Jimmy Carter’s Thoughts on the End of War
Asked in 2012 if he thought humanity can end war, Jimmy Carter replied that “this is something that we should do.” But he warned that the U.S. “is in the forefront of those nations that are eager to go to war to resolve differences.” Photo from Wikipedia.
HOBOKEN, DECEMBER 30, 2024. Many people are offering reminiscences about former President Jimmy Carter, who died yesterday. Below I offer one of my own.
In 2012 Brian Lehrer, who hosts a talk show on the National Public Radio affiliate WNYC, interviewed me about my book The End of War, in which I argue that war is neither innate nor inevitable.
Lehrer then wrote about my book in The Guardian, and he started a series called “End of War,” which involved asking guests if they thought war would ever end. These guests included novelist Margaret Atwood, philosopher Cornel West and Jimmy Carter. Here is the exchange between Lehrer and Carter:
Brian Lehrer: We're doing a series on our program called The End of War based on the book of that title by science writer John Horgan. He argues that just as humanity turned slavery and human sacrifice from acceptable institutions to unacceptable ones, that war could be made culturally unacceptable around the world with the right effort over time. We're asking many of our guests, do you think human beings can ever abolish war? Do you?
President Jimmy Carter: Yes. I think that's certainly true, certainly a future prayer to expand. I think a lot of people felt that might be the case in 1945 when we organized the United Nations, that that would be the end of war, but we know that it isn't. I think that this is something that we should do. I wrote a book a number of years ago called Talking Peace, where I described the causes of conflict and how we can resolve issues peacefully, even the most intense disagreements and the most intense personal animosity between two people or two nations can be resolved through the application of Christian principles. With the help of a trusted mediator, or counselor in a church or a mediator, like I played a small role between Egypt and Israel.
I think that's certainly a possibility. Nowadays, unfortunately, my wife and I have been to more than 130 countries. Now when we travel around doing work for the Carter Center, it's generally accepted that the most intense warmonger for the last 35 or 40 years has been the United States of America. We're the country that's in the forefront of almost every war that's started.
When you go into Brazil, when you go into China, when you go into Egypt and so forth, you find countries that haven't been to war in the last 30 years or more. Rosa and I were discussing at lunch today, she was reading an article about it that some people live in a life never without peace. As a matter of fact, we have grandchildren who have never lived in the country that was not at war.
Brian Lehrer: Warmonger is a tough word to describe your country.
President Jimmy Carter: Well, I was quoting other people. Our country is in the forefront of those nations that are eager to go to war to resolve differences. We've proven that, as you know, in a number of cases for a long time, when we went into Korea, when we went into Vietnam, we went into Iraq both times. I think all those wars were unnecessary.
Carter is right: the U.S. is the world’s leading warmonger. We have by far the biggest military in the world, and we are the biggest makers and sellers of weapons. Our violent actions in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere make it easier for other nations, such as Russia, to pursue their goals through violence.
Since Lehrer interviewed Carter in 2012, war has surged around the world. It’s harder than ever to foresee a world without war. But I remain hopeful that the U.S., the world’s leading warmonger, can become the leading peacemaker. If we elect politicians with the courage and moral clarity of Jimmy Carter, the U.S. can start a conversation with other nations about how to end war and even the threat of war once and for all.
Here is how Brian Lehrer puts it in The Guardian:
The end of war is not around the corner. Another 20-year horror like the Iraq war is more likely than not. But the end of war is only a foolish dream if we allow it to be, by declining to talk in those sweeping terms because it feels too "pie-in-the-sky".
Yes, the first step toward ending war is to believe it is possible.
Further Reading:
McSweeney’s Press just released a new paperback edition of The End of War.
Here are some of my recent columns on war:
Dear Student Protesters, Please Oppose All War
Is Killing Children Ever Justified?
Dear Feminists, Please Help End War!
You’re Not Free If You’re Dead: The Case Against Giving Ukraine F-16s