Former US President Jimmy Carter repeated his assertion that the US works more like an “oligarchy than a democracy,” while also lambasting Trump’s “hopeless” approach to the increasing tensions with North Korea.
The former president was speaking at a ‘Conversation with the Carters’ event at his Carter Center in Atlanta on Tuesday. AP reports that he said money in politics is what makes the US more like an oligarchy – run by a small group of rich people – rather than a democracy, repeating an allegation he has vociferously uttered for a few years.
[Money in politics] violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system.
Now it’s just an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for President or being elected President. And the same thing applies to governors, and U.S. Senators and congress members.
So, now we’ve just seen a subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect, and sometimes get, favors for themselves after the election is over.”
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Carter was referring to the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling to allow corporations to give unlimited campaign donations to political candidates, which he has previously said was “the most stupid decision” the court had made.
But then the former President went to town on Trump and North Korea…
A Conversation with the Carters
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will discuss our peace and health initiatives around the world. #CarterTownHall17
Posted by The Carter Center on Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Carter said,
The first thing I would do is treat the North Koreans with respect.”
I know what the North Koreans want,” he said.
“What they want is a firm treaty guaranteeing North Korea that the US will not attack them or hurt them in any way unless they attack one of their neighbors,” Carter said,
But the United States has refused to do that.”
Carter said he would send his top person to Pyongyang immediately, adding: “If I didn’t go myself.”
The former president visited North Korea three times between 1994 and 2011.
Until we’re willing to talk to them and treat them with respect as human beings, which they are, then I don’t think we’ll make any progress,” he said.
Top photo | Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn arrive for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in their hometown of Plains, Ga., Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017.(AP/David Goldman)