RE: Jimmy Carter

The former president “felt certain affinities with the Palestinian: a tendency toward hyperactivity and a workaholic disposition with unremitting sixteen-hour days, seven days a week, decade after decade.”

Hopefully, Carter's "affinities" did not include any toward Arafat's notorious pederasty. Even so, one tends to be known by the company one keeps.

His hatred for Sharon is deep, obvious, and personal. At times he seems to use the man as a proxy for Israel: in other words, it’s okay openly to despise Sharon, if it’s slightly less okay openly to despise Israel.

Which goes a long way toward explaining Carter's insane dichotomy on Israel's right to defend itself, but no moral standing to exercise said right. Carter hates Israel and he hates Jews, but he also understands that open anti-Semitism will relegate him to the historical landfill with all the other bigots. All of his activities in the Middle East become quite easy to understand when placed in that context.

The ex-president is known as Joe Human Rights, but he’s mighty selective about whose human rights to champion. If you live in Marcos’s Philippines, Pinochet’s Chile, or apartheid South Africa, he’s liable to care about you. If you live in Communist China, Communist Cuba, Communist Ethiopia, Communist Nicaragua, Communist North Korea, Communist . . .: screw you.

This was his legacy during and after his Presidency. It is well said when observed that Carter never met a totalitarian communist dictator he didn't love.