Posted by
Miguel Diocuore Ph.D. on Monday, July 06, 2009 4:09:04 PM
Déjà vu, Carter, Jimmy
As I gazed onto a parade route sprinkled with red, white and-blue everything on July 4, I thought about what patriots past and present have sacrificed for our freedom. I also thought about the people in Iran fighting for azadi, the Persian word for freedom.
The White House has offered what amounts to diplomatic dribble in response to their plight for liberty. I'm not saying our president should send militia to muscle the mullahs, but shouldn't he at least show stronger solidarity for the protesters? Isn't it time his actions superseded his rhetoric?
Is it just me or is anyone else experiencing a Carter déjà vu?
Carter didn't do enough to support an Iranian popular revolt. Carter's foreign policy was ridiculously idealistic. Carter believed that he could negotiate his way out of anything. Carter tried to pacify every party. Carter believed international thugs and terrorists could be swayed from extremism by simply presenting them what he thought was a better way.
Negotiating with extremists has never worked. Trying to reform them only morphs them into different monsters. And who can prove that more in the 20th century than President Jimmy Carter?
Carter is a major reason that we are in our Middle Eastern dilemma with Iran today because, while allegedly fighting for human rights, he set the stage for the rise of two of the worst human rights violators in history – the Ayatollah Khomeini and ultimately his modern successor, the current president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
As many recall, during the early 1970s, democratic-flavored reforms flourished in Iran because of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, from economic and educational reforms, to increased rights for women, religious minorities, etc. And the Nixon and Ford administrations applauded and rewarded these reforms.
With Carter's induction as president and push for human rights in international affairs, the Shah's popularity declined, because of accusations that he tortured thousands of prisoners. Carter demanded the Shah release political prisoners, break up military trials, permit free assemblies, among other requests – all of which only fostered political and social unrest.
Carter's push for social reform in the name of human rights prompted the further uprising of extremists and anti-government rallies. And, by the fall of 1977, anti-Shah Shiite clergy and university students conducted well-organized resistances. Carter's connection and influence over the Shah prompted this pro-western leader's backlash in Iran and around the world. Even while visiting the White House in November 1977, the Shah and his empress were met by thousands of protesters.
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