State of the Union by Carl Moore

Tags: looks-, like-jimmy-carter, sunflower.. Add Tags

Comments (36) Jump to Comments Form

wndrwrthg said, 4 months ago

The lying, thieving, murdering fools that were raygun, bush 1 and little cheney georgie have completely destroyed the credibility of this once great nation. Those who worship these grotesque monsters are the true enemies of America.
HUMPHRIES said, 4 months ago

Hey Markie, I was a career Army man. I just love how you wingnut crackpots are so good with the patriotic bravado as long as it’s someone else going in harms way. And stop your d@med lying about libs cheering aout loses in Iraq and Afghanistan. Buttthead, you’re an insult, NO ONE cheers the loss of comrad,familymember or loved one except sour johnny one notes like you looking for something to complain about.
rmleon said, 4 months ago

Abortion is murder. War is hell.
sablebrush5 said, 4 months ago

Jimmy Carter gave us 21% interest rates, 13% inflation, 9% unemployment, humiliation in Iran and gas lines from here to eternity. Obama is well on his way to repeating that sterling record.
Jor-El said, 4 months ago

HUMPHRIES: Thank you for your service to our country.

FLS: Reagan made mistakes, but so did every man who ever occupied the White House.

Investor’s Business Daily published an assessment of the Carter presidency:

“In the name of human rights, Jimmy Carter gave rise to one of the worst human rights violators in history–the Ayatollah Khomeini–and the current Iranian government which vows to annihilate the state of Israel.”

The crux of the story was that Carter orchestrated the removal of the pro-Western Shah of Iran for his alleged human rights violations.

The Shah was replaced by the religious mullahs and their Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.

“The mullahs hated the Shah not because he was an oppressive dictator. They hated him because he was a secular, pro-Western leader who, in addition to other initiatives, was expanding the rights and roles of women in Iranian society.”

Amnesty International concluded that the Islamic regime “executed more people in its first year in power than the Shah had allegedly killed in the previous 25 years.”

“On Nov. 4, 1979, some 400 Khomeini followers broke down the door of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, seizing the compound and the Americans inside. The hostage takers posed for the cameras next to a poster with a caricature of Carter and the slogan: America cannot do a (bleep) thing.”

It wasn’t until the 154th day of the 444 day crisis that Carter broke off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.

On April 24, 1980, Carter ordered the military to mount a rescue mission. Code-named Operation Eagle Claw, the mission was a catastrophic failure. Three Marines and five Airmen were killed.

While Carter claims to be a proponent and guardian of human rights, his record tells a far different story. As president, he supported many dictators including Marcos (Philippines), General Zia al Huq (Pakistan) and King Faud (Saudi Arabia).

At the time, in violation of U.S. law, he visited Cuba.

An embarrassment to President Clinton, Carter certified rigged elections in Haiti which precipitated a coup.

He spoke kindly of the now deceased North Korean dictator Kim Il-Sung; and blasted President Bush’s “axis of evil” pronouncement by saying that North Korea was not an “outlaw nation”.

North Korea now threatens to destroy the United States.

Carter praised Yasser Arafat–a known terrorist with a long record of atrocities–while condemning Israel as the cause of tensions in the Middle East.

Nicaraguan Marxist Manuel Noriega [of the Sandinista-Contra conflict] was also given a thumbs-up by Jimmy Carter.

When Hugo Chavez, the Marxist dictator of Venezuela, was forced into a recall election by the opposition party, he summoned Carter to come and monitor the vote count.

Polling indicated that 2 out of 3 voters were opposed to Chavez, and exit polls showed 66% in favor of recall.

It seemed as if Chavez would be ousted, but surprisingly the final vote tally–which Carter certified–was only 42% in favor of recall.

But we cannot overlook the meat and potatoes of Carter’s legacy: stagflation, crippling fuel shortages and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Carter’s response to the Afghan invasion was to support the mujahdeen who were led by Osama bin Laden.

By 1982, 90% of Afghan’s Muslim population had joined bin Laden’s army.

After the Soviets were ousted, the Taliban ruled the country and established camps to train foreign Islamic fighters.

History would later trace the attack on September 11, 2001 back to bin Laden and the Afghan training camps.

Carter’s vaunted Camp David Accords, and dubious land-for-peace deals, proved to be dismal failures.

Carter will accept responsibilty for nothing in that he blames President Clinton and Israel for his failed Mideast policies.

