Former president Jimmy Carter said Tuesday on the nationally syndicated radio show the Thom Hartmann Program that the United States is now an “oligarchy” in which “unlimited political bribery” has created “a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors.” Both Democrats and Republicans, Carter said, “look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves.”
Carter was responding to a question from Hartmann about recent Supreme Court decisions on campaign financing like Citizens United.
Transcript:
HARTMANN: Our Supreme Court has now said, “unlimited money in politics.” It seems like a violation of principles of democracy. … Your thoughts on that?
CARTER: It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over. … The incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves. Somebody’s who’s already in Congress has a lot more to sell to an avid contributor than somebody who’s just a challenger.
I’ve added Carter’s statement to this list of politicians acknowledging that money controls politics. Please let me know if you have other good examples.
(Thanks to Sam Sacks for pointing this out.)
Jimmy Carter:
We don’t care. You sucked as a president.
What a statement from this former President, Carter, oddly around the time of his presiding, the nation began to embrace economy environment and other unwholesome features as divestitures of warfare mechanisms devices and methodologies terminologies there from parleyed as monetary systems when the terms were actually from extreme weapons being concealed, this gagging is in part do to his silencing and disinformation style and actions; and, it continued until today whereby the economy measuring the worth of Citizens, in terms of money is the value by the matriculations of science and technology in face of integrity of grace of dignity, it is not socialism however quite, but capital measuring of enumerative penury estimations something intolerable to the former America, as slavery ensues…and dignity is lost, but for the defence cover up of informations that were stolen and lost to organized crime these transitions came about, disinforming Citizens was illegal and the consequences of the propaganda is what is now educated as instruments of value, economy, not civil business, and environment. Carter played a large role in the continued cover up, of what earlier others like George Bush had clearly warned early 1970s. It is grievously sad to hear this…
The kindest definition of organized crime I have heard.
Remember the 60’s and JFK, RFK, MLK.. etc
In this evening’s Republican debate, Donald Trump actually bragged about buying political influence. He made it very clear; e makes contributions, and politicians therefore give him favors.
He should be prosecuted for that sort of corruption, and so should the politicians he so blatantly has claimed to have bribed.
Jimmy is right, “They’re all bought and paid for” our song is the new National Anthem
Check it out on youtube
President Carter didn’t complain when his campaign was bankrolled by David Rockefeller and his pals.
I wonder if Glenn Greenwald has changed his defense of the Citizens United decision (he defended it at the time as the right decision).
So as not to be a total hypocrite, I must say that I defended it at the time too. But now I think I was wrong. Very very wrong.
I’ve thought the same about American politics for a while now. The country has been purchased. It can be influenced by anyone…foreign or domestic.
This is nothing new. We don’t need President Carter to tell us this. Things haven’t changed any since he was in office
Why don’t you learn English and how to construct a sentence before you try to criticize a Great Man…
There’s a great man hereabouts??? Where? Where?…
There was nothing wrong with Bill Burns’s English barring one minor error. That you have nothing more convincing than an ad hominem attack on him, an irrelevant one at that, and a rather foolish assertion that Jimmy Carter is a great man, well… you’re not going to convince anyone at all.
Carter was not a great man. He did a lot of destruction to American education. He was, to be fair, the last president before the total dissolution of any pretence of opposition politics in US govt. His own party betrayed him and we got what both parties wanted – figurehead presidents, for the most part (with some exceptions for Clinton), a nation run by the military industrial complex, and administrated by neocons and neo-liberals, two sides of the same coin if ever there were such ‘sides’.
But great? Not a chance.
America doesn’t produce great presidents. Perhaps the greatest leader in the industrialized world in our lifetimes was Gorbachev. Probably. But he still fell for American liars and lies. If there is a great former statesman out there right now, it’s probably Mikhail Gorbachev.
There’s another guy, in Latin America, a former Tupemaro and, later, president, who might rank too. José Mujica, former Tupemaro, former prisoner, former president of Uruguay. An amazing man.
I remember the Jimmy Carter years. I came into my early teens, and was still to young to have a political opinion, or a vote. I do remember everyone seemed to be much happier though.
We are Rome, and we will fall. We live in a
Corporatocracy and we can’t wrangle these lobbyist in. I’m a millennial, been at my job for 14 years and now making 18.00 an hour and you Intrust me to make your flight pleasant, make sure you get out of a plane if something happens. I’m exempt from OVertime, only paid in flight. My ceo makes 3.0 million in cash alone. My company has profits in the billions and uses it to lobby. What I believe corporations have done is take the American pride away and shamed us into being into sheep. The “you are what your Facebook is” seems to be the new motto of the 2010s. You could be struggling but you’re a blast on Facebook and that should make up for it. My co-workers will not tell you they are a paycheck away from being homeless but, their pictures of their travels tell another story and the story they want to show you. Back to financial crap-even our unions are just stocking money and making 2-3 times more then their members. Put it this way, the persons that provide you your food and beverage, keeps you safe in the air, and takes watch of your minor children does not even start at $15.00 an hour in the entire United States (or $35.00 a flight hr). Some regional pilots are not even starting at $35.00 a flight hr (airline pilots central website has the break down) with the regional CEOs raking in 600,000 in cash only a year.
But remember .. You are what your Social media page says you are … *sigh*
President Carter is correct. He might add a little more to the discussion if he mentioned that he was sponsored by David Rockefeller to join the Bilderberg group and soon thereafter became President after only one term as governor. You see they needed somebody squeaky clean (for one term) after the scandals in the early 70’s and the Nixon administration. He even signed an affidavit in 1973, stating that a few years before he had seen an object that resembled a UFO. 1973 just happens to be the year MKUltra was shut down at the CIA and people who lived near military bases started complaining about “alien abduction.” The “audience capture” argument doesn’t hold up, because the complaints started in 1973 and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was made in 1977. Anyway, Sarnoff the chairman of RCA was on the Board of the Rockefeller fund, they even had their meetings at RCA headquarters. The Rockefeller fund was the private funder of MKUltra. And guess who Sarnoff employed? So if President Carter wants to talk, why doesn’t he tell us the full truth, before more people’s lives are destroyed.
The system is obviously broke. What do we do about it? Is revolution the only out or can it be reversed with less drastic measures?
Yes, revolution is the only ‘out’, but it’s not really an out, not now, not yet. The problem is that we, the public, are still 19th century in our thinking, our reasoning, our very perception. So we could not build anything new that would not turn out to be more of the same, but with huge levels of suffering marking the transition from crap to crap.
Those were simpler times Jimmy.
Before Bushy Boy, Citizens United and Government surveillance.
How much can I be paid to disagree? Not that I disagree. I am open to agreeing with Carter if its in someones financial interest.
Today, a citizen cannot email a member of congress on a particular committee unless they first declare an address in their district; this policy is rather new. A constituent can attend the weekly coffee of a Senator in order to meet their Senator or his/her staff, yet a hired lobbyist has an open door.
