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The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

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Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#71

Post by accnumnplus1 »

jumbopapa wrote: post #48
DanielGee wrote: post #24

The most "un-celebrity"? I'd say carter is the most "celebrity" ex-president we've had in a long time. He has used his celebrity to advocate for his charities ( habitat for humanity for example ) and for human rights ( same sex marriage, race equality, etc ) and political issues ( north korea, iran, etc ). If you equate celebrity with making it rain in clubs, then I guess carter is "un-celebrity". But the guy has bee…

The most "celebrity" ex-president is definitely Obama. Netflix series, Beyonce concerts, you name it - that family eats it up.

Yachts and private islands with Branson...

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#72

Post by simonebrunozzi »

pmiller2 wrote: post #53

How has no one pointed out after 8 hours that this man who “shuns riches” receives a pension that puts him in the 97.7th percentile of income[0], a fully funded office, medical benefits, and no housing costs other than property tax? For a majority of America, that would be riches beyond belief. Let’s not forget he plays golf with billionaires. I’m sure Mr. Carter donates a substantial portion of his income and lives…

One thing is to receive a benefit given by your prior public roles (serving society).

Another thing is to actively pursue money at the expense of everything else.

Your comment looks rather short-sighted in this regard.

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#73

Post by wildmusings »

He has yet to apologize for going to Venezuela and legitimizing the re-election of Hugo Chavez, who was violently repressing independent media and rounding up dissidents, by calling the Venezuelan election process "the best in the world".

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#74

Post by wdr1 »

gumby wrote: post #43

Like Cincinnatus, returning home after the war and taking up his plow. Two things have always struck me about Jimmy Carter: 1 - He was willing to nominate Volker to Fed chair even though he knew Volker's plan of raising interest rates massively would cost him (Carter) re-election. I believe he would have survived even the Iran crisis but for that, but it was the right thing to do. Reagan got all the credit for it sin…

> Volker's plan of raising interest rates massively would cost him (Carter) re-election. I believe he would have survived even the Iran crisis but for that, but it was the right thing to do. Reagan got all the credit for it since it started under Carter's watch and finished under Reagan's.

It's hard to take this as anything but partisan spin.

These issues are never black & white and there is hardly consensus on what you wrote.

There are many who believe his raising interest rates to nearly 20% where fundamental in resulting unemployment to 11% & causing a recession.

Note to say those people are right either.

Just that it's complicated, there are compounding factors & many POVs.

Some other positions:

https://www.economist.com/free-exchange/2010/03/31/who-beat-...

http://theweek.com/articles/618964/forgotten-recession-that-...

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-federal-reserves-an...

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#75

Post by hfdgiutdryg »

BrainInAJar wrote: post #66
tenken wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you please provide a source for this info? I can't find Jimmy Carter's name in this research: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-10-07/local/me-51336_1_sout...

Your claim that, "Jimmy Carter sent the military to go massacre students" is not supported by that article. It was an interesting read, though.

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#76

Post by pasbesoin »

musgrove wrote: post #57

He's not the exception. Our presidents who leave office and amass enormous wealth (as well as celebrities and wealthy people Americans want to vote into office) are the global exceptions. Most "civil servants" in other countries serve their terms and go back to their regular jobs. The real story would be why America is the cultural anomaly.

Truly, we in the U.S. need to look at ourselves for what we have wrought and currently suffer under.

We claim to want these things, then attack those who manifest them.

We preach understanding and forgiveness, then refuse to exercise it in understanding limitations others face -- external as well as internal -- and working with them to improve things.

No society's perfect. But, America has managed to raise sloth and hypocrisy to new levels.

As I've aged and observed, I've come to think of us more and more, as and become a bully nation.

Of course, a man like Carter doesn't "fit" into that. Which is a credit to him.

Or, depending upon your perspective, his ultimate failing.

(Something I associate with all too well.)

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#77

Post by pmiller2 »

mattkrause wrote: post #60
pmiller2 wrote: post #53

How has no one pointed out after 8 hours that this man who “shuns riches” receives a pension that puts him in the 97.7th percentile of income[0], a fully funded office, medical benefits, and no housing costs other than property tax? For a majority of America, that would be riches beyond belief. Let’s not forget he plays golf with billionaires. I’m sure Mr. Carter donates a substantial portion of his income and lives…

I’m not really sure where you’re going with this. The point of the article, it seems to me, is that he has consciously chosen a modest, communitarian life, even though he could certainly arrange for more lavish surroundings. Is your argument that he’s paid too much? If so, what do you think is reasonable compensation for one of the most stressful jobs on earth?

My point is that we have a system of government that is for and by the rich, where billionaires tell the millionaires in government what they want, and then they get it. Your opinion does not matter to them [0].

Someone receiving a $206K/year pension, according to the 4% safe withdrawal method, is the equivalent of having $5.1M in a retirement account, except this is better, because it doesn’t run out. Most people won’t see that much money over their entire careers. This is not someone we should hold up and say “this person shunned riches,” because it’s not true.

[0]: https://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congr...

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#79

Post by pmiller2 »

danso wrote: post #70
pmiller2 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, he gets medical benefits from Emory University. It’s irrelevant. Who cares where he gets them from? The point still stands that he has unimaginable riches compared to the vast majority of Americans.

But what does that point have to do with this article, which details how differently Carter lives compared to other former presidents? I think it’s self-evident that Carter, being one of the fewer than 50 men in the history of the U.S. to be elected president, has an existence generally unimaginable the the vast majority of Americans.

That’s precisely what’s wrong. How can people who have “unimaginable existences” represent me?

Re: The un-celebrity president: Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly

#80

Post by yborg »

humanrebar wrote: post #15
ethbro wrote: post #4

If you're interested in where Carter came from, I can't recommend An Hour Before Daylight [1] highly enough. The man's a great writer, and he grew up in a fascinating time and place. You've also got to give a lot of respect to someone who could have made themselves much wealthier, but said "No." [1] https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Before-Daylight-Memories-Boyhood...

Lots of people take off work to be with their family. Lots of people work for non-profits as a career. Great teachers are notoriously underpaid. Though most of them don't write memoirs.

Most of them were not elected President of the United States.
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