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I refer to ex president Jimmy Carter as being "Citizen Carter." Some might think that the reference is from the recent media reference to him being a "private citizen" who has singlehandly undertaken a diplomatic mission to Palestein to talk to Hamas. My reference has nothing to do with that media reference. It is based upon the egalatarian salutation that the French gave each other during the French Revolution. A time of virtual chaos and loping off of the heads as it were.

There are a lot of pros cand cons to Citizen Carter undertaking his self appointed mission. Some people think the world of Citizen Carter, others hate him for it. The current Republican administration operatives such as John Negroponte and former Republican operative such as George Schultz think it is "outagous." that he take it upon himself. That it undermines US diplomatic efforts and may give a false impression that Citizen Carter really has some authority to speak for the USA. Those who think the world of Citizen Carter view him as a sincere man of peace, a man of great integrity, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Citizen Carter to explain himself has recently appeared on the Charlie Rose interview program. During that visit Mr Carter anxiouly sidetracked the legitmacy issue of his mission and filled his time with the content and impressions he had of the meeting with Hamas and non meeting with the Israelies. Mr Rose did not press Citizen Carter on his motivation for undertaking such a mission.

So what is Citizens Carter motivation for taking it upon himself to creat world peace. By what authority does Citizen Carter take such action? What leads Citizen Carter to think that he brings something to the table that no one else has yet brought to the table? To get a flavor of Citizen Carter one has to remember that Citizen Carter is a product of Admiral Hyman Rickovers nuclear navy which fostered an arrogant air of intellectual elitism coupled with a family history of political activism and religion. . To assuage the guilt Citizen Carter has for those feelings of intelectual elitism, Citizen Carter goes to church .and prays to God for divine guidence. So emerges his mission as emissary of world peace. So is it ego or misguided altruism that leads Citizen Carter to single handly think he can bring peace to the world. The answer to that question is both, and therein lies the tension in the man, on one hand the can do hubris of the intellectual and the other the divine inspiration of a man on a mission.