Well, one thing’s for sure. Political discourse isn’t decided by the strength of your reasoning anymore.
Carter had a hand in making the US the oligarchic anti-democratic state it is. Fuck him.
http://www.chomsky.info/books/priorities01.htm
That’s true. It doesn’t make his observations any the less correct, however.
His greatest achievement for the system, if one believes Bertram Gross, was probably the behind the scenes machinations of the education system that was more fundamental than anyone before him and which probably was a major factor in the destruction of American education from then on – that is, the strengthening of technical education and the destruction of the humanities.
He is correct. A kind honest man in throws of morally corrupt politics. Whoever the Koch brothers buy will be the next president. Look at this Gentlemen a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He is what American politicians need to emulate. Bless you Sir.
I would love to see a government funding of major elections (president, senators, representatives, etc) where everyone running gets the same amount of money, depending on the office being sought. No outside contributions. Candidates would be elected on their merits and what they say on the current issues and not on how much money they have to buy media time. I agree with President Carter. Elections now are bought by people with lots of money hoping for favors from the elected. The fathers of our country would he horrified if they visited America now.
DEATH BY DETACHMENT from life as they knew it — describes a widespread, semi-covert, government corruption cover-up operation in America.
Victims are ‘targeted’ by politically powerful people. In my case, Hillary Clinton. Here’s why; I have investigated and identified political corruption and fraud, including that of Hillary Clinton in connection with ‘The Real Whitewater’ — which has thus far been kept secret from the public and was excluded from the Whitewater hearings in trade for allowing the hearings to take place! So, I am a supposed potential threat to her run for the presidency.
With the use of electronic and other surveillance (aka Political Spying), any contacts I make which may provide me with financial or other support are identified and caused to terminate all further contact with me.
In addition, my civil rights, human rights and legal rights have also been cut off; presumably via ‘abuse of the USA Patriot Act.’ And the activities here discussed are often carried out by persons claiming to be agents of the FBI.
As a previously successful expert witness for over twenty years, I do not make statements which cannot be supported.
?A possibly related factor causing certain Dem’s to not like me; I am the person who made ‘The Phone Call’ to the Israeli PM’s office with an “idea for peace” in 1978, which immediately prevented a war in the Middle East and opened the door to the Camp David Accords. Pres. Carter does not want it to get out! Instead of obtaining the Nobel Prize, I have been criminalized with no hope of justice.
Having been blocked from earning a living, I have been surviving for some years on my now exhausted savings, and unless some financial help miraculously arrives, I may become homeless.
And the tyranny, corruption and fraud in America continue unabated.
Herbert “Hal” Rosenthal, CPA, CFE,
Forensic Accountant, Expert Witness, author, lecturer, Korea vet, now Blacklisted!
If there were obvious money trails there would be yet another Government shut down from politicians going to jail. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors is not just a song about romance.
Useless. Show us some money trails and start highlighting individuals. These sweeping accusations accomplish nothing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/us/small-pool-of-rich-donors-dominates-election-giving.html?_r=0
STOP STOP yes you did get my attention. Shouldn’t there be a LIMIT on FUNDS in elections?
In other words a Canidate be limited on how much he/she pays to television/radio advertising and leave it at that.
Although I agree with the sentiment, It’s time for America to stop blaming Citizens United and take some responsibility here. Campaign spending only matters when citizens allow campaign spending to influence their vote. If a couple of dumb TV ads will change a voter’s mind, then perhaps they deserve what’s coming to them?
You are correct Sabbie, I don’t believe much I see in political ads. Call me a skeptic,ok. But I base my choices on character and honesty.
You only seem to have a limited understanding of how money influences politics, your ignorance on the subject and how to respond is exactly what the oligarchs are looking for. You are a sheep doing as you are told, I guess ignorance is bliss.
AND THERE IT IS LAdies and GENTS .!
VOTE TRUMP
THE TRUMP REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN
PEOPLE R ACTUALLY SPEAKING OUT WITHOUT APOLOGY
EVEN LA SHARPTON WHO CALLS GREEKS HOMOS?
LMAO
“CARTER: It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president.”
Some bloody honesty!!
Are Indian law makers ‘elected’ by people?
#Socialism
The “political system” has never been democratic.
Read:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Enough-with-the-Holy-Founders-Undemocratic-Constitution-20150531-0025.html
And recall this excerpt from Howard Zinn (1922-2010):
To remove money from politics you have to get rid of what attracts money to politics.
Which is the convoluted tax code and excessive regulation.
The voter wants regulation and taxes on business and the rich, which causes business and the rich to spend money on politics to influence taxes and regulations. Blame the voter.
Excessive regulations and a convoluted tax code are the seeds of an oligarchy; they are the sperm and egg.
If you count on the government to do it or over regulate it, it will be hijacked by special interest groups (Unions, Financial Industry, Oil Industry, Farmers, Defense Contractors, Multi-National Corporations, Religious Groups, Environmentalists, AARP, etc.), so it invites more corruption than solutions. People are given a false sense of security. A very good reason to keep government to a minimum and one of the reasons the Constitution is set up to constrain it. This regulatory capture also increases the barriers to competition, further hurting citizens/consumers.
Blame the voter for the existence of lobbyists.
First step to a solution:
Support politicians that promise to get rid of laws and regulations that are obsolete or ineffective, instead of the ones that promise to enact more laws and regulations.
Second and third steps:
Repeal the 16th Amendment, abolish the IRS and the tax code, and enact the Fair Tax. Less money will go into politics because there will be no tax code to manipulate. There will be much less for the special interest groups to hijack.
Reduce regulations to the minimum necessary. Less money will go into politics because there will be less to manipulate. There will be less for the special interest groups to hijack.
Fourth step:
Pass and ratify an Amendment to the Constitution to require a 60% supermajority in the House to pass any new legislation and a simple majority to repeal any legislation.
Choose limited federal government. Stop making millionaires out of our politicians and lobbyists. Stop increasing the power of connected corporations.
You’re wrong, it’s not the voters, but the corporations themselves that want the onerous regulations. Because first, these regulations will stifle their competition, especially the small businesses that can’t afford to comply. And second, the regulations reduce consumer choice, giving the corporations customers on a silver platter.
The Supreme Court is sadly not yet aligned with re-examining citizens United but their recent decisions have seemed more positive somehow , shall I just pray harder that earth shakes us all up a bit more with this small slight few degrees of temperature change?
(Rev. Ed Bolella) The emerging model is what some have named “authoritarian Capitalism.” There will be private ownership, and perhaps a modicum of civil liberties depending on the particular nation state. Yet all political activity and discourse will be dominated, appropriated or eviscerated by the market and the oligarchs. It cannot last. The great paradox of this model is it consumes and corrodes the very market movement of capital it needs to be sustainable. I fear this model will lead to intervening years of great social and global suffering. “The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.” -Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks
This isn’t a good example of authoritarian capitalism. Authoritarian capitalism prides itself on the essence of free markets, only giving small pushes to business when needed. It’s why China has had tremendous GDP growth in the last 20 years. But our country doesn’t pride itself on sound economic principles, which is worse. If you have to sacrifice social liberty in this country, you should at least not have to live in a country will $18 Trillion in debt. That’s the difference. China’s running their economy better than ours right now due to them not listening to special interest in the way of business as it ruins efficiency.
