Revisionist Takedowns Must Stop
Old white man here.
I first learned that former President Jimmy Carter died last night. I was on my way to bed, so didn’t invest much mental energy in that demise. A good night’s sleep is more important than that.
This morning, sitting in the sunshine on a bench in Washington Square Park in Philadelphia (my new home), I noted the flag at half staff. This prompted reflection.
I never liked Jimmy Carter. I was 19 when I voted for him in 1976, my first election.
I was young, idealistic, poorly educated and naive at the time.
I did not share his values, vision, or politics (far too southern, Christian, rural, technocratic, and commercial for me). But I always felt that Carter was a good man, was properly motivated, and worked hard. But he was a lousy President.
I always got the sense that Carter’s foreign policy was not his own, but rather dictated to him by the National Security State, whom he lacked a spine to stand up to.
Domestically, I think he is more accountable for his Neoliberal deregulatory policies.
Yes, don’t deify the man, but don’t dance on his grave either.
I don’t apologize for any of that or make any excuses for it or for any of that. All that is irrelevant now.
I am disgusted by revisionists who condemn all that in light of today’s perspective, largely as a cheap shot and opportunistic attack on today’s journalists and politics.
I grow sick and tired of revisionist takedowns –
Yesterday, I actually read a piece at Jacobin attacking Jane Jacobs as an advocate of (or liberal dupe for) racist gentrification and defending Robert Moses as a progressive champion of good government.
This is a lie.
This opportunistic shit has got to stop.