In recent days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who has entered hospice care to spend his remaining days with family and friends.

Having been born on Nov. 21, 1979, I didn’t get to experience much of Carter’s time in office, but because most of my family is Republican, I spent my childhood hearing how Ronald Reagan rose to power because of the “awful” job Carter did in office.

As a political scientist, however, I recognize now that most of the problems America faced at the time were not Carter’s fault at all. Long before Carter even came into office, the combination of the costly Vietnam War, monetary disruption from the closing of the gold window and the energy crisis stemming from the Arab-Israeli conflict set the stage for a turbulent 1970s.

When we study Carter’s administration even more closely, we also discover that the greatest challenge to face America in the 20th century, the nuclear battle of brinkmanship and steel nerves we knew as the Cold War, was actually won because of Carter’s policies.

A little known Presidential Directive, PD-59, “Nuclear Weapons Employment Policy,” signed on July 25, 1980, by then-President Carter, transformed the U.S. military in such a sweeping way that it not only led to the development of some of the most advanced technologies we still use today, but it also triggered the Soviets into overspending themselves into oblivion.

PD-59 would continue to be the strategic DNA behind the U.S. military from the Reagan administration all the way to the pre-9/11 years of George W. Bush.

There are also many parallels between Carter’s time and now. The late 1970s saw terrible inflation, and in 2023, we’re again in an inflationary crisis.

Parallels Between Then And Now

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 – which Carter actually provoked as a pretext to destroy the Soviet military – and now in 2023, we see the Russian military in a war of attrition against neighboring Ukraine.

And, most notably, just like the U.S. in the 1970s was struggling for a stronger identity in the world, so we see in 2023 our country trying to remain relevant against the rise of China.

When you think about it, Carter juggled many conflicts and crises during his only term in office, but he did so in a way that, looking back from 2023, is extremely admirable, considering the difficulties of the 1970s.

How did he learn to manage all that, though, and where did he find the strength to be a leader?

As a former Navy officer, Carter frequently told the story of how he had been made to interview with the formidable Hyman G. Rickover, the father of the modern U.S. nuclear navy. Rickover, who created a rite-of-passage of nail-biting hostile interviews to screen prospective officers wishing to serve aboard nuclear submarines, came face to face with a young Carter fresh out of the Naval Academy in 1952. 

Made to sit in a wooden chair that was covertly hobbled by Rickover’s staff to be uncomfortable and unstable, Carter was barraged with harsh questions from Rickover, one of which was why he had graduated from the academy ranked only 59th out of 840 cadets. “Did you always do your best?” Rickover demanded to know.

“No sir,” the young Carter answered honestly. “I didn’t always do my best.”

“Why not?” Rickover shot back. Unable to answer the awkward question, Carter remained silent, and Rickover terminated the interview by dramatically storming out of the room. 

The incident shook up Carter so seriously that for the rest of his adult life, he repeatedly revisited the question of whether he had done his best in everything he had been given charge over. (Despite the hostile interview, Carter would have his military career with nuclear reactors.)

The ancient Chinese tactician Sun Tzu called that type of military introspection “solicitude” – that is, constantly thinking about one’s command, one’s subordinates and one’s place in the world. And while thinking too much can paralyze a leader, not thinking enough can also render them out of touch, insensitive and unresponsive to crisis. 

An Impactful Post-Presidency

Carter became a one-term president after Reagan defeated him in a blowout victory in 1980, but Carter’s political defeat intensified his lifelong quest to know whether he had done his best and to keep doing his best. 

Post-presidency, Carter became a powerful force for charity, volunteerism and even once more saved the world from nuclear war in 1994 when he participated in a backdoor operation by President Bill Clinton’s administration to negotiate with North Korea. 

For many years, Carter accepted unfair public scorn from both parties as having conducted “rogue diplomacy” when, in fact, he actually had allowed Clinton the ability to publicly save face with U.S. hawks while secretly keeping diplomatic channels open with North Korea.

In 2023, we should all seek to emulate Carter’s example by thinking more and asking whether we have done our best, or are doing our best.

Lessons For Hawaii

We also can learn a thing or two from Carter’s relentless charity and his demonstration of his Christian values through his commitment to hands-on volunteerism, despite his frail health. 

To see an old man out there building homes, feeding or clothing the needy, and demonstrating moral force in action is something that transcends partisan politics and makes me admire Carter and want to see more leaders like him, especially in Hawaii. 

Now I know that it has been strongly implied by the announcement Carter is in hospice care that he may not have much longer to live, but I sincerely hope and pray that he will miraculously pull through and have many more years of meaningful life on Earth. 

Gen Xers like me are wistful for the warm things and intriguing personalities of our childhood, remembering when America was simpler and when we made things work with gut instinct, strong shoulders, rolls of duct tape and a crazy belief in love overcoming all odds.

I see that kind of resourcefulness of action, sensitivity of spirit and toughness of will in former President Carter, and if you ask me, I’d really like to see more of that in our local leaders in 2023. We have a lot to learn from him.