A Great ex-President

Although Jimmy Carter is generally—and I think accurately—percived as an ineffective and altogether unremarkable president, I think that he has been the most outstanding EX-president that we have had in (at least my) living memory. He has worked tirelessly and devotedly, if a bit naively, to improve the lot of PEOPLE in the world, and I think he is widely respected and in some places even revered for his on-going efforts on behalf of disadvantaged people everywhere.

His observations of the world and what goes on therein seem to me to be frequently right on target.

So it is with satisfaction and a sense of "yep, Carter's a pretty perceptive guy" that I read of his recent comments regarding the Bush presidency, which are increasingly reflective of everybody in America who is not emotionally or politically required to continue supporting G.W. Bush. From an AP article of 20 May:

Carter was quoted Saturday as saying "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history."

The Georgia Democrat said Bush had overseen an "overt reversal of America's basic values" as expressed by previous administrations, including that of his own farther, former President George H.W. Bush.

Absolutely true on both counts, I would say, and (a) apparent to an increasing percentage of Americans, and (b) destined to be the emphatic and universal judgment of historians as time goes by and more of what goes on in this administration comes to light.