Former President Jimmy Carter said on Friday the "atrocious economic policies" of the Bush administration had caused the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Carter told reporters on a stopover in Brussels that "profligate spending," massive borrowing and dramatic tax cuts since President George W. Bush took office in 2001 were behind the market turmoil and economic crisis.

"I think it's because of the atrocious economic policies of the Bush administration," said the 84-year-old Democrat, who served in the White House from 1977-1981.

Apparently Carter has forgotten that during his administration, the economy suffered double-digit inflation, double-digit unemployment, oil shortages, slow economic growth and a prime rate of 21.5 percent which is the highest rate in U.S. history under any President. Productivity growth in the United States had declined to an average annual rate of 1 percent, compared to 3.2 percent of the 1960s. There was also a growing federal budget deficit which increased to 66 billion dollars during peace time.

READ THESE WORDS
"I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy......
…….The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning………….."

Those words are the words of President Jimmy Carter during a nationally-televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people. It was delivered on July 15, 1979. This came to be known as his "malaise" (depression) speech, although the word never appeared in the speech

I believe that we are currently in a "crisis of confidence". There can be no doubt that we are in a troubled time, but aside from political rhetoric that scares everyone to death, the numbers say we have a good economy In fact we have the number one economy in the world. At least in part, the stock market problems and closed lines of credit are confidence issues created by political rhetoric that can only favor the party not in office – the Democrats!

I usually don’t editorialize – but I wanted to share my thoughts. Now, before you judge me down party lines for the thoughts above – I’ll share with you the fact that I have been registered as a Democrat for the past 35 years. I will not vote for anyone that continues to attack the economical welfare of the United States for political gain! --- You can vote as you wish.