Jimmy Carter: US Influence, Prestige, and Respect Have Declined Under Obama

Former President Jimmy Carter stated “the United States’ influence and prestige and respect in the world is probably lower than it was six or seven years ago” in a discussion at the Aspen Institute on June 23, 2015.

Carter praised John Kerry’s tenure as Secretary of State, but when asked about Obama’s success and failures, he stated, “On the world stage, I think they’ve been minimal. I think he has done some good things domestically, like the health programs and so forth. But on the world stage, just to be [as] objective about it as I can, I can’t think of many nations in the world where we have a better relationship now than we did when he took over.”

Carter said that while he wasn’t blaming the president, the US’ relations with individual nations haven’t improved, and “I would say that the United States’ influence and prestige and respect in the world is probably lower now than it was six or seven years ago.”

He added that “the historical trend is for the United States to relinquish its unquestioned domination of the world’s politics and economy and cultural influence” and that this “can be a good thing.” He further argued that the rise of nations such as China, Russia, Brazil, and India are “an inevitability.”

Carter also argued the US will continue to be the top military power in the world, and is “the most warlike” country on the planet.

(h/t Daily Caller)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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