Our Endangered Values must be considered in the light of its author, Jimmy Carter, who is regarded as a sort of “Saint-in-the-Box” by some due to his work with Habitat for Humanity and by the Nobel Peace Prize Commission for his assistance in condemning the current Bush Administration’s foreign policy. However, for those of us who lived through his presidency his record was abominable as could be seen in his gutting of the CIA and military budgets and his turning over of the US built and financed Panama Canal to Panamanian dictator Omar Torrijos giving the emergent US rival, China, control over both ends of the canal.

In his latest work Carter attempts to position himself as a wizened old patrician rebel waiting to whisper sage advice to those he considers worthy of leading the Republic as he spells out America’s eroding values with such examples as the US’s current engagement in preemptive war, its challenges to women’s rights, and the invasion of religious dogma in politics. Overall, however, this book gives the perception that Carter was perhaps just a bit too honest and naïve to be president. To his credit, however, President Carter reflects on general principles in a true manner, although his assessment of courses of action to be taken are a bit reminiscent of those very things which have given so many misunderstanding people fuel for their vitriolic fires. President Carter, obviously speaks from a strong Christian background, while exposing the deep wound he felt as ecumenical clergy chastised him for his views and goes on to explain how this hurt definitely exacerbated his view on separation of church and state. Additionally, because of these hurts, he raises many good points with respect to the needs for dialogue among diversified groups regarding such issues as poverty or abortion (here or abroad). President Carter then turns his attention to providing what he considers sage advice and opinions regarding his concerns on civil liberties, women’s rights, America’s global image, nuclear arsenals, homosexuality, abortion, preemptive war, the death penalty, science, religion, and terrorism. In actuality, one may consider this book a counter attack against the fundamentalist movement that would tend to move America towards a theocracy, as he makes a stimulating argument that the Bible supports different positions from those of the Christian right. One problem I see with his views, on this topic, is that he fails to realize the appearance of the evangelical movement that occurred as a direct result of the encroachment of liberal and secular ideals which has tried to garner support for minority groups over the last fifty years.

Finally, this book portrays President Carter as a man of integrity, belief and convictions demonstrated by his good works and while not a fan of his political career I respect him in that regard. I also agree with many of his arguments against the policies and procedures of the Bush Administration but it is obvious to the reader that he has a chip on his shoulder when he wanders into a morass of arrogance and self-pity. Overall, however, I would recommend this book for anyone with an open mind who wants to hear alternatives to the current policies and attitudes held by American’s today.

Be sure to take advantage of your Google search engine to find additional information on Jimmy Carter or his any of his many books.

[tags]book review, Our Endangered Values: America’s Crisis, Jimmy Carter, Google, political, anti-war[/tags]