President Carter (he was, and should be respected for that, even though I do not respect what he did and didn’t do) is looking foolish. For the last few years he has pontificated on a number of topics, many times being the butt of critics and pundits as a result.
His latest version is his book, which all but sells out Israel, has again brought him into the limelight. From LGF, we get the report that President Carter again is retreating (just as he did on the friend of the US, the Shah of Iran – Carter’s inaction of dealing with the nascent Islamic theocracy of Iran has only bolstered the rise of militant Islam in the world due to his display of weakness).
Although President Carter states:
the goal of the book — including its provocative title — was to provoke dialogue and action
His action speaks otherwise. The president of Brandeis University, Jehuda Reinharz, agreed to sponsor a debate between President Carter and Alan Dershowitz (the flamboyant lawyer and Harvard professor) on the topics of his book.
Just as when the Iranian students took over the US Embassy and took the staffers hostage and President Carter wimped out and did nothing (it took President Reagan to finally free them), he is wimping out again.
Dershowitz:
“President Carter said he wrote the book because he wanted to encourage more debate. Then why won’t he debate?”
The response (no surprise here!):
There is no need to for me to debate somebody who, in my opinion, knows nothing about the situation in Palestine."
Wrong answer, sir. Again, lots of words, and no will to act. President Carter again showers himself in no honor. I may not like most of Prof. Dershowitz’s politics and views, but for President Carter to make such a lame claim just continues a pattern.
Frankly, I think he decided to get the shaming now rather than a pasting later. Professor Al would clean his clock.
Now, I have, up til now, tried to be polite. As long as President Carter has stepped out onto the stage again, he does make himself a target, and I saw this ripe tomato winging its way towards the aged one:
Carterism.
An extreme form of holier-than-thou self-righteousness, prompted by a manic desire for self-aggrandizement, and expressed most notably in appeasement of those who, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, actively engaged in the “Jihad of pen and speech." A term derived from the name of the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter.
