The former American ** Carter is about to enter the end of his life, and many people have begun to summarize and evaluate the former national leader. However, for those Americans who revere conflict and war, stick it to him"Cowardice"、"Can't help it"、"Good guys"and other labels, which is undoubtedly ridicule and sarcasm for him.
What's going on? What are the feats of this Carter? In the face of this great man who is about to become history, how should we Chinese evaluate it?
On Sino-US relations,
Although Nixon promoted the process of normalizing relations between China and the United States, during the Cold War, China was only a means of containment for the United States by the Soviet Union. Nixon's swift Watergate scandal made people not very optimistic about the future of Sino-American relations in the '70s.
Fortunately, Carter's appearance broke this deadlock and played a key role.
Carter, the United States, is famous for facilitating the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. During that period, he defied resistance and personally led the way to reverse the political winds in the US Congress and uphold and carry forward Nixon's diplomatic philosophy.
In 1979, under Carter's active promotion, China and the United States announced the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the deep estrangement between the two world powers was finally broken. Despite the deep estrangement, as long as you are determined to break the ice, all difficulties are only temporary.
Under the impetus of Carter, China and the United States have experienced a period of friendship and cooperation for nearly a decade, during which the exchanges between the two countries have even extended to the military field. At that time, China began to introduce a range of American-made military equipment, such as the Black Hawk ***an TPQ-37 artillery reconnaissance radar, etc.
At this stage, the United States has also benefited greatly. Because of China's turnaround, the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States promoted by Carter has achieved mutual benefit and win-win results for both sides. It is a pity that the United States is only focused on the victory or defeat of the Cold War, and ignores the longer-term future.
When the Soviet Union was at a disadvantage, the close relationship between the United States and China gradually drifted away, and after the victory of the Cold War, the United States dominated the world, but there was constant friction with China, and the relationship between the two sides was often in opposition.
These subsequent events were beyond Carter's control. If the United States in the late Cold War had realized the importance of Sino-US relations to global stability as Carter did, the United States would not have treated Sino-US relations so easily at the critical moment of the end of the Cold War, and the world would have been more harmonious now.
Nixon and Carter were rare Americas friendly to China, but friendship is not available in every era, and Nixon and Carter are among the best.
Carter was not a complete peacemaker, and he also showed the general cunning and ruthlessness of the United States, which impressed Iran.
Carter's détente with China at the same time as the confrontation with the Middle East became an important change in US foreign policy during the Carter era. The fall of Iran's Pahlavi dynasty became an important trigger for the deterioration of relations between the United States and the Middle East.
The Pahlavi dynasty, which once controlled Iran with the support of the United States, played the role of a leader in Middle Eastern interests during the Cold War. However, the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 completely turned this situation upside down, and the Pahlavi dynasty collapsed with it.
Iran, the Middle Eastern power, has undoubtedly redefined the power landscape in the Middle East by changing its political winds. Relations between the nascent Iranian regime and the United States deteriorated, and even a serious hostage incident erupted during Carter's tenure, deepening the hatred between the two sides.
Historically, Iran has taken 66 American hostages and demanded that the United States repatriate former Shah Pahlavi. This has brought tremendous psychological pressure to Carter, who is in the ** stage.
In order to solve the problem as soon as possible, Carter made a selfish decision to take military action and free the hostages by force. The purpose of this decision is to secure his re-election in **, because if this issue is not resolved before **, it will have serious repercussions for his re-election.
If the United States had been able to resolve the issue through negotiation and dialogue, it would have been possible to improve relations with Iran. However, due to a sudden sandstorm, the commandos in charge of the special operation were forced to evacuate Iran urgently, and as a result, they were unsuccessful in rescuing any of the hostages.
In the battle for Mogadishu in 1993, the US special forces, despite their strong combat effectiveness, suffered a setback and could not achieve victory due to lack of preparation and other reasons.
In the end, Carter could only solve the problem through peace talks, because there were other incidents such as the intensification of the confrontation between the two Irans at that time. Although Iran made concessions after taking advantage, the battle had a negative impact on Carter's campaign, causing a setback for his campaign.
When Reagan took office, Iran released the U.S. citizens they were holding. However, Carter made a mistake in handling the U.S.-Iran relationship, and in the end not only lost ***, but also plunged the U.S.-Iran relationship into a tense confrontation that lasted for four decades.
This incident led to the Middle East becoming a gathering place for anti-American forces, and even triggered a long-term conflict in the Middle East in the early 21st century due to the stimulus of the 911 incident.
Carter showed a conciliatory personality on many occasions, so he also dealt with problems with a conciliatory attitude in the final battle of his career.
Although Carter's performance in many events has been controversial, it is his weak image that has been most criticized. Among them, the Iranian hostage crisis is undoubtedly one of the important reasons affecting his reputation.
However, Carter**'s negative evaluation does not stem from this incident alone, but from his policies and behavior in many areas.
Since World War II, almost all of the United States** have been involved in wars, whether they are starting or ending, and they have always been on the road of war.
For example, Truman led the Korean War, while Eisenhower was in charge of the finishing touches; Johnson ordered an all-out intervention in Vietnam, which led to the outbreak of the Vietnam War, which was not finally quelled until the Ford period.
And after that, the United States is still working hard for the war.
Carter succeeded in avoiding war and properly dealing with the legacy of his predecessor, but the American war machine continued to work. Thus, in the eyes of the belligerent American population, Carter, who did not take military action, was seen as powerless in the face of war.
Although it is widely regarded as a great shame by the American people, if Carter is really willing to go to war, even if the result is not good, his decision will receive some positive comments from the American academic community.
However, Carter did not choose to do so, so he received some criticism in this regard.
During the period from Truman to Nixon, some American political scientists pointed out that the United States' military containment strategy against the Soviet Union relied too much on force, resulting in its failure to effectively curb the development of the Soviet Union.
If the United States had failed to adjust in time during the Carter administration, the Soviet Union could have gained the upper hand in the Cold War.
Therefore, these scholars believe that it was precisely because Carter stuck to the bottom line that the war was not triggered, so that the United States could make a smooth transition during the Reagan era, and Carter played a key role in the Cold War.
Carter, of course, understands that historical controversy is inevitable on his own. He, like us, was looking forward to what future generations would say about him.
Whether it is reconciling relationships or challenging authority, human nature is always diverse and complex, and history is also complex and changeable. To understand a person holistically, one needs to have an in-depth understanding of all aspects of him.
This is also the reason why we can discover the uniqueness and charm of a character in different historical periods from their personal fate.