Jimmy Carter, Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren and people like them speak for the people. Many elected officials, conversely, speak for the wealthiest Corporate donors, while their lobbyists, in many cases, write our laws. Step 1. Overturn Citizens United. Step 2. Re-Enact the Glass Steagall Act Step 3. Bar all elected officials from working for Corporations and their lobbyists for 10 years after holding office.
I like your idea very much.
None of those three you mentioned speaks for me or the majority of my fellow Georgians. Not even close.
You can’t overturn a supreme court decision, Only the supreme court can change the ruling as another case is brought before it. Wouldn’t make any difference anyway. They will find another way to be involved in the process anyway.
Look back at Eisenhower’s farewell adress!
https://youtu.be/ZSuyYwhn7z0
Thank you Mr Carter. As eloquent today as many years ago. Great statesman and a man of high moral principles regardless of the naysayers. Truly admire this man.
Nobody since Jimmy Carter could shine his shoes!
We can villianize or exalt Mr. Carter all we want and it will make exactly ZERO difference in the direction of this country. That type of partisan fighting is exactly what corporate America and the bought-and-paid for politicians want. People of this once great nation….WAKE UP!!!! Demand your elected officials to pass legislation to remove money from politics. Until that happens no meaningful change will take place regardless of whether we elect a republican or a democrat. I believe that quite possibly our best chance to start making changes for the better is by electing an Independent who truly seems to have the prople of this country’s best interest in mind, not corporate America’s, is Bernie Sanders.
I keep having flashbacks about why I didn’t cast a vote in the 2000 election. After all these many years, the only players I can stand listening to are: Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. :-)
Absolutely true. See Lawrence Lessig. The question now is, can it be changed?
I know! Let’s start by turning in all of our firearms, especially those that are suitable for combat. Then the police and military — the people who serve the bought-and-owned political class — will have a total monopoly on effective firepower. That will change everything for the better! /s
love that man
Did Jimmy mention how the Democratic party has been bribing people by buying their votes with welfare money since 1933?
Yes of course they have & it’s all an organized front, every person living in poverty is organized to vote for the Democrats. Similar situations occur with the Republicans & the 1%. Ever wonder which group gets the most for their buck ? Remember, Romney’s 47% ? That included millionaires & other well paid people who were able to cobble together enough welfare for the wealthy to refund every dime that they should have paid in income taxes. Why does the tax payer fund welfare for wealthy individuals & corporations ? When it helps someone who is financially disadvantaged that is fine, but millionaires & corporations do not need welfare in any form. Rewarding the wealthy with welfare is clearly a misguided principle for which you most likely take as much welfare for yourself as is possible. Tax payers need to demand that congress fill all of these tax loop-holes, Will they respond ? Congress has just said that they had a very productive year & was probably more productive this year than any previous years during the Obama terms. That is only because the Republican party formally announced that they would create pointless gridlock at every opportunity to punish the voters for preferring Obama’s policies over the Bush regime’s, twice.
Conveniently, low-information conservatives ignore that the typical time that an individual in on welfare is 3 months. That doesn’t sound like the Democrats are buying many votes. Not when compared to a large tax abuser like GE which rarely pays corporate income taxes. They pay sales tax, use tax, etc those are unavoidable, but amazingly this large corporation can get away with having no revenue tax liability at the end of almost every year. So who is really buying the votes ? Low-information liars are scourge of the country, continue on with your birther lies, obamaphone lies, Obama is secretly a Muslim lie & the rest, no body is listening to those extremists any way.
Bravo. That was one of the best examples of a rhetorical shakedown I’ve seen in a long time.
Kind of wondering where you got the 3 months on welfare statistic. In my experience most people on welfare tend to make a career out of it. I do agree about the Tax evading GE tho. But I wonder why their CEO Jeff Immelt was named Jobs Czar. The same GE who has the vast majority of its jobs shipped overseas. He’s Obama’s Buddy.
Not to worry, the Republican’s already took care of that so-called problem by denying anyone poor the right to vote while making sure the super rich pay no taxes. The Republican’s and their “chiurm” (galley slaves) now employ a chirocracy style government. You implied it yourself, the Dems include the poor the Repub’s serve the rich. My guess is your apple doesn’t fall far from well below middle class income while still believing one day you will be rich! Oh ‘fer’ sure!
75% of people on welfare are poor children..not old enough to vote.
A case could be made for the U.S. being a plutocracy as well.
No kidding. Jeez. What a crying shame. “I had a dream …” MLK.
The far bigger crisis is that the courts are following the political branches. The Judicial Branch courts for centuries were the only place where an otherwise defenseless citizen could receive equal justice under law against the most powerful corporations or oligarchs.
Today the rich can fund the judges also destroying real checks & balances between the three branches of government. The courts used to be the one place of integrity in the American system.
That’s what the Republican party desperately wants, but fortunately we are not yet there yet. Republicans want SCOTUS judges to have to campaign for their continued access to the legal community’s highest honor. Currently SCOTUS is not beholding to party or voter, which is how it was supposed to be & how it should remain. True, neither liberals nor conservatives get their way on judgements, which is fair. But effort underway to politicize SCOTUS are wrong both morally & legally & applies to the entire federal bench which while appointed by POTUS & confirmed by congress is a very politically driven process does work. What politicians are proposing will destroy any faith left for the federal courts by forcing them to base their decisions on the support of voters than on the US Constitution & precedent. Low-information conservatives are too arrogant to understand that this won’t mean that every decision agrees with their platform but will further erode the trust in the judicial branch, which quite frankly, is part of their plan to destroy this nation.
I agree with what you have written — but to be fair I think that both parties are destroying the nation. They have been doing that for decades. Don’t be such an arrogant “Liberal”. Open your mind a little more. Do you see the light? That’s called the end of the tunnel.
Hit that nail right on the head. This should be our biggest concern. Courts need to follow the law. If you don’t like the law change it.
Seems like a ‘legal’ type of money laundering.
Jimmy Carter should know; he’s a whore for a range of Arab nations.
And you are a god-damned bigoted Zionist pig.
I suspect your real problem with Carter is that he isn’t a total whore for Israel, whose lobby owns 99% of US politicians and officials.
Still, you demonstrate how the warped mind of the Zionist Jew operates: Anyone who isn’t a whore for Israel is automatically a whore for someone else. It’s just like the way anyone who condemns Israeli atrocities is immediately labeled an “anti-Semite” who would send all Jews straight to the death camps if he could. (Of course there are Jews of conscience who oppose Zionist crimes against humanity. The Zionists have a handy smear to use against them as well: “self-hating Jew.”)