Clinton dropped the ball, says Carter, and Israel is obstructionist.

Investor’s Business Daily concluded that “Jimmy Carter was the worst president in history.”

I only pray, for the sake of our nation, that President Obama does not supersede him.
Vasmosn said, 4 months ago

Jor-el…I was looking over your post, seeing what I thought were a few factual errors, a few possible exaggerations and other things that could be nit-picked at about Jimmy Carter. I’d never heard of Investor’s Business Daily so I was following along interested. Then I came to the part where they called him the “worst president ever” and they lost ALL credibility. Then I went to their website to confirm my opinion and yep, they deserve no credibility at all. I was going to go point-by-point on some of the issues you bring up but I figure, what’s the use? When you start off with Carter “orchestrating” the removal of the Shah, you have nowhere to go but up.
GJ_Jehosaphat said, 4 months ago

Re: Former President Carter Bashing by Carl Moore et. al.

Who would U rather help U build a House (Real Estate NOT Congressional)? Carter OR BUSH I OR Bush II?

Ok, Now who’s responsible for building the “House Of Cards” (as described by some folks) of the Current Economic Mess? I would say Bush II & his Cronies in Wall Street & Banks that do more than offer Savings Accounts & Loans to business’ & individuals.

Now here’s the INTEREST-ing part - Long List of #’s. It’s a compilation of “Bank Prime Loan Rates” From 1/1/1949 TO 6/1/2009. The INTEREST-ing thing is to scroll from the TOP to the BOTTOM of the list while Remembering Significant Historical Events as U pass each date.

How About Them CD’s ( Certificates of Deposit NOT Compact Disc). I used to go the the Bank with my Mom when I was a kid to put money earned from helping out on the family farm in a Savings Account. When I had enough to purchase a CD, I’d happily go and buy one for the Future!

Don’t remember what CD’s interest rates were then, but (say) in 1966, lets use the Prime Rate which was around 5%. If I could get 5% interest on my Savings Account OR CD I would be “happy-er”, Check what your Bank is offering for savings account & CD holders - less than 5% at my Bank.

I remember purchasing CD’s back in the late 70’s and early 80’s - around 11% to 12%. That was $$ in the Bank Guaranteed! Of course borrowing musta been horrendous paying 20% for the privilege - never had a bank loan until a Student Loan in the 1980’s at a special rate of 8%.

I’ve been paying around 8% to 14% for my credit cards during the Bush II years in office (good credit rating scores). Got a letter from my credit card company last month telling me to get ready for 18% interest rates (I usually pay the balance each month) coming in December.

So would I blame President Obama? Nope - I’d blame the Jerks who gamble with my $$ (& our futures) who took advantage of the System & Loop Holes that created this Economic Mess.
Don’t blame either Republican or Democrat Politicians EXCEPT for those who voted for De-Regulation of Banks and the lack of Regulation in Stocks & Derivatives Trading.

For the List of Prime Loan Rates:

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/MPRIME.txt
GJ_Jehosaphat said, 4 months ago

P.S. Googling “Bank Deregulation History” results in a Google List 1930 to 2009 - Pick your topic of interest & it’s gotta bar graph corresponding to articles! Cool!!!!!!

http://www.google.com/search?q=bank+deregulation+history&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&sa=X&tbs=tl:1&tbo=1&ei=M75dSpq-EI7EsQO3mdibCg&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11

U’ll have to Copy & Paste the link or just Google:
Bank Deregulation History - to get your own link!
He-Manatee said, 4 months ago

Way up top, did Farleftside REALLY suggest to people that they get information from Wikipedia?

Farleft, are you the only one left (no pun intended) who doesn’t know that Wikipedia is NOT reliable?

Folks, if you read Wikipedia and believe anything they say, you are a moron. There are plenty of reliable sources out there. Find them. It’ll take a few extra seconds, but it’ll be worth it.
SQUIDBREAKER said, 4 months ago

@Jor-el:

Can you get a job with the washington post? You have a larger grip on detail than anybody there.

………………………………………………………………….
Never trust anything that sound like Wiccha…….or wicca,,,,,or wikipedia.
SQUIDBREAKER said, 4 months ago

This country is in dire straits.

On election day the majority of people fell for the ‘money for nothing’ lyrics.

Change ‘chicks’ to cigarettes in the lyrics and you get Acorn.

Now we have a squirrel for a president, who runs Acorn, being encouraged by a peanut head. There’s a real nut case to crack.

