"Please wait until we've forgotten all this months from now to tell us that the coverage we're watching is historically incomplete." No. If I were still teaching Cold War history (which I kind of am, right now), I wouldn't tell my students "only happy talk today." Grownups can handle history. - ThreadSky

radiofreetom.bsky.social • 62 days ago

"Please wait until we've forgotten all this months from now to tell us that the coverage we're watching is historically incomplete."

No.

If I were still teaching Cold War history (which I kind of am, right now), I wouldn't tell my students "only happy talk today." Grownups can handle history.

Reposted from

I've read your books, laughed at your Curmudgeon-in-Residence comments . . . but man, you hit rock bottom on this one. You could have editorialized several months from now. What's your next step? Making fun of Chelsea? Yeah, you stooped that low.

Comments

daddybunny.bsky.social•62 days ago

I can hardly wait for the folks who ding you for writing about Trump’s failures at his death. Are they going to say the same things?? C’mon people! Carter was flawed but did his absolute best. His flaws are minuscule but should not be ignored. History NEEDS truth, just like WE need air.

leaha11.bsky.social•62 days ago

Let's not assume that there's an honest comparison between 45 & Carter, or anyone else. If you can find something to praise about 45, you're a better person that I am. We've been waiting for him to exit.

toablarone.bsky.social•62 days ago

Guaranteed the people telling you to not be critical of Carter now will have *literally* nothing positive to say about Trump when he eventually passes away

leaha11.bsky.social•62 days ago

And there's a very good, solid reason for that.

fungibev.bsky.social•62 days ago

I can’t tell if you’re serious or trying to be funny.

toablarone.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’m serious.

If we aren’t allowed to offer any sort of criticism of politicians right after they pass away, then that standard needs to be applied to *every* politician. Even the ones you don’t like, disagree with, or were actually bad.

liamgreybeerd.bsky.social•62 days ago

If grown ups actually read history and learned from it, we wouldn't be heading into a second Trump presidency.

curtismyname.bsky.social•62 days ago

This place definitely isn't perfect.

themikeytrapp.bsky.social•62 days ago

You're augering in on this one Tom. Combined with your home monitor/PC stuff. We follow you because you're thoughtful and interesting. This stuff isn't. Sorry.

radiofreetom.bsky.social•62 days ago

I will always let you down

themikeytrapp.bsky.social•62 days ago

Ain't going anywhere. See you in the Atlantic.

johnnynovio.bsky.social•62 days ago

Wow, even here on Bluesky non-experts contradict or start arguments with recognized subject matter experts.

Social media can be the Wild West sometimes.

muttsylvania.bsky.social•62 days ago

Reagan screwed everyday Americans so I’m curious how his Cold War policies benefit us today vis a vis Russia.

Also, while GW Bush was planning war on Iraq in 2002, Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel for undertaking peace negotiations, campaigning for human rights, and working for social welfare.

muttsylvania.bsky.social•62 days ago

The Chairman of the Nobel Committee says Carter ought to have been awarded the Prize as early as in 1978, when he successfully mediated a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

Everything wrong with America has Reagan’s fingerprints. Jimmy Carter’s presidency doesn’t define his legacy.

seasideruth.bsky.social•61 days ago

Unfortunately, the veneer of adulthood is wearing off.

stevie-yyc.bsky.social•62 days ago

Evaluating ANY person’s legacy must be of good and bad. A certain German dictator loved dogs, which in no way diminishes the fact he was an absolute POS. Why people can’t acknowledge that their ‘heroes’ are/were imperfect totally escapes me. Overall, Jimmy was a decent, good yet imperfect man.

reggiemoto.bsky.social•62 days ago

“Grownups can handle history.”

This is pre-1990s think

lasmitty.bsky.social•62 days ago

That's why we discuss grandpa's found porn collection during the eulogy. Wouldn't want that to escape notice. The responsibility you carry must be enormous.

nlh2.bsky.social•62 days ago

Compassion counts, and you should have waited a few days at the very least. Adieu!

absoluteliberty.bsky.social•62 days ago

That's why like coming to your work @radiofreetom.bsky.social . Whether on Twitter or now Bluesky, I know I get to read interesting adult level conversations even if I don't agree with you on a subject. I still leave feeling more informed either by you or from your informed critics replies

davethebowler.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’ve always admired Carter - he started my pathway away from the increasingly reactionary and intransigent GOP. But this is a GREAT time to provide needed perspective on the positives and negatives - and all the nuances in that mix- for any historic figure.

cyberman3000.bsky.social•62 days ago

Carter was a kind & decent man, but simply wasn't up to the job of being president. It's not smearing him to say that. However, he excelled at being an ex-president and he was (of course) on his absolute worst day 1000 times better than what's about to be returned to the Oval Office.

caseymmartin.bsky.social•62 days ago

Totally right. Carter was a huge figure in American history, and as such a full, deep analysis of his actions, world view, successes, and failures is warranted. Shortcomings/failures don't mean he was a bad guy. Just means he was human. So are we - and learning from his life helps us set out future.

calex56.bsky.social•61 days ago

A very decent human being and an honest man. However, if memory serves, (i was 25 when he left office) his presidency was fair to middling to be nice.

kbjornolaoghraigh.bsky.social•62 days ago

He was a great American and world citizen with so many wonderful achievements to his name. Unfortunately being president wasn’t one of them.

christyhurt.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’m a bit confused as to why we shouldn’t fully discuss the presidency of a man whose death made the news because he was once President of the United States.

jeanmarie8.bsky.social•62 days ago

I agree. I did see a post today by someone who said he was an evil man who will burn in hell because of things he did as president. That's not the type of discourse I am interested in hearing, but I don't mind being reminded of things I've forgotten. Pretty clear he was a better ex-POTUS than POTUS

reggiemoto.bsky.social•62 days ago

“[Jimmy Carter] was an evil man who will burn in hell because of things he did as president.”