A truth known for decades. Because of the very nature of the problem, the solution must come from without rather from within. My suggestion: a simple version of publicly-financed campaigns coupled with ranked-choice voting. Specifically, a limited public media (newspaper, magazine, t.v. station, internet site, etc.) should be created solely to disseminate all political campaign messages and debates. Each politician gets equal resources, time and space to deliver his/her message, the United States citizenry are paying for a fair process in which their individual votes counts, and moneyed interests no longer play a major role in the outcome. The result: a true democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Well the Buffoon from Georgia ought to know all about bribery, when the Shah of Iran refused to play ball with Carter back in ’77 & ’78, Carter stabbed the Shah in the back, called the Ayatollah Khomeini a ‘godly man’ and incited the Islamic revolution which transformed Iran from a solid and loyal U.S. ally into the rogue terrorist state it is today. Jimmy Carter is the skidmark in the panties of American history.
Yeah, always much better when we can use our CIA to overthrow and assassinate those who may think, believe and act differently than us…
Fuck Them!!!
Wow. That’s a 500 thousand dollar speech. Lol. According to records, he is as correct as he would have been in 1928. It is an oligarchy.
Jimmie Carter is pos.
Ad hominem. The response of arrogant ignorance.
He seems to have the attitude that this is a new phenomenon and it didn’t used to be like this (“NOW we have a complete subversion”). Bullsh!t. It happened way back when he was in office too. It happened in the 1800s and late 1700s.
This is nothing new. Books such as Dollarocracy and Republic Lost talk about this system in depth. Hes not goin out on any political limbs or breaking new political ground here. That being said, he is correct.
President Carter is a good man and was a good president taken down by corrupt career politicians in the democratic party and acts of treason. I am ashamed that as a young man I was convinced by the corrupt to vote against his reelection. No I wasn’t stupid enough to vote for Reagan, I voted for an independent. President Carter should know that eventually I came to see that I made a grave mistake and that he opened my eyes to the fact that there is deep corruption in the democratic party, and I am beginning to see some republicans seeing the same in their party.
I hope that he comes to see another good man elected President with an army of true believers from all parties and independents take the corruption and money out of our once great government. And member of congress in any party removed from office if they do not side with the people and our country. Huge financial interests busted up, corporate criminals imprisoned. Citizens United overturned, public funded elections and the oligarchs power reduced to only their one vote.
I want president Carter to see universal healthcare that President Carter would have delivered if not for corrupt democratic politicians realized. Good jobs created and returned to our country. The war on drugs ended and the civil rights legislation which was working prior to that racist idiotic war realized. Those imprisoned through that unjust and racist stupidity freed leading to equality and understanding. Education over incarceration and the demilitarization of our police and greater and harsher punishment for police who harm anyone. Because of the shocking actions of rogue police we must make mantra that black lives matter. Perhaps police have that sewn into their uniforms next to mandatory cameras on their bodies.
I want President carter to see another President who will do all he can to avoid war. With a declared intent to not have one shot fired in anger or stupidity as did President Carter.
Finally, I want President Carter to know that we resolved the problems he sees quite correctly with a political revolution and not the one of violence which was very close had we failed.
You really need to quit brushing your teeth with meth in the morning.
Thank you for a positive and thoughtful response. The year Mr Carter ran was the first time I could vote and I chose at 18 not to exercise that right. But voted since then. Some here only have unkind things to say about Mr. Carter. That is sad. My personal opinion is he is a great statesman of very high ethics. I don’t mind people disagreeing but am sure my response will bring hateful comments rather than a thoughtful conversation. Just saying.
Best post burndup….
joe joe has no teeth.
Jimmy Carter is the father of Radical Islamic Terrorism. Had he dealt with Iran the way he should have back in 1979, when his lack of support for our ally, the Shah of Iran, led to the take over by Ayatollah Khomeini and our embassy people being held hostage, there would be no al Qaeda or ISIS.
You mean “our ally, the Shah of Iran”, the homicidal tyrant whom the CIA saw fit to replace the country’s democratically elected leader which it assisted in overthrowing?
Iran is among the major regional powers *fighting* Al Qaeda and ISIS. AQ and ISIS’ principal supporters are our “allies” Saudi Arabia and the Gulf monarchies, newly allied with our other Middle Eastern “ally” Israel.
But I guess they’re all “rag heads” to you. Idiot.
Well, to be fair, I suppose Jimmy Carter did contribute to the rise of Al Qaeda (and, subsequently, ISIS) because it was in his administration that Zbigniew Brzezinski had the bright idea to recruit Sunni muslim extremists to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan, among whom was one Osama bin Laden.
But Iran had fuck-all to do with it.
I agree it is mess at the moment.
” ….And Jimmy Carter entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought the politicians in the temple, and he overturned the banking tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold votes.”
LOVE THIS!!!! GREATNESS!!!!
Jimmy Carter is the Patrician Saint of America. Although I thank my lucky stars that I was allowed to live my life and witness his life and his wisdom, I wish he was more aggressive in not only calling out the “things” that are wrong with our society, he has to take off the diplomat’s hat and start calling out the “PEOPLE” who are destroying our society. His words, even accusatory, carry tremeandous weight.
Well said. Thank You
God bless you Jimmy Carter!!
Thanks for feeling that way Marsha. Why is it crystal clear to me that this man should be hounded by the media for his input and opinion on EVERYTHING that happens on this earth,,,, and yet he’s not.God bless him, indeed.
It is funny to see how many just don’t get it, Carter recognized that BOTH democrats and republicans are the problem and yet the mindless partisan hacks who put party over country at every chance will immediately take to the internet and whine, cry, and Nash their teeth screaming Conservatives/Republicans/ Koch or Liberals / Democrats / Soros. When both parties are the problem and both parties sold out the American people. But, mindless partisan hacks who put party over country at every chance are only the second biggest problem we face.
You’re absolutely correct. It’s a self-serving gov’t, with no regards to political affiliation.
Gnash!
Another sign of Carters virulent anti semitism.:)
I like Jimmy,a humble man,who tells truth.Not a great president,but a good man. He was too conciliatory to opponents in his party and across the aisle.
We gave one more chance to make things right again…or America as it was once was will disappear forever…
Political Bribery Example #1 : Planned Parent gives megabucks to Obama, Hillary, … all on down the line. Videos show them haggling over prices for baby parts. No investigation. Why should they? Money is niiiiiiice.
Some of us are more reflexively susceptible to right-wing propaganda than others, fraudulent undercover videos or otherwise.
Give it up. You know the video is a lie.
I worked with President Carter about 40 years ago. I have never had any reason to regret the 18 hour days I spent working for this honorable man. Now if he’s just endorse Bernie Sanders, my love for him would be eternal:-)
Gosh darn. I had to click on the link > YouTube to listen to the entire video recording of the live broadcast. Yikes! Smart edit ;-)
Jimmy Carter is the most honest president in the last 60 years.
