Jimmy Carter’s Law Day Speech 4 May 1974:
‘I’m not a qualified to talk to you about law, because in addition to being a peanut farmer, I’m an engineer and nuclear physicist, not a lawyer… But I read a lot and I listen a lot. One of the sources for my understanding about the proper application of criminal justice and the system of equities is from Reinholdt Niebuhr. The other source of my understanding about what’s right and wrong in this society is from a friend of mine, a poet named Bob Dylan. Listening to his records about “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”, and “Like a Rolling Stone” and “The Times They Are A’Changing”, I’ve learned to appreciate the dynamism of change in a modern society.’
Jimmy Carter was a surprising choice for President in 1976.
He was the Georgian Govenor, and gave the speech, part of which is quoted above before announcing his candidacy for president, but he was a humble man, self effacing, did not stand out in a crowd, in fact the political journalist Hunter S Thompson said “Jimmy Carter could walk – by himself and in a normal noonday crowd – from one end of Chicargo’s huge O”Hare Airport to the other, without being recognised by anybody…”
Carter’s own recognition of being a bit of a nobody is in the opening his speech quoted above, telling a few quiet jokes about people being honoured to pay ten or twelve dollars a head to hear Senator Ted Kennedy speak, but he needed ”to toss in a free lunch” for people to listen to his few words.
Further comments he made highlighted the corruptions which were inherent in the justice system in Georgia at the time, the ‘consent search warrant’ where two police officers would come to a suspect’s house, one went to the back door, the other knocked on the front door. Hearing the knock on the door, the officer at the back would call out “come in”, giving ‘consent’ for the search. He further railed against a system of criminal justice that allowed the rich and the privileged to escape punishment for their crimes but sent poor people to prison because they could not afford to bribe judges. Corruption and sicrimination were endemic, not just in Georgia, but to the highest offices in the USA at that time.
The then President was Richard Nixon. His presidency was marked by demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the criminal break in of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC in June 1972 and his attempts to hide his and his administration’s role in that criminal act. That involvement was placed beyond doubt when tapes of Nixon’s conversations in the Oval Office, where he ordered aides to tell the FBI to halt their investigations, surfaced. That the conversations were recorded was part of the protocols Nixon had initiated to keep a record of his official conversations for posperity.
He resigned the presidency after the Watergate scandal and corruption accusations led to his threatened impeachment, but was cancelled due to his resignation from office on August 9, 1974, becoming the only president to have done so, handing the Presidency to his Vice President, Gerald Ford.
In all, 48 people close to the president were found guilty of Watergate related crimes and served prison terms, but Nixon was pardoned by President Ford on 8 September, meaning he did not face any charges. Others carried the can for him. Ford was defeated in the 1976 election.
Politics leading up to the 1976 US elections was corrupt, the way law was administered was corrupt and here, in Jimmy Carter, was a candidate who seemed to be – and in his position as Governor of Georgia had demonstrated his high standards – of ethics and morality.
Jimmy Carter was elected President and served only one term, but brought back to American politics a sense of decency, of respect.
On 20 January Donald Trump will be sworn in as the latest American President. A man with less scruples than Tricky Dick Nixon, a man more motivated by self-interest than any previous President. Yet, I have faith that somehow democracy will survive and another Jimmy Carter will emerge from the swamp of American politics to contest the 2028 election.
Meanwhile, here in Australia we have a Labor government up for re-election; a government which was brought to power because of the corruption of the LNP government which over the previous nine years, three terms, had treated the Australian electorate as fools, has been the least compassionate government in the now 124 years Australian democracy.
While criticism is raised against the Albenese government, we have, when we look carefully at the performance of the government over the past three years, had a responsible government which has demonstrated that it governs for all Australians, has ensured that the minimum wage is a fair wage, that health workers are paid well, that health services are provided to those in the greatest need, that the tax burden more equitable than that proposed by the Morrison government. And that serious efforts have been made to increase renewable energy generation. On the fiscal responsibility front, has reduced government debt, on the economy has seen the inflation rate drop from an inherited 6% to now nudging 3%, and has taken to task the supermarket duopoly which has brazenly increased their profits through bully tactics with suppliers, unfair trading practices and pricing policies which have impacted on household expenditure, part of the cause of the inflation and ‘cost of living crisis’ we hear too much about.
And yet, it seems, if we read the press or watch the TV news, or whereever we get or news, the government falls short. Has the Albenese government been perfect? No, probably not, but have they done the best they can? Yes, probably.
The Morrison government was voted out of office because they were corrupt. The Robodebt scandal where the most vulnerable were hounded to repay debts they did not owe, neglecting the climate change crisis, proposing that those earning the most would pay less taxes, looking after their rich mates in giving massive handouts to the wealthiest businesses during the Covid pandemic. The list of corruptions, abuse of power, pandering to the rich and powerful is too long to enumerate here, but the ‘born to rule mob’ took every opportunity to ensure they got their way. And they are now proposing to ‘put Australia back on track’… which track would that be? Is it the track where the most vulnerable are seen as easy targets, where wages are kept low while rich mates get all the breaks?
