Reply #72: Our memory of Carter's Presidency has become distorted

[Go2Peace]

He was the first president to get serious rewriting by the Republican machine as it ramped up. They annihilated his reputation.

His administration was the strongest environmental administration we have had. Despite Reagan and Bush almost killing the superfund, a lot of neighborhoods are far less toxic and families healthier because of it. If it wasn't for his administration we would have a lot less of our pristine wilds left. I believe more lands were set aside for preservation in his administration than in any other.

His human rights work was exemplerary and he gets far less credit for it than he should. His administration was much more critical in the fall of the Soviet Union than people want to give him credit for. That bumbling fool of agression Reagan did almost everything he could to get us into a serious conflict with the USSR. I believe that Carter's peace work and meetings with USSR leaders is what gave the Russians perspective that kept their paranoia down through that serious time.

Carter's work on Nuclear reduction (SALT treaties) was so significant it withstood heavy assault and (mostly) lasted through several agressive administrations. Again, this was instrumental in keeping nuclear war at bay, if only for what it represented.

Carter's energy policy was brilliant and way before his time. He should get much more serious credit. If it had not been sabotagued by the following administrations the US would be mountains ahead and the world a far less dangerous place. It's unfortunate we are too stubborn to recognize the genius of where he was trying to lead the US.

Unemployment was at 9% and inflation was already at 5.8% in 1976, it increased to 7.7% through 1978, but household income also grew 5%. It was the oil crisis and what was an unprecidented shortage and spike in prices that did his administration in. Oil doubled in price overnight, and because we still had fairly un-manipulated indicators (fairly honest numbers, unlike now), it was completely reflected in inflation numbers, which jacked to 13.8% by 1980. It was mostly oil shock that stopped the economy, there was no awareness of our dependence on oil and we used it without any consideration for interruptions or price changes.

Despite what happened on his "watch", Carter did a hell of a lot in only a few years (latter 1.5 years was pretty much dealing with the oil and hostage crisis right?).

If we take off the right wing spun glasses and really look at his tenure, it had some fairly phenominal components. If he had been re-elected I have no doubts that we would be living in a significantly different world.