Abstract

h cme of his sermons cm humzm righrs, President Carter explained char we owe Vietnam no debt and have no responsibility co render in any assistance because "chc descrucrion was mu:ual."g Ifwcntds have meaning, this must stand among [hc most astonishing scmzcmcms in diplomatic hismry. What is most interesting about chis scaccmcm is thc reaction to it among cducacccl Americans: null. Furthermore, thc cccasional rcfcrcncc cc it, and what it means, evokes FLO comment amd FLO inccrst. Ir; is considcrcd ncithcr appalling, nor even noteworthy, and is felt to have 1*10 bearing 0n C21r[cr’s standing as patron saint OF human rights, any more than do his actions: dedicated support for Indonesian atrocities in Timor and thc successful terrorist campaign undertaken in El Salvador cc destroy thc popular organizations that were dcfcndcd by chc assassinated Archbishop; A hugc incrczuc in arms flow :0 Israel in parallel wich ics l9’?8 invasion of Lebanon, its subsequent largcscale bombing ofciviiians, and irs rapid expansion imo thc occupied ccrriccries; acc. All cafthis is a cribute no che successes cfa system of indoctrination than has few if any peers.