i want to note something by jimmy carter called 'This Isn't The Real America:'
In recent years, I have become increasingly concerned by a host of radical government policies that now threaten many basic principles espoused by all previous administrations, Democratic and Republican.
These include the rudimentary American commitment to peace, economic and social justice, civil liberties, our environment and human rights.
Also endangered are our historic commitments to providing citizens with truthful information, treating dissenting voices and beliefs with respect, state and local autonomy and fiscal responsibility.
At the same time, our political leaders have declared independence from the restraints of international organizations and have disavowed long-standing global agreements — including agreements on nuclear arms, control of biological weapons and the international system of justice.
Instead of our tradition of espousing peace as a national priority unless our security is directly threatened, we have proclaimed a policy of "preemptive war," an unabridged right to attack other nations unilaterally to change an unsavory regime or for other purposes. When there are serious differences with other nations, we brand them as international pariahs and refuse to permit direct discussions to resolve disputes.
Regardless of the costs, there are determined efforts by top U.S. leaders to exert American imperial dominance throughout the world.
reading that, i wondered a number of things.
for instance, where's gerald ford? does he want his most remembered public statement to be the pardon he gave nixon?
i thought about how al gore been's outspoken. and thinking of al gore's bravery reminded me of our suddenly shy bill clinton.
where have you gone bill clinton?
is hillary's presidential campaign for 2008 calling all the shots?
or do you just not care?
it's really sickening to see you in photo ops with poppy bush. a criminal who should have been tossed in jail and there's bill clinton smiling with him.
the biggest mistake bill clinton made was in letting all of poppy's crimes be swept under the carpet. there was no thanks for that. instead there's now this illusion that poppy wasn't involved in iran-contra. and there was no 'oh high road, well we'll do the same' instead it was 'we will bury bill clinton with smears and lies!' that's exactly what they tried to do.
now there's bill clinton adding luster to poppy.
and as bad as that is, it's his silence on the torture and on the war that trouble me the most.
he's married to a war hawk. we get it.
he's also a former president of the united states, our last one elected with no clouds of questions over him.
as someone who pledged to uphold the constitution he should have a few op-eds in him on what's going on in our country and what our country is doing to others.
jimmy carter's not afraid to use his voice.
carter was a lot stronger than most people gave him credit for being.
bill clinton
jimmy carter