Right, so honest that he received millions of dollars from Chavez regime back in 2002 just to say that Venezuelan election were fair and clear, killing a glorious freedom rebellion happening at the time. Venezuelans freedom lovers despise Carter.
Like it wasn’t when he was president? We’re going to pretend that Citizens United changed everything?
Uh…yes, it did change everything.
You need to start reading more.
it completely changed everything. inform yourself
Certainly, corruption always existed but Citizens United wrote a whole new playbook and yes did change everything.
Educate yourself before posting stupid comments. Just because you are uninformed doesn’t mean everyone else is. Until CU there were limits on campaign contributions. You can use this thing called a “computer”, and a service called “Google” and look up all kinds of things that happened in the past. And not just the made-up things people want you to believe, but stuff that actually happened.
Thanks for reiterating this interview. Jimmy Carters words are profound and the more his words are quoted the better chance that people will get what is going on, not just in the US, but globally.
Ahhhhh, Jimmuh Carter…that magnificent peanut farmer who thinks that leaving Americans as hostages in Iran for 400 days instead of 500 days is an “achievement…
Ahhhhhhhh, Ronald Reagan… that magnificent B-movie actor who gave in to all the Iranian hostage taker’s demands and showed America and the world what a truly weak, spineless, and inept “leader” he would be for 8 years.
@Luther, you either (a) are too young and didn’t live through the Carter years, or (b) lived through it and are too mentally defective to know truth from fiction. You do nothing but spew MSNBC (the network of and for the brain damaged) talking points.
Fact is, Reagan accomplished all he did with democrat party control of both the house and the senate. Only during the clinton regime did congressional control transfer to the republicans. And that was due to shrillery attempting to take over health care, plus the House “check kiting” scandal, which got so many democrat party members voted out of the House and Senate.
And just like Obamacare, Shrillerycare was opposed by the majority of Americans.
Suck an egg.
MSNBC? Oh, right, the network of The Liberal Left™ according to the rightwingers who watch Joe Scarborough, Andrea Mitchell, Chris Matthews, and all the other liberals spokespeople for the far left.
Imagine if a Democratic president had gone behind a sitting Republican president during a hostage situation and said to the hostage takers, “Shhn! Don’t tell anyone but I’ll give you whatever you want to release the hostages! You just name the price!”
Somehow I’m thinking the same Liberal Left™ media that gave Ronald Reagan a complete free pass for that (just like they gave Bush a complete pass for 9.11 and sitting with his thumb up his ass for 7 minutes was praised as “great leadership”) would still be bringing that up every single time that Democratic administration’s name was mentioned.
And if you’re looking for someone to beat up for supporting Hillary Clinton, I’m not a Wall Street-loyal, Iran-Bombing, far-rightwing corporate clown like your clan who disagree with her solely because of the “D” next to her name – not because of her policies.
Since 1980 is something that occurred before your time, you might want to pick up a book about that era not written by Bill Kristol. Those of us who lived through it remember was a catastrophically inept and utterly idiotic president Bonzo was.
Shillary care;What?The plan? they put forward which was destroyed by that corporate commercial about Harry and Sally or something?Talk about cutting and running.That clued me in to the Clintons.They are nada.Yes Obombacare sucks,because it codified the medical complexes profits forever.with higher and higher premiums and lower and lower coverage.
Notice how talk of that merger of Cigna? and ? has disappeared?We are nothing but money chips to these creeps.
The only thing I can give Reagan credit for was his ending the idiotic cold war,since restarted by our modern morons of both parties.
Negotiating with Iran behind Carters back would be considered traitorous to many thinking people.And running guns to C.A. thugs is criminal also.
The MSM moved on quickly from those provocative events.They hated Jimmy.
Reagan was a deceitful thief and the worst president in my life time. That includes his buddy Greenspan. He stole the tax dollars we paid for Social Security and opened the door for every administration since. He messed up tax returns, my health insurance was employer paid till that puppet was elected. His term in office was his best acting performance in his career. And that’s not saying much since he was a lousy actor. He fooled the nation that trusted him. He was a poor excuse for a human.
The President’s name is Obama. Mrs. Clinton’s name is Hillary. Do you think that disrespectfully smushing up their names somehow makes you more persuasive? It doesn’t. It just makes you look like someone who isn’t articulate enough to criticize their policies on their merits, or lack thereof. Sad, really.
Hey….We won the Grenada War.
Actually,most of his career(early) was A movies,and he was a mediocre actor in both A and B,but his wife,Nancy Davis was very good.
Wasn’t the newspaper headline something to the effect Reagan In, Hostages Out?
What do you think would happen if someone introduced the following resolution on the floor of Congress:
“RESOLVED, that the United States is a plutocracy.”
Would anyone vote against it?
And imagine – if we just went ahead and told the truth about ourselves, voila! No more need for campaign finance hypocrisy. Just publish the price lists and be done with it.
We need to call it as it is. Corporations United. If it were truly Citizens United, we wouldn’t have the disgustingly corrupt system we have now., There are no citizens in Citizens United. If we citizens don’t take control, we’ll be like Charlie says, slaves/serfs in a feudal society where we don’t get the fruit, we get the shaft. Who are we to point fingers at other nations and call them corrupt? We can’t.
And, QED to President Carter’s point, this:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/31/jeb-bush-financing-iran-cuba
Money does not talk it swears
Darkness at the break of noon
Shadows even the silver spoon
The handmade blade, the child’s balloon
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying
Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn
From the fools gold mouthpiece
The hollow horn plays wasted words
Proved to warn
That he not busy being born
Is busy dying
Temptation’s page flies out the door
You follow, find yourself at war
Watch waterfalls of pity roar
You feel to moan but unlike before
You discover
That you’d just be
One more person crying
So don’t fear if you hear
A foreign sound to you ear
It’s alright, Ma, I’m only sighing
As some warn victory, some downfall
Private reasons great or small
Can be seen in the eyes of those that call
To make all that should be killed to crawl
While others say don’t hate nothing at all
Except hatred
Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their marks
Make everything from toy guns that sparks
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It’s easy to see without looking too far
That not much
Is really sacred
While preachers preach of evil fates
Teachers teach that knowledge waits
Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
Goodness hides behind its gates
But even the President of the United States
Sometimes must have
To stand naked
An’ though the rules of the road have been lodged
It’s only people’s games that you got to dodge
And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it
Advertising signs that con you
Into thinking you’re the one
That can do what’s never been done
That can win what’s never been won
Meantime life outside goes on
All around you
You lose yourself, you reappear
You suddenly find you got nothing to fear
Alone you stand without nobody near
When a trembling distant voice, unclear
Startles your sleeping ears to hear
That somebody thinks
They really found you
A question in your nerves is lit
Yet you know there is no answer fit to satisfy
Insure you not to quit
To keep it in your mind and not forget
That it is not he or she or them or it
That you belong to
Although the masters make the rules
For the wise men and the fools
I got nothing, Ma, to live up to
For them that must obey authority
That they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their jobs, their destinies
Speak jealously of them that are free
Cultivate their flowers to be
Nothing more than something
They invest in
While some on principles baptized
To strict party platforms ties
Social clubs in drag disguise
Outsiders they can freely criticize
Tell nothing except who to idolize
And then say “God bless him”
While one who sings with his tongue on fire
Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from society’s pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole
That he’s in
But I mean no harm nor put fault
On anyone that lives in a vault
But it’s alright, Ma, if I can’t please him
Old lady judges, watch people in pairs
Limited in sex, they dare
To push fake morals, insult and stare
While money doesn’t talk, it swears
Obscenity, who really cares
Propaganda, all is phony
While them that defend what they cannot see
With a killer’s pride, security
It blows the minds most bitterly
For them that think death’s honesty
Won’t fall upon them naturally
Life sometimes
Must get lonely
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards
False gods, I scuff
At pettiness which plays so rough
Walk upside-down inside handcuffs
Kick my legs to crash it off
Say okay, I have had enough
What else can you show me?