The kneejerk reaction to Labor’s proposal to fix the most dangerous road in Australia is telling. While the opposition has agreed with the plan in principal, it wants to ensure that those working on that road are paid the minimum that can be paid by promising to exclude a unionised workforce, or at least a workforce which is paid under a union negotiated bargaining agreement, in this case the CFMEU. Let’s not pay people a fair wage for doing such an important job as building safe roads…. How many people have been killed on that road in the last ten years? I guess if we wind back the safe working conditions unions fight for, we may well see a few people killed while building that road… Or I guess we can just bulldoze a track where the road will be. Is that the track the opposition would like to put us back on?
Throughout the campaign we will hear time and again the shortcomings of the Albanese government; the failure to plan for the future, poor economic management and so forth, blah blah blah blah blah, when unfortunately flicking the fingers has not been able to clean up the mess left the last time they were in office. It takes time, it will take another term and then some of responsible government. The last three years, while not perfect, while not having the magic wand to fix everything instantly has seen new jobs created, has seen government debt reduced, the debt left by the last LNP administration, has seen a far more transparent government. But Dutton and his ‘born to rule mob’ want us back on the track where the rich get richer on the backs of the most vulnerable.
The nature of democracy is that governments change. We see it in America, where right now, the incoming government is not one which cares for its citizens, we saw it in Britain last year where the Tories were decisively thrown out of office, we saw it in New Zealand where a right-wing coalition government is winding back the rights of Maori people and apparently crashing the economy.
Swings and Merry-go-rounds.
It’s not time to switch rides.
Let’s stay on the ride we’re on, let’s stay on the track we’re on. The other leads to division and disfunction… have we forgotten that already? Let’s stay with a government that actually cares for the most vulnerable.
Some further reading:
The Australian election as a game of cricket: cost of living is the issue, but does Nature bat last?
My ideal society. A dream or a possibility?
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It seems that once again we will be voting for the least worst of the two main parties. We definitely need the Greens and the Teals to make a good showing this time.
That is an interesting comment Perry, and to some extent I agree, however, the Greens agenda requires a finger click sort of action, a magic wand to immediately ‘fix’ it all. That will never happen, there is a transition happening, and that ensures that power is supplied reliably, that jobs don’t just disappear without the groundwork for new ones being in place.
So emotionally I agree with the Greens, pragmatically, I realise that there is no magic wand but the need to lay everything in place as we transition towards a greener future.
What would be interesting if there was a coalition arrangement with ALP and Greens.
The Teals are interesting, and more a thorn in the side for the Libs… centre right with a tinge of green as I read them, but am open to persuasion.
It is time for the Greens and the Teals – how ever many make it through next time – to realise that they have the best chance to influence the policies of the Labor government. Instead of the ‘ our way r the highway” they need to actively promote their ideas but COMPROMISE, make a start. The Coalition will only make deals if they’re desperate to push through a dodgy policy, and then they’ll find way to back out of it after the event.
Look at LA burning – this is our future unless we keep a government that actually believes in climate change and the need for drastic action.
Perry is pessimistic ….. the ALBANESE LABOR government failed to grow any political testicles and was rightly viewed as underwhelmingly ineffective. However, even with that, the debacle that was nine (9) years of COALition corruption, maladministration & misgovernment remains as the true indicator of where Boofhead Duddo wants to return ….. for the benefit of his new found billionaire ”sunny day friends”.
Perhaps it is time for us ALL to talk up the many advances that the ALBANESE LABOR government has achieved for the benefit of Australian voters rather than foreign owned multinational corporations, although especially in that area there remains a great deal to be reformed.
Thank you Cocky, yes, we need to outdo the press in promoting the things Labor has done. The concerning matter, and Crickey featured it this morning, the tough guy image Dutton wants to promote, contrasted to a ‘weak’ Albo.
I think I would rather have a man with integrity, a man who cares about and for people, a man with a slight speech impediment but a man with a heart, a man who is compassionate that some tough street brawler, masochistic, racist man who’s nose is brown from being permanently stuck up some rich woman’s arse.
Who bought his first house at 19 and has added to his realestate portfolio, being part of the problem of the housing shortage… and high rents.
Good to see you here again!
Would have liked to have seen an transparent NACC and those Libs/Nats responsible for Robodebt, paladin contracts, corruption held to account.
Also for whistleblowers like David McBride and Richard Boyle not being jailed. Labor needs to be transparent.
We tend to idealise political leaders neither patently corrupt nor totally stupid, who demonstrate a rare spark of humanitarianism.
Ergo Jimmy Carter who supported the Vietnam War and eventually found himself wriggling at the end of his own hook.
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/21/archives/carter-credibility-issue-calley-and-vietnam-war-carter-credibility.html
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2025/1/10/historians-say-jimmy-carters-human-rights-legacy-includes-grim-failures
Is Albanese a kind of pallid version of Carter? As history shows, excessive pragmatism and compromise merely prepare the ground for political disaster.
Sadly it looks much like the fate of Australia’s democracy will likely depend on Chomsky’s lesser evil voting strategy (LEV).