This article reflects some conversations, informal and from the record, with President Jimmy Carter. His opinions are valued by most as they rightfully thinks that a majority of international crisis could possibly be averted if understanding, good sense and passion exist.
He spends time and effort promoting a housing charity to the destitute. And when he isn’t preaching to his faithful, he actually does manual work towards wooden frame houses. We met once your there of one ones where he was busy nailing six inch nails to fiberboard panels with a wooden structure.
“How will be the peacemaker today?” I asked. His hammer stopped in midair. “You have it all wrong, my heart is ok . . . I simply have a little issue with my hearing.”
“I said peacemaker but not pacemaker, sir. Anyway, how are the efforts in behalf of peace.”
“Oh, I see. Well, there are many work to do. Did you know that you will find right now twenty-seven conflicts world wide? Twenty-seven grim reminders of man’s stupidity, of man’s incredible race to self destruction.”
“I had no idea that there were a lot of. I can think about no more than couple of. Especially those which have benefited from the services you provide. Like Somalia, Middle East, Cuba, Haiti, South Africa.”
“For an affiliate of the press you won’t seem to be knowledgeable. Maybe you should spend more in time the news room.”
“I are only able to handle one war during a period,” I said within my own defense.
He nodded knowingly and proceeded to express to me, inside a tone that reminded me of my Sunday school teacher, information on how patience plays an important role in foreign relations along with the peacemaking process. After in regards to dozen nails, I asked:
“What could be the truth behind the state that in the past you’ll take matters in your own hands, and proceeded some thing without the knowledge and support of either the President and the State Department?”
Again, he stopped in mid air while using hammer in their hand and turned toward me. His blue eyes gave the impression to have turned a darker shade, much more plutonium gray. He finally smiled and this famous grin of his burst upon his face.
“An exaggeration, certainly. But sometimes you gotta do things in the spur on the moment, and you also can’t afford to waste in time bureaucratic procedures. You see, the State Department is usually a paper-processing property. Wars and conflicts must wait for your proper paperwork being completed. And it isn’t a couple of covering their collective asses, it’s simply which the paperwork is within itself a finish. If some nation were to declare war for the United States, they will more likely throw in the towel after a while due to all the corresponding forms they’d should fill out. It’s quicker to declare war on smaller countries, like Honduras, for instance, where there’s less paperwork. Here within the US you’ll find vouchers, applications, database compilations, formulaires, questionnaires, inter-office memos, internal communications, color-coded crisis updates, e-mail resource control, privileged mail routings, requisitions, FYEO mail, expense accounts, situation reports, conclusion memos, data summaries, spread sheets, condensed sheets, option lists, objective statements, abstracts, indexing and parameter cards, and, you will not believe this, you will find a master form that you need to fill out that lists each of the forms you happen to be using.”