Can people with a sense of humor still post here?

A.
BirishB said, 4 months ago

aaahhhh …..

It’s like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a chilly night.

It sure is comforting to know that some things from the right never, ever change:

When you run out of things to say, start playing revisionist historian.

When you no longer have anything to say about the current Democratic leader, start comparing him to Jimmy Carter.

BTW – I’d gladly accept two more Jimmy Carters than one more Bush.
Jor-El said, 4 months ago

Vasmosn:

The PDF of the IBD editorial is linked here:

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/images/IBDeditorials_CarterSeries.pdf

Their home link:

http://www.investors.com/

Investor’s Business Daily is a reputable journal of stock investment, economics, financial and business news.

They have published nationally for 25 years.

Aggregate news outlets such as Yahoo, AOL and Breitbart subscribe to IBD.

That you have not heard of them does not mean they lack credibility…

…it only shows that you are not very well read.

You have learned well from Saul Alinsky’s book, Rules for Radicals–a Marxist primer.

If you disagree with an opinion…

…simply demean and dismiss the source.

That escape doesn’t require much intellectual rigor.

I know that someone else will take issue with U.S. support of the Shah prior to Jimmy Carter so let me defuse that right now.

Let me be clear.

The United States has backed some unseemly people including Saddam Hussein.

I do not approve of a foreign policy that props up bad guys simply because they are our bad guy.

President Carter did not like the Shah of Iran because of alleged human rights violations.

I make no excuses for the Shah.

Having said that, Carter mishandled the situation which laid the groundwork for the Iranian problem today.
BirishB said, 4 months ago

GJ ….

You absolutely, 100% hit the mark on this one:

“Don’t blame either Republican or Democrat Politicians EXCEPT for those who voted for De-Regulation of Banks and the lack of Regulation in Stocks & Derivatives Trading.”

I know some folks don’t like anecdotes, but here’s one anyway. I know someone who was on the forecasting committee of Morgan Stanley in the late 1970’s. He was charged with authoring a report that would forecast how the political climate of the 1980’s might impact Morgan Stanley’s business.

The report he and the committee produced? Said that significant deregulation was anticipated that would create significant opportunity to capitalize on business opportunities; said that the 1980’s would harbor in an era of unprecedented corporate growth; said that the anticipated deregulation would shift the balance of wealth from individuals to corporate entities.

People like to say that the housing crisis caused our downturn. Wiser folks look at the credit crisis. However, those without blinders know that the cause was multifaceted and was aided, in large part, by nearly three decades of rampant, irresponsible deregulation. Kudos.
mroberts88 said, 4 months ago

Marktrail, how has Bush made us any safer from terrorists? The Patriot act? That was illegal. Beefing up airport security? Thats only for the passengers, not airport personnel. How has Bush, in any way, made us safer?
BirishB said, 4 months ago

Jor-El …

That editorial loses its credibility in the first four paragraphs.

Quotes Carter disagreeing with preemptive strike when our liberty is not threatened. Next paragraph makes the statement that Islamofascists flying planes into buildings IS a threat.

While it is indisputable that flying planes into buildings is a threat, it is also indisputable that Iraq had no role in 9/11, nor in harboring terrorists that participated in 9/11.

The editorial was written in 2007 when many of these facts had already come to light.

I’ll read the rest, but I suppose I know what I’ll find (including a complete whitewashing of the Bush 41/CIA role in arming and empowering Osama Bin Laden; complete ignorance of Clinton efforts to disarm North Korea undermined by Bush 43 policies; and a general lack of appreciation for any fact that contradicts the assertion that Carter is to blame for “9/11 … al-Qaida, the
Taliban, Hezbollah and a nuclear Iran and North Korea.”)

For anyone interested in a report dealing with our situation in Iraq, I suggest the James Baker report “Strategic Energy Policy: Challenges for the 21st Century.” Published in April 2001.

Take note of the parts where Baker thinks the US ought to use military force to oust Hussein to gain unfettered access to natural resources.
Jor-El said, 4 months ago

This is interesting, Jimmy Carter opposes Obama’s Afghan surge; and Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter’s National Security Adviser, asked:

“What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the Afghan defeat of the Soviet Union? Some stirred-up Muslims or the fall of the Soviet Empire?”

That line of reasoning troubles me deeply, but it gives us insight into the decision making process of the Carter White House.