And if my thought-dreams could be seen
They’d probably put my head in a guillotine
But it’s alright, Ma, it’s life, and life only
Songwriters
Bob Dylan
I fully agree. I also believe the the ultimate goal of the owners of the politicians is to dismantle the Federal government, and establish a feudalistic state wherein 98% of the people labor in poverty, sickness, and ignorance while 2% enjoy the fruits of their (the 98%) labors.
Isn’t it already like that?
Jimmy Carter, a man apart.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Living_US_Presidents_2009.jpg
I Love Jimmy Carter!
There, I said it…
It’s amazing how much truth, always comes from Hindsight …….
Pearls of wisdom from of the U.S.’ best presidents.
But in politics nice guys don’t win so we got Reagan!
Money has always talked. And bulls hit walks. Look at Cleveland,Ohio and even the State of Ohio in the 60”s and 70’s.
Carter’s moratorium on nuclear power plants probably saved the world. We weren’t ready, we still aren’t, and nothing can be stored safely for a hundred thousand years. He purged the CIA, and they never forgave, and they never forgot.
Gosh. Ya’ think?
Consumer-Voting has always been more powerful than the actual voting booth. In other words vote with your dollars if you want real change.
For example: If you don’t like antibiotics in meat, a bigger potential threat than all worldwide terrorism combined, “spend your money” at stores like Whole Foods or Mom’s Organic Market that ban antibiotics or buy products without them.
If you support equal marriage rights spend money at businesses like Hyatt or Marriott, not businesses hostile to equal rights.
You can also “consumer-vote” by joining an advocacy organization for $20-$40 per year or some organizations like the ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, Amnesty International, etc. actually have online stores to buy hats, clothes, mugs, etc. to support issues close to you.
Government elections can always be gamed – your real voting power is how you spend your dollars every week! It’s the only real way to fix the system.
Ross:
I agree that Consumer-Voting can be of great influence, but I think you overstate its power. A Consumer needs the time to educate herself and money to spend at places like Whole Foods. Consumer-Voting is just not socioeconomically feasible for many, especially those who live in food deserts, where there is no access to fresh food, let alone Whole Foods or Mom’s Organic Market.
Thx for the reminder Ross. Truly important to be mindful. Any Apps that you know to help us support or avoid products?
You are vastly underestimating the power of strategic monopoly. When there are only a small number of “competitors” in a market, it is strategically better to cooperate rather than attempt to undercut your competitor. This type of market structure as an oligopoly. The US economy is dominated by monopolistic cooperation in media and telecom, consumer products, retail stores, healthcare, water and power, textbooks, etc. We are all forced into supporting organizations we do not agree with simply because they dominate every major market. With 99% of all new income going to the top 1%, the vast majority of Americans are going to be trying to maintain quality of life to worry about the source of their food and clothing. The most we can do is to consume less, which hurts small and independent businesses more than the multi-national conglomerates. As long as the Oligarchy owns the government, they also own the economy. We need strategy and cohesion to beat them, and we need maximum voter participation. Anything else would be like trying to slay a massive beast with toenail clippers. As long as they get to set the rules, they will always win the game.
#presidentjimmycarter tells it like it really is!
Right on target!!!!
In paraphrasing Carter in the body of this article, you write that Carter said both Republicans and Democrats think of this unlimited money as a boon to themselves. The actual quote is that “incumbents” are the ones who find this money to be a boon. That is a very different, important point.
If he, for instance, had said–“incumbents, of any stripe”–that wouldn’t make a dent in his meaning, but would make the error above in paraphrasing rather obvious.
Carter hits the mark. There is just too much money floating around our government, buying influence. Time to take back our democracy.
My performance piece, is now on YouTube. It is a political satire, entitled “Washington Money Talk”. Here is the link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etPwzJvhxyI
This should not be news to anyone. This has been evident for many years. Although it is now becoming so widely practiced as to be acceptable. One nation under god (money, power, self). It’s no wonder our troops kill themselves at alarming rates.
And the creation of DOE wasn’t a kickback to the Higher Education Industrial Complex or other industrial complex in any way?
I think Nixon started the predecessor to DOE with the goal of energy independence by 1980. It could be argued that Marcellus and Utica (any other known or unknown) shale plays make the US energy independent without the tax dollars going to some had US Gov body.
Correct. Yes it is conducted through it’s system of National Labs. NETL works hand in hand with public universities to fund bull shit research. Private companies can also receive handouts. General Electric may be the biggest to receive money to do road-to-nowhere research.
How is this not providing kickbacks to the various public and private industrial complexes.
It’s become an accepted fact. Carter is correct. The real question is how will the 300 million regain control over the several thousand?
“HARTMANN: Our Supreme Court has now said,’unlimited money in politics’. It seems like a violation of principles of democracy … your thoughts on that?”
I wish someone would ask some podium puppet this:
“If corporations are people, why can’t people be corporations?”
Think about it. In 2010 General Electric reported a dazzling $26 Billion in profits.
GE paid no taxes on the $26 Billion windfall, and, instead received $4 Billions in subsidies (guessing for offshoring their light bulb manufacturing to China).
The lame stream business face jobs are always ranting and raving about corporate tac “rates”, but they are mum on the effective, or actual rate, which, means GE’s tax rate for 2010 was a negative 17%.
To most, when A = B, then B (also) = A.
Simple, right? But to the SC, when the equation goes one way it don’t necessarily mean it go the other way.
