, 2007 - 21:20 ET by we are not amusedDoes anyone remember the old joke about the difference between Jimmy's foreign policy and brother Billy's?
Billy had a foreign policy!
Carter foreign policy
January 17, 2007 - 11:38 ET by pbanks7My favorite is: Q. What is flat and glows? A. Tehran on inauguration day.
And people wonder why they released the hostages.
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.
Hey 1st,I think they would, b
January 16, 2007 - 16:05 ET by Dave RHey 1st,
I think they would, but there isn't room because there is too much of this stashed up there.
Come to think of it, maybe Jimmy got into the stuff himself. It would explain a lot.
Spend much time in the attic
January 16, 2007 - 17:14 ET by kathleenirishSpend much time in the attic yourself, lately? Only kidding!
"He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere" -Ali ibn-Abi-Talib, 4th Islamic Caliph
Isn't it so Carterlicious J
January 16, 2007 - 15:35 ET by Jack BauerIsn't it so Carterlicious
Just when you thought President Carter couldn't dig himeslf even deeper, someone hands him a shovel.
Anyone know the Arabic for HOLE?
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
AHOLE in Arabic is spelled
January 16, 2007 - 15:38 ET by 1sttofightAHOLE in Arabic is spelled CARTER.
His brother Billy had more se
January 16, 2007 - 15:54 ET by TOEHis brother Billy had more sense !
His brother Billy had more se
January 16, 2007 - 15:54 ET by TOEHis brother Billy had more sense !
You can say that again.
January 16, 2007 - 15:55 ET by Uncle JohnYou can say that again.
Liberalism ≠ liberty.
Evidenced by his love of beer
January 16, 2007 - 16:15 ET by RunningBeerEvidenced by his love of beer. Now, to me, that's sensible!
Reading...reading...reading..
January 16, 2007 - 15:57 ET by MikeBReading...reading...reading...nope, can't find it. Hey, Jimmuh, where in the U.S. Constitution does it say that America has to give money and support to anyone in the world, much less a terrorist orgainization whose stated aim is the destruction of another country? For that matter, where does the Constitution say the U.S. taxpayer has the moral obligation to provide an "entire people" of the "basic necessities of life"? For those who wish to send their money to some group, that is one thing (as long as that group is not trying to destroy another group, or our country), but morally obligated? Did somebody hit you in the head with a 2 x 4 while you were building one of your photo-op Habitat for Humanity houses?
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Jimmy Carter and Ramsey Clark
January 16, 2007 - 16:04 ET by Chris NormanJimmy Carter and Ramsey Clark should get together and take their act on tour of the black holes of the Middle East. They could call themselves, say, "The Dixie Hicks" or "The Dixie Anti-Semitics", or anything else that rhymes with "Chicks"...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I'd love to say "stick a
January 16, 2007 - 16:04 ET by Scout FinchI'd love to say "stick a fork in him, Jimmy's done" but unfortunately our media won't see it that way. They still love Jimmy because he continuously denigrates our country and one of our closest allies--Israel.
Carter's problem is he's alwa
January 16, 2007 - 16:59 ET by BruzillaCarter's problem is he's always trying to project his personal beliefs and values onto the people he's working with. In this case he's talking "children, children, children" to people who think having their children die to make a political point is a great thing.
I can't remember exactly which one it was, but Jimmy Carter attended a human rights conference and got booed off the stage after talking about how rotten countries who don't give women equal rights are. He thought he could go out there and condemn thousands of years of tradition, and the folks who don't believe the things he does would say "wow... we should listen to this guy and change our ways!" Instead he got booed off the stage.
Excellent points, Bruzilla.
January 16, 2007 - 23:38 ET by GalvanicExcellent points, Bruzilla.
Carter goes beyond being the Democrats' crazy old uncle uttering gibberish; he's a pompous, self-righteous old man who fancies himself as Chief World Citizen.
