Jimmy Carter's Mind

When I listed the worst presidents in history (here), I didn't put James E. Carter in the top five, though he certainly would have made my top ten. As president he was best known for rationalizing an American economic decline and leading a toothless foreign policy against the Soviets and Iranians. Like a carton of milk left too long in the refrigerator, his thinking has grown more rancid with age. His 2006 book, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid,has been embraced by those on the far left and far right who believe that Israel's settlement policy after 1967 is the main obstacle to Middle East peace. Israel's neighbors have been trying to destroy her since 1948 and the Palestine Liberation Organization was formed in 1964, so Carter's thesis is not only one-sided; it is also wrong. (See my take on the Arab-Israeli peace process here.)

Never afraid of coddling the most despicable dictators, "Former President Jimmy Carter has sent North Korea a message of condolence over the death of Kim Jong-il and wished "every success" to the man expected to take over as dictator, according to the communist country's state-run news agency" (link here). This after serving as Bill Clinton's emissary in the 1990s and "stopping" North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Now Carter has weighed in on the recent Egyptian elections. The article, Carter Pleased with Egypt Polls, found here, states that he

gave the thumbs up on Tuesday to Egypt's parliamentary elections, saying the people's will was "expressed accurately." "We have been very pleased," Carter told reporters during a tour of a polling station at the Rod al-Farag girls' secondary school in a working class district of the Egyptian capital. He said the election -- a three-staged process launched in November to choose the first parliament since mass protests forced former president Hosni Mubarak to quit -- had been peaceful despite "some problems. But in general the will of the people has been expressed accurately," he said on the eve of the end of the polls. 

OK. Well and good. The elections were fair. But now look what he says! "Asked about Islamists coming to power, Carter said: "I have no problem with that. The US government has no problem with that either."'

Carter has no problem with the end of civil liberties in Egypt. He has no problem with women and non-Muslims treated like chattel. He has no problem with Egypt turning into another Iran. And since when does he speak for the U.S. government?

He needs to keep up his good work building houses with Habitat for Humanity. He needs to stop propping up dictators and theocratic regimes. In sum, he needs to stay out of politics.

Update October 22, 2012: But he hasn't. He's back with his usual crew of Israel haters, blaming Israel for Middle East tensions as the missiles from Gaza rain down on Jewish cities. See the latest here.