Mother Nature does not believe in god. Doesn’t it seem as though Mother Nature attacks those areas with the highest number of religious people. She hurls her fire balls, creates drought and tosses her waves onto areas where people believe the myths of a god that plagiarizes her own powers. She is the all-powerful and it seems she has had enough after 3 thousand years of not being respected. What did we think would happen? Oh right, thinking is not allowed when you believe in a god. Here is where science could meet religion head on. Why not produce a study entailing the number and severity of Mother Nature’s wrath, even just a few of her events like tornadoes, volcanoes and tsunamis, and then correlate to data of highest number of churches where her powers are plagiarized and disrespected the most. The results might be curious don’t you think? I myself am extremely angry and tired of the fact that a creature from a story can be used to create so much destruction to our mother earth. If you get a bit confused about why your god doesn’t answer you and instead produces acts to torture you, you should probably wake up to the fact that your god is not a reality and that you are being lead blindly into a life of poverty, abuse and misery. Fools. Mother nature asks only to be respected and that we respect ourselves. She does not want your money or for you to command women and children and all other living beings that she has created. She wanted us all to simply be creative ourselves. A few rich men wanted more though. Well now they have it. I hope they rot in their own feces. Our worlds are crumbling as they cut down trees, destroy water quality, torture then kill animals and in general remove Mother Nature’s own systems of balance, all in the name of capitalistic enterprise. No surprise. I always picture Boss Hog when I think of those bastards who created religion to manipulate masses of people away from their land, from their self, from their ability to create a good honest living and THE GREAT MOVEMENT TOWARDS FEAR instead. Sweaty, greasy, fat, obnoxious, narcissists with children chained in their basements and women brainwashed into thankfulness for being allowed to wash their assholes. That is the picture I have of the men behind the largest sting that has occurred on earth and we will all pay for their greediness. Bastards!!!
Mother nature can be a BIG angry beast and humans are poking it with sticks. Unlike what it says in “the good book”, we don’t have dominion over anything and better wake up soon or it will be too late to even “pray” for help. I’m astonished that here in the 21st century a lot of people,(politicians), believe in myths and fairy tales, and use these old tales to form public policy. I just don’t know to whom I need to talk to because my letters to my senators don’t seem to do any good.
Everybody has a need to believe in something;What do you believe in?Nothing?Sounds too hopeless for human consumption,it would make people wacky,hate themselves, their gender,and hate humanity,as is being played out in America.There’s no faith in mother nature either,other than fear of the weather(50 million targeted!)How about mother nature=god?
My hunch is all plants animal insects, everything alive on this planet, are just splinters of something, call it god if you want, that wants to experience itself in this context called life. I include mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and the ebola virus in that category of living things, of course. When we die we go back whence we came, into the melting pot, if we want. We are all connected. That much I know. Some of us are more connected than others, for better or worse.
Have always wondered why Carter went all gangbusters to get pull the CIA operatives, err US embassy staffers when the US Fudge Packed Shaw was sent packing by Iranian patriots, and approved a plan for a rescue raid that failed miserably.
Carter could have, instead, called the Iranian Revolutionary Counsel, and asked for permission to have a flight plan approved for Air Force 1 to land in Tehran and bring them back to the US.
Digging into who had Carter’s ear when the decision was made turned up a cradle to grave gaggle of a DC insider family, the Kimmits.
John Kimmit, was Carters Military Advisor.
Robert Kimmit, left government, for a while, after 9 slash `leven, to be the head honcho editorial director for CNN”s foreign affairs crew. After he made sure Julia and Chalabi were sufficiently gate keep-ed, at CNN, or maybe before, he was the CEO at a big US industrial genocide conglomerate that sold ordnance and and other “pleasurable” killing apparatus to the military.
After Robert did the needed deed in those two shops, he got a gig as Bush II’s 2ed number two at the Department of the Treasury.
The other Kimmit sibling was General Kimmit . His claim to fame was being the warden at Abu Gahrib, where people who should have been vetted and denied entry into into our uniformed services, fed their fantasies and overcame inferiority complexes by spending there work hours humiliating and abusing and photoing Iraqi victims at Abu Garib. As soon as Gen Kimmit got the job done, meaning, a sufficient quantity of images were released to the American public to assure “if they didn’t hate before, they sure as heck hate us now”, he was reassigned to the Pentagon, where he secretly swooned in his office with memories of Abu Gahrib, when he wasn’t polishing brass door knobs or peep tomming in the men’s shower at the Pentagon gym.
The DieBold assures Mafiosa families get cushy fun jobs in the executive branch, fed sure.
It is impossible to imagine a person with Carter’s sense of fair play and ethics being in office today. He was the last good president, the last of the ‘new deal’ presidents following FDR’s lead: after Carter came Reagan in 1980–which was the beginning of the big push to privatize, deregulate government, along with a host of horrible legislation: war on drugs ‘zero tolerance’ laws (3 strikes you’re out!), war on unions, his denial of the AIDS epidemic (he was actually quoted saying that those who died from AIDS deserved to die because “they offended the Lord”), and don’t forget Reagan appointee James Watt as the most anti-environmental Secretary of Interior ever (government owned lands leased to coal mining quintupled during his term as Secretary of the Interior). You can also thank Reagan’s election manager Lee Atwater for demonizing liberals, blacks, and progressives. Reagan and Atwater were largely responsible for instigating the GIANT rift we now have between conservatives and liberals in USA. Karl Rove picked up where Regan’s Atwater left off.
Jimmy Carter was a death-squad funding, mass murdering corporate hack when he was in office and now he’s making a living traveling around the world talking about peace and democracy (and I’m certain that Obama will do the same once he’s out of office) … Of course, it’s true that the US is, and always has been, ruled by a corrupt oligarchy. But nobody needed war criminal Jimmy Carter to tell them that.
Some would say that he’s doing this because he came out of office and had an “epiphany” where he realized that his facilitation of the murder of hundreds of thousands of people was wrong, and is now working to make amends … but I don’t think that scum like Carter ever have this kind of “change of heart”. His heart is totally cold and rotten – it is the heart of a killer, a corrupt bureaucrat, a backer of genocide – and he only truly cares about serving himself and his wealthy masters.
The best way he can serve them from his current position is to run around preaching “peace” and “democracy”. Doing so helps portray the leadership of the capitalist state as compassionate and well-meaning (without affecting current policy at all), and takes the focus off of his actions while he was in office. And it pays well.
I think you’re a bit too hard on Carter, he wasn’t anywhere as bad as those who’ve served since. He actually brokered peace between Egypt and Israel, not to mention brought in energy conservation.
Carter, like any other human being, has had his failings. But in terms of morality and truthfulness he stands head and shoulders above every single president that succeeded him. In fact, it was his candor that led in large part to his loss to Reagan in 1980. Carter correctly assessed what the future will bring, and articulated the need for change. He was also the architect for a balanced foreign policy in the Middle East, a policy which if followed by his successors would have literally saved a million lives (not to mention a couple trillion dollars). But the American public was and is unwilling to accept anything other than the fairy tales that Reagan and his successors have told them. Morning in America. The shining beacon on a hill. American exceptionalism. All that bullshit.
Well after his presidency he basically eradicated guinea worm disease, and probably made millions of lives better because of it.
Habitat for humanity has helped a lot of people.No shrubs in sight.
This was a great article because everything was so clearly stated. I just don’t understand why these new age conservative extremists focus on control of women’s reproduction.