What would have been the outcome of the Soviet-Afghan war if the United States had been hands-off?

Would Al Qaeda and the Taliban have prevailed?

Would 9/11 have happened?

The Unite States has a confounding knack of executing flawed foreign policy.

At one point we sided with Ho Chi Mihn…Fidel Castro…Saddam Hussein.

This has gotten us into trouble more often than not.

And Carter is not the only president to get burned playing with fire.
harleyquinn said, 4 months ago

That weed was pulled only after 4 years. Lets hope we can be so lucky this time around with Smiling Obama.
SQUIDBREAKER said, 4 months ago

Harleyquinn: the voice of reason.

Not the voice of math though. We have exactly 31/2 years left of the Acorn head.
Jor-El said, 4 months ago

GJ_Jehosaphat:

You’ve given us a lot of homework. I appreciate your intellectual integrity and curiosity, and that of BirishB as well.

I was a banker during Clinton’s Administration. If I get the time I’d like to post my knowledge and understanding of how regulatory policy affected our business in those days.
kjhesser said, 4 months ago

Anyone who says they would rather have another Carter for President is a Peanut Head who was not alive during his admin. Even the liberal papers such as we had were showing peaple living in caves, the economy was horrible. This currant economy is not the fault of conservatives. Who’s been in power in the Congress and Senate? Not conservatives. Until we have spending in the right direction, cut out the social welfare programs that just make more dependents sucking off the government teat, our country is going downhill toward destruction.
BirishB said, 4 months ago

Jor-El …

“I was a banker during Clinton’s Administration. If I get the time I’d like to post my knowledge and understanding of how regulatory policy affected our business in those days.”

I for one would be very interested to see that. The other side of the coin.

(As an aside, but tangentially related … the Telecommunications Act of 1996 came out under Clinton … was a piece of unmitigated, disastrous garbage deregulation … Clinton was not a trust buster)
GJ_Jehosaphat said, 4 months ago

Good Morning Ya’ll (Southern Greeting in Respect to President Carter & his good deeds since leaving office).

Woke up around 2AM on the couch with TV still on - got a glass of water & checked out today’s S.O.T.U. & read the comments before going to my nice soft bed where my “sleeping dog” had been for hours.

I learned to like Numbers going to Tech School (FORTRAN programming class) and saw the List of Prime Lending Rates. Took Calculus Class - twice to get a decent understanding cause I didn’t in High School & it was NEW to me in my early 30’s. Learned how to do Integrals & Derivatives (Thank Technology) with a HP Scientific Calculator.

What I look at when I go to the Stock Market Page on CNNBusiness is to see how many Shares have been traded at various times of the day. The Price Changes are reflected in the Bar Graph provided with each Stock.

Think of those small changes on the bar graph (XY Axis) as “measurements of the Derivatives” one calculates in Calculus Class.

Look at the # of Shares along with the $$$ “Profits/Losses” - each bundle of stocks being traded can be quite large.

Go to One of the Name Recognition Stocks - Say GE - and watch the numbers change and how many are traded in a day.

Integrals (the Area underneath the bar-line on the graph) I like to think of as being the “Old School Method of Buy & Holding Stocks” with the belief they are going to be of more value sometime in the “Future(s)”. Timing is Everything & one can literally lose their “Nest Egg” for retirement.

Computers have been a Blessing making life more convenient but have also made it possible to make Huge Numbers of Trades in a Business Day. Think “Burn-Ya Made-Off With Your Money” Bernie Madoff being one of the folks credited with NASDAQ & using computers for Stock Trades (read that somewhere last winter after he was arrested).

That’s how I “see” things after learning how to do the “Math”.

Now that I have this image of sitting in Calculus Class & watching the 20-something year olds whiz around their programmable calculators with envy - I’m going out in my garden to water & prune some “Bush’s”.

Later! Oh & U R welcome - Your Comments have HELP-ed to Make My DAY! ;-))
SQUIDBREAKER said, 4 months ago

@Jor-el:

I was only a banker in Monopoly.
Lewreader said, 4 months ago

Carter economics gave me high 15% interest on my money market account. That didn’t quite keep up with inflation. I thought of re-enlisting in the Marines, but knew I’d sit in America while our sons were illegally imprisoned in Iran.
mytinytown said, 4 months ago

farleftside
Last couple times I posted something from Wikipedia I got insulted by your buddies.
So does this site only work if it fits your needs??

