If you asked me which president of the U.S. I feel most familiar with, I'd answer it is ex-president Jimmy Carter. It is because I met him in Shimoda City in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1978 or 1979. A meeting between college students and him was scheduled in his first official visit to Japan and I was one of the students. The picture is the monument of his visit and it stood in Shimoda City.
I had been learning English for 6 or 7 years at that time and I thought I could understand at least 20 percent of his speech, but it was just an illusion. I couldn't catch his words at all. I was so disappointed at my English skill. I studied English very hard to pass the entrance exam of one of the best universities in Japan. Years later, when I listened to the inauguration address of Ronald Wilson Reagan, which was so beautiful and clear, I figured out the reason why I couldn't understand Carter's speech. It was due to his dialect and inflection.
Anyway, I had a sense of closeness to him and had paid attention to his policies during Carter's presidency. The society at that time wasn't like today's IT society and my sources were only newspapers and TV news. Therefore, my opinion might be biased. However, I think it was President Carter that developed the present situation of Afghanistan.
President Carter was elected in a mood of weariness towards war and approval of becoming weak just like now. He planted the seeds of distrust in Asia, seeking withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Republic of Korea. He didn't intervene in Mozambique, made a serious mistake in Iran and ended up allowing the Russian invasion into Afghanistan. I wondered if he might be an ordinary farmer living in a sleepy village.
Don't you think that the situation of Obama is similar to that of Carter? President Obama was born from the peoples' revulsion against a war. When he announced his candidacy, he was obscure just like Carter. Both presidents are Democrats and didn't and don't have enough experience.
I'm afraid that the U.S. will collapse day by day during next 4 years and something serious for the human history will happen just like during Carter's presidency.
(Vocabulary)
during Carter's presidency カーター大統領政権の間に
develop (問題･事態が)発生する、生じる
get weary of war 厭戦的になる
plant [sow] the seeds of distrust 不信の種をまく
seek withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Republic of Korea 在韓米軍の撤退を求める
revulsion 激しい嫌悪感
announce one's candidacy 立候補する
collapse day by day 日に日に衰弱する
米国大統領の中で誰に一番親しみを感じるかと問われたら、ジミー･カーターと答えるだろう。それは学生時代に下田市で直接会ったことがあるからだ。写真は彼の訪日を記念したものだ。当時、英語を６，７年かけて勉強したところで、彼のスピーチをある程度は理解できると思っていた。ところが、まったくわからない。愕然とした。かなり勉強をしたつもりであったのに。その理由は後のレーガン大統領の就任演説を聴いたときに判明した。カーターの英語は南部訛りが強かったのである。
カーターに親しみを覚えた後、彼の政策に注意を払っていた。今のような情報社会でなかったため主な情報は新聞やテレビからだけだったが、今のアフガンの原因を作ったのはカーターではなかったか。
カーターは、いまの米国のような厭戦と衰退容認のムード的状況から生まれ、在韓米軍の撤退を最初に主張して、アジア各国の不審をよび、モザンビークが転覆しても介入せず、ついにはソ連軍のアフガニスタン侵略をまねいた。いなかの普通のおっさんが大統領になったような気がした。
オバマはカーターに似ているのではないか。厭戦感覚から生まれた実務経験のない、またこれといった実績を積んでいない民主党大統領である。そして次の四年間に米国の力は衰弱し、カーター時代の悲劇のように、世界史を塗り替える何かがおきるだろう。
(KW: カーター大統領 下田市)
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