Because it’s a divisive issue that brings religious conservatives to the polls. Pro-lifers are generally one-issue voters and are far more emphatic about destroying the right to choose than pro-choicers are about defending that right.
Womens’ issues, race issues, and gender identity issues are the only things that separate the two branches of the Party, and both branches have to make a big deal of their stands, and create as much acrimony over them as possible, so as to divert the attention of the electorate from their thievery and murder. Despite what they might say to get a few progressive votes, they are united in their favor of wealth transfer to the extremely rich, of unlimited government surveillance, of promoting a climate of fear, of propagating disinformation, of climate change denial, and of conducting endless war.
I am not saying that the issues that divide them are unimportant in principle, but for example ensuring that everyone has the right to vote is meaningless when there are no real choices. North Korea and China point with pride to their voter turnouts, but nobody is fooled. Americans, on the other hand, are fooled by the appearance that they are somehow exerting influence when they vote for a democrat or republican. Are they really any different from the North Koreans in that regard? I think not.
How many Americans know that popular vote doesn’t even win the election. Some elite makes the real vote on your behalf. How quaint.
” … the only things that separate the two branches of the Party, and both branches have to make a big deal of their stands, …” ?
“Despite what they might say to get a few progressive votes, they are united … ” ?
“I am not saying that the issues that divide them are unimportant in principle, but for example ensuring that everyone has the right to vote is meaningless when there are no real choices.” ?
Response: Vote the lesser of the two evils or vote Bernie! ? ;-)
“Vote the lesser of the two evils or vote Bernie! ? ”
Reverse that: Vote Bernie, and as a contingency…vote the LOTE.
I would like to thank President Carter for his comments, and for validating what I have unfortunately come to believe—that I no longer live in any form of an elected democracy or federalist republic! We have been sold to the über-rich, and forced into an economy of war mongering and fear, of surveillance worse than any previous fascist state, and have no real representation. The experiment has failed! I strongly suspected it, but didn’t want to believe it! Time to wake up! Thank you, Mr. Carter for setting the record straight! Truth win out, even if it is tragically bad news!
I like Jimmy Carter.
He saw a ufo and said that he did.
This proved to me that he was his own man.
A politician that was his own man is a rare and valuable breed as sarce as hens teeth.
He still speaks truth to power and I love him for that.
He is right about the oligarchy running American politics but old men are not listened to, in this modern world.
Maybe it’s just a malaise…
thanks for this @Intercept
absolutely correct
If you look at the history of lobbyists in America, you can see the corruption all the way back. I wouldn’t want to live in any other country–but I don’t think our founding fathers were practicing anything close to Democracy. Its obvious they only meant free white male land owners to experience it. So is Democracy a success for all? I don’t think it ever ha been. Maybe our blend of Democracy/Republic/Socialism is a better version.
US trails most social democracies in measures of human development such as; press freedoms, corruption levels, social mobility, income inequality, etc. So there is a better way and we have real world examples out there. They all limit money going into politics.
Hi there Mason Thomas – and emm –
Yes, the U. S. does have some real catching up to do in those regards. Trick is, trying to get folks to realize that we ARE in the grip of an oligarchy and start looking for ways to address this. If you look around, there’s still a lot of blaming the poor for being poor, for example.
As far at the U.S. democracy in general; certainly a lot of the Founding Fathers were slave holders who felt African-Americans didn’t deserve citizenship rights. We also know that this country was also build on the abuses of Native Americans. And women? Well, we only got the vote in 1920!!!
However, there have been some times of progress, however halting or infrequent. What troubles me is that we now seem to be in a time of REgression. There seems to be a lot of racism coming out. The mass surveillance that we’re concerned about affects even those who would claim “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” (will they ever wake up?) I think folks see this big money in gov’t and elections and shrug resignedly and feel that’s the way things are and there’s nothing to be done.
And THAT attitude should concern everyone.
“Divided = Conquered, But United = Empowered!”
“I wouldn’t want to live in any other country–but I don’t think our founding fathers were practicing anything close to Democracy.”
Why do you not want to live in a better society?
You have rightly seen the error of America.
Yet you would not live elsewhere, under a better system?
This is American exceptionalism at work within you.
Can you not see that the system is fatally flawed?
Yet you would not live in another system.
This is the problem and the solution is drastic change.
As you state wisely the founding fathers were greedy men with self interest. They formed a system that advanced the prosperous by the blood, sweat and tears of slaves.
Nothing has changed yet you would not live under another system.
Please explain.
You love your country, that much is clear and understandable from your indoctrination of pledging allegiance daily at school. Can you expand further from your insight of wrong doing to encompass a total change?
You come and basically try to reply to both those who’d agree with what you say and those who disagree with what you say with equal and unnecessary vigour. I don’t really understand it, and I’m not sure you realise it. Not everybody is out to get you (I’m not, and I don’t believe emm is either). :)
Say what?
What the fuck?
Scroll by if “I don’t really understand it, and I’m not sure you realise it.” “”with equal and unnecessary vigour.”
Have it both ways.
Please yourself, I do.
Who would you have me be, YOU.
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/ricky-nelson/garden-party.html
I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name
No one recognized me, I didn’t look the same
CHORUS
But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can’t please everyone, so ya got to please yourself
People came from miles around, everyone was there
Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air
‘n’ over in the corner, much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan’s shoes wearing his disguise
CHORUS
lott-in-dah-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah
Played them all the old songs, thought that’s why they came
No one heard the music, we didn’t look the same
I said hello to “Mary Lou”, she belongs to me
When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave
CHORUS
lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah
Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode
Playing guitar like a-ringin’ a bell and lookin’ like he should
If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck
But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck
CHORUS
lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah
‘n’ it’s all right now, learned my lesson well
You see, ya can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself
I for one love your poetic justice ;)
Recent politicians saying money controls politics? Probably Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren may have. As for older examples —
According to Glenn Greenwald, the outcome of Citizens United was a good thing. It would be too messy and complex to try and regulate corporate free speech, despite the fact corporations are artificial entities created by state law. So stop complaining, lets take our 120 IQ levels, foreign language ability, and law degrees( all citizens are as gifted as he is aren’t we? ) and campaign for publicly funded elections.
Glenn is wrong on this one!
While Glenn has nuanced reasons for agreeing with the outcome, he is wrong. I don’t care who says it, money is not speech. It’s not speech for poor people, it’s not speech for middle class people, and its not speech for rich people. Money is a bargaining tool. The problem came when people bought into the entire notion of money as speech.
It’s odd. Do you know how hard it is for single mother, to raise kids while working at a fast food venue? On top of that during the during the early 80’s or late 70’s when life was intensely male dominated? He supposedly went through that. Not a single article expressing sympathy for the economic plight of the poor/middle class. Never advocating on their behalf. And don’t tell me there’s too many causes to write about. GG writes about what he knows. Being poor and being raised by a single mother working a crap job defines your childhood.