Hilarious! 😆 Did he make some mistakes? Yes, they all do. But rest assured he won’t burn in someone’s hell because of them.

bwatkins.bsky.social•62 days ago

Curious. it is like when someone dies we ignore that they were human who did good and bad things. While I hope I am remembered for the good I do, I also know that I failed at times and want to be remembered as a complete person. Isn't that the point of learning from history/others?

tedhoffman.bsky.social•62 days ago

Everyone wants you to follow some unwritten cardinal rule of talking bad about people: you never do it when they retire, and you never do it when they die.

I'm sure there's other unwritten cardinal rules that exist, but you only get to find those out when you break those too.

rwreports.bsky.social•62 days ago

So as soon as the commenter says "what's next...' and then makes up something Tom never said it where he goes wrong. It is ok to have the opinion that now is not the time to speak ill of the dead. That's fair, its a manners opinion. Just don't make shit up about him.

jeremytbrown.bsky.social•62 days ago

I think it is an important time to remember his whole life, including appropriate critiques of his in office actions. Keep it up!

johnbiz.bsky.social•61 days ago

Its ok for Tom to discuss the totality of Carter"s presidency as a historian of that time. You may not agree with it all but it's in the interest of history. Unlike the garbage from the mean little pricks on CNN or The Dispatch who are just doing it for clicks or ratings and easy content

pmatsey.bsky.social•62 days ago

Hey Tom, this is Bluesky, a social media platform, not a classroom, lecture hall or symposium.

This is just "Nicer Twitter"

eeyore24.bsky.social•62 days ago

Just because you CAN do something doesn’t always mean you SHOULD. Know, and learn to appreciate, the difference.

taruppel.bsky.social•62 days ago

Let it go.

snarkyduck.bsky.social•62 days ago

I still can’t fathom why anyone ever argues with you on social media. It’s a losing proposition.

zorbathegirl.bsky.social•62 days ago

Yeah, You are right on this one dear old Tom.

simonwookey.bsky.social•62 days ago

Tom you are the GOAT of curmudgeons - don’t change

And yes - remembering people honestly is the honourable thing

davekearnjr.bsky.social•62 days ago

It’s now impossible to discuss historical policy debates and decisions without assuming it’s a personal attack!!’

Thanks Joe Biden!!!

klikklak.bsky.social•62 days ago

When you're owned by the ketchup baron, you stay owned.

salentz.bsky.social•62 days ago

I am not here to try to tell you what to do, but may I merely suggest you step away from the phone and snuggle Lily. You seem a little tense, and as a fellow cat person, I know how cathartic a little kitty time can be for the soul. Again, just a suggestion.

billjanis.bsky.social•62 days ago

On Tom’s side. The subject is getting attention right now.

I think President Carter is a big deal. A VERY special man. In the midst of our discussions about him right now, it’s OK to look at the full picture. Obama was great too. But it can be argued that the Ukraine mess is on him.

pleming.bsky.social•62 days ago

See, I read your thread, and (as someone born in 79) thought, "oh, wow. That's some context I didn't know. Interesting". And moved the fuck on. Didn't change my opinion of Carter as a person in any way, shape or form. But was a bit of detail from a period of time I'm not super knowledgeable about.

cookiecat2017.bsky.social•62 days ago

Kept a perspective on what you read, and saw what the writer was and wasn't saying. A skill that's scarce, it would seem!

bleepbloopbloam.bsky.social•62 days ago

"Grownups can handle history."
Also, from the Atlantic:
"... to judge [George Washington's slave hunting] from the 21st century ... strikes me as ahistorical and, potentially, a diversion from the example he offers us in our current struggle with authoritarianism."

bleepbloopbloam.bsky.social•62 days ago

Just saying, maybe some folks think that your rattling on here may be a diversion from the example Carter offers us, especially since he's not even cold in the grave.

maryma364.bsky.social•62 days ago

I came to the comments to support your opinion. I read the support of the majority of the commenters. They said it all better than I could have.

andyo.bsky.social•62 days ago

How can you teach Cold War history if you don't know how Ronald Reagan trampled human rights across Latin America and in other countries?

https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/21/world/how-us-actions-helped-hide-salvador-human-rights-abuses.html

aordover.bsky.social•62 days ago

Assessing a president's role in American history is not exactly the same thing as "making fun of Chelsea."

littlefonzie920.bsky.social•62 days ago

I get taking about it in a history class, but would it be rude to bring it up at his funeral? The weird thing about social media is, for some people, this is their opportunity to treat this time of mourning as his funeral.

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