Jimmy Carter is a prime examp
January 16, 2007 - 17:04 ET by bassndudeJimmy Carter is a prime example of a worthless human being that has out lived any reason he had for living to begin with. Enough of this guy already. Time for him to suck it up and take one on the chin for the rest of America. The guy just isint happy having ruined our economey, our military and the lives of millions while in office. And we all see how well he was respected by the rest of the world. Arab oil embargo and Iran to name two. Yeah, he had us in really high respect in their eyes. And now he is telling us how to solve all these problems? If it hadent been for those 4 years, we wouldent be having these problems today. Goldwater would have been much better.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
If Jimmy wasn't in the busine
January 16, 2007 - 17:33 ET by kathleenirishIf Jimmy wasn't in the business of undermining and hurting the US around the world, you'd think he had dementia. This is all too real for our foolish ex-president. Democracy? What the hell does he know about democracies! Venezuala and Chavez, in because they had aid from Carter in a corrupt election. Some democracy! Hammas??? Are you for real, traitor? Let's see, how about Haiti? You really mess up everywhere you go, fella, but you wouldn't be able to do much if it weren't for your sponsors in the MSM and now, al-Jazeera. Their motto: "Terrorists trust us first". Jimmy's motto: "Screwing up America's interests since at least 1976".
Well, he DID boycott the Moscow Olympics! Now, that was tellin'them, huh?
What an embarrassment, but what's worse, he's making it better for terrorists going against the US. That makes him a total TRAITOR.
"He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere" -Ali ibn-Abi-Talib, 4th Islamic Caliph
traitor
January 16, 2007 - 17:41 ET by misterbill"What an embarrassment, but what's worse, he's making it better for terrorists going against the US. That makes him a total TRAITOR."
Kathleen --this is too true for words. I feel that he is doing tremendous harm to our current political efforts. The President has to sleep with one eye open between this clown (it pains me to call an ex-president that name, but he is) and Kerry and his ilk going to Syria, etc against the President's wishes.
"My whole book is writte
January 16, 2007 - 18:30 ET by mattm"My whole book is written about Palestine and its lands, and about what is going on against the Palestinian people, which is, in my view, very similar, and in some cases even worse, than what happened to the blacks in South Africa."
Sometime during the early AD years, A.D. 70 - 300 or so, the Roman Empire abolished Judea. Until then, that land had been considered Israel or Judah or Judea for centuries. Prior to then, that region was held by various people. After the Romans destroyed the Temple and scattered the Jews, the region known as "Palestine" became a crossroads mainly populated by Arabs.
There never was such a thing as an ethnic "Palestinian"...anyone who lives in that region, whether Jew, Arab, Turk, Lebanese, Caucasian, African etc. is a Palestinian. So to say the "Palestinian People..." is a misnomer and a false premise, thus everything derived from it is wrong.
The Jews were forced to withdraw from Gaza (where they were living peacably with their neighbors) and now two different factions of so-called Palestinians are warring against each other...what does Mr. Peanut say about that?
I admit and ashamed, I voted
January 16, 2007 - 19:00 ET by Dan The Man 2I admit and ashamed, I voted for Carter. I was 19 and knew no better and he seemed like a nice man and even did an interview in one of my favorite mags at that time. Yep I must do penance and woof down 25 Billy Beers to make it good. These days he has just gone over the deep end, perhaps liberalism is an extreemly virulent desease and gets worse with age.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
When will this nightmare call
January 16, 2007 - 21:25 ET by USA4freedomWhen will this nightmare called Jimmuh Carter end. I heard that he is planning his funeral maybe if we are lucky Castro and he can share a spot. A Despot and crackpot.
America is best described by one word, freedom... Dwight D. Eisenhower
It's getting harder and harde
January 16, 2007 - 22:45 ET by kathleenirishIt's getting harder and harder to tell the difference!
"He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere" -Ali ibn-Abi-Talib, 4th Islamic Caliph
I'm going to have to start
January 17, 2007 - 01:14 ET by james789I'm going to have to start doing research, I'm wondering if Jimmy Carter is a follower of Fred Phelps Westboro Baptist Church, if he is that would explain a lot and he should get a hat.
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=7388
Democracy must be established by force, and only America can do it.
Shi'ite cleric, Iyad Jamal Al-Dinm