Partisan Hatred
What I find amazing is how people have to find ONLY fault with someone they disliked. But their idol can do no wrong.

An excellent example of this is Jimmy Carter. Yes, he was not the greatest president of our time; he was pretty ineffective as has been pointed out. But because of this, people are convinced that ONLY bad things can be said about him.

I'm in the middle of reading "The Third Wave" by Samuel Huntington, which is a major requirement of reading of political scientists of whatever persuasion they may be. In this book, he points out something that doesn't seem to translate to the general populous because we're so set up to disregard any accomplishments of Carter. However, it is pointed out in straight-forward, NONPARTISAN scholarly work that Carter's Administration was responsible for the move to democracy of so many countries around the world during this period of time. Carter initiated the Third Wave (the third movement of countries towards democratic institutions). When Reagan came to office, he immediately went against Carter's policies and then turned around and then just adopted them, and then after a short hiatus (the part where he fought them), the Third Wave continued.

I found this fascinating because Huntington, one of the HUGE names in political science, is not a fan of Carter. It is quite obvious he could care less about what anyone thinks about Carter. But coming away from this book, one realizes that there wouldn't be so many countries in the world waving the flag of freedom if it had not been for his administration and the direction he moved our country at one particular time in history.

I don't think people are capable of looking at the big picture often. They are too consumed in their own hatred that it just never happens.

Stumble It!