Where are the other liberal loons insulting you for using such a “crappy” website?
I know the answer!
It is because you liberal live with this mighty double standard. Glad I’m not in your shoes.
GJ_Jehosaphat said, 4 months ago

mytinytown - I would say “Welcome Back” but a not so funny thing happened the other day after hanging out on “gocomics” - my computer was stuck “clocking”. May have been co-incidence but I noticed U were back posting (again with the “Negativity”….) Hummmm, where have U been with your Browser….

P.S. note regarding Wall Street. I’ve never owned GM stocks, which became GMGMQ stocks after filing for bankruptcy. When I went to look at how it was doing (price, volume, etc) I couldn’t find it. Went Googling & found this today (I don’t listen to the News during the day like CNBC). Found this link - Stocks been froze for 10 days - Good News/Bad News:
Publish Date July 13, 2009 11:12 AM EDT

http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Old+GM+(GMGMQ)+Remains+Halted+As+Its+Fate+Hangs+In+the+Balance/4789710.html

As before - it’s kinda long & may need Copy & Paste…
mroberts88 said, 4 months ago

FLS, its pretty weird that you just referred to yourself in third person, as well as laughing hysterically.
boldyuma said, 4 months ago

FLS I have finally figured those of your ilk out….
Remember the remake of “Invasion of the body snatchers?”
You…obama….and carter….” are” the pod people.Your all consumming drive is to make yourself into the image of normal people and take over the planet…and anyone who disagrees with you or stands in your way makes you”shriek” out warnings to kindred pod people and then you all chase someone……We never saw how that story ended…..Let’s hope it didn’t end with “pod people” in control…
boldyuma said, 4 months ago

First and last word FLS?……..Do you ever take a nap, or do you take crack to keep you up……I can go on and on just like you….and I’m only on Peete’s coffee…keep it up with your revisionist history,it really is amusing…
rlsaxion said, 4 months ago

boldyuma…by the way, in the movie, not the last remake with Kidman, the pod people win…

Personally, anything that FLS finds frightening can’t be all that bad.
GJ_Jehosaphat said, 4 months ago

mytinytown - Re “farleftside Last couple times I posted something from Wikipedia I got insulted by your buddies.
So does this site only work if it fits your needs??”

Regarding why (sometimes) it’s better to GOTO “THE SOURCE” rather than Wikipedia for SOME-THINGS rather than a sort-a communal editing reference source – THE POD PEOPLE!!!

Since I’m a fan of the original 50’s version, I wanted to check out the 1978 Re-Make of this great classic SF.
This is what makes Wikipedia a GREAT reference source - some SF Geek took the time to do a detailed comparison. (A BIG THANK U to whom ever took the time to write it).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InvasionoftheBodySnatchers(1978film)

(Copy & Paste Link)

It’s when U GOTO a BIASED website to get info (without referencing the source) is where I have the most “fun” getting Skunky going on a Great Jumping Jehosaphat Rant!!!

? Capeesh? ?
johnnydoc5 said, 4 months ago

Come come people! Democrats don’t hate America any more than Republicans! They have differing ideas on how to run the country, and both sides are prone to making less than wise decisions.
mroberts88 said, 4 months ago

Out of curiosity, how well does that job pay, and congrats on finding a job that you like.
GJ_Jehosaphat said, 4 months ago

farleftside Re: “And what “buddies” would that be, FLS said laughing hysterically.”

Be’n (think Rat Movie) ponderin’ that line while watering the garden & pulling weeds. Times running out till new strip appears….

Guess:
A line from “Young Frankenstein” (Gene Wilder) OR
A line from House on Haunted Hill (Vincent Price)
jmworacle said, 4 months ago

We are “so lucky” to have “The Benevolent One” looking after our needs. In fact his economic policies will be as successful as his first pitch in yesterdays All-Star game.

State of the Union by Carl Moore

Comments (36) Jump to Comments Form

Comics A-Z Navigation

About State of the Union

Comic Strips

Editorials

Explore

Help

Search

The Uclick Network

State of the Union by Carl Moore

Email this to a friend

Bookmark And Share

Want to see this comic everyday? It's Easy

Not registered?

Want to get this comic everyday? It's Easy

Not registered?

Comments (36) Jump to Comments Form

Comics A-Z Navigation

About State of the Union

Comic Strips

Editorials

Explore

Help

Search

The Uclick Network

Ooops! This feature is for registered users only.

Not registered?

Sign In to GoComics