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| Successful former presidents
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| JANUARY 11, 2013 05:52 |
Successful former presidents
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JANUARY 11, 2013 05:52.
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Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to resign. As the Senate was about to approve a motion on his impeachment after the House of the Representatives had done so due to his role in the Watergate scandal, he stepped down voluntarily. His successor Gerald Ford spared him a prison sentence with a pardon. Nixon, however, saw a political resurrection with the help of Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, his counterparts in the period of diplomatic thaw between the two great powers. In the late 1970s, Nixon assumed the responsibility of protecting U.S. national interests by visiting Third World and communist countries, including the Soviet bloc. A fever in the U.S. has erupted over rediscovering Nixon on the occasion of his centennial anniversary Wednesday.
One of the best-known examples of a U.S. president taking the spotlight after retirement is Jimmy Carter. He failed to get re-elected but has remained active with the Carter Center as the pivot. Since he helped broker the Geneva Agreement between the U.S. and North Korea by flying to Pyongyang for talks with then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung in 1994, he has grown in fame for resolving international conflicts. He is still the virtual leader of the Elders, a club of former presidents and prime ministers. Bill Clinton, who became U.S. president at age 46, has also established the Clinton Foundation and works to resolve conflicts around the world. The foundation claims to have helped improve the lives of 400 million people in 180 countries. In a sense, Clinton has done what an incumbent U.S. president cannot do.
Nelson Mandela, who ended South Africa’s racist policy of apartheid, is said to be contributing to world peace by just being. The Nelson Mandela Center of Memory, which he established after retiring as president in 1999, is getting numerous nongovernmental organizations under its umbrella with the goal of creating a better world. The United Nations has designated his birthday, July 18, as “Mandela Day,” recommending that people perform volunteer work for at least 67 minutes. The number 67 represents the number of years spanning Mandela’s foray into the pro-democracy movement to retirement. His spirit will be an intangible asset for humankind even after his passing.
In South Korea, President Lee Myung-bak, whose term ends Feb. 25, is said to be planning the launch of a foundation early next year to promote the values of “green growth” and contribute to society. From Syngman Rhee to Roh Moo-hyun, the country`s former presidents have experienced miserable endings. So the hope is that President Lee`s foundation will end this jinx. Korean presidents should aspire to achieve greater things even after retirement.
Editorial Writer Ha Tae-won (triplets@donga.com)
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| Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to resign. As the Senate was about to approve a motion on his impeachment after the House of the Representatives had done so due to his role in the Watergate scandal, he stepped down voluntarily. His successor Gerald Ford spared him a prison sentence with a pardon. Nixon, however, saw a political resurrection with the help of Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, his counterparts in the period of diplomatic thaw between the two great powers. In the late 1970s, Nixon assumed the responsibility of protecting U.S. national interests by visiting Third World and communist countries, including the Soviet bloc. A fever in the U.S. has erupted over rediscovering Nixon on the occasion of his centennial anniversary Wednesday.
One of the best-known examples of a U.S. president taking the spotlight after retirement is Jimmy Carter. He failed to get re-elected but has remained active with the Carter Center as the pivot. Since he helped broker the Geneva Agreement between the U.S. and North Korea by flying to Pyongyang for talks with then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung in 1994, he has grown in fame for resolving international conflicts. He is still the virtual leader of the Elders, a club of former presidents and prime ministers. Bill Clinton, who became U.S. president at age 46, has also established the Clinton Foundation and works to resolve conflicts around the world. The foundation claims to have helped improve the lives of 400 million people in 180 countries. In a sense, Clinton has done what an incumbent U.S. president cannot do.
Nelson Mandela, who ended South Africa’s racist policy of apartheid, is said to be contributing to world peace by just being. The Nelson Mandela Center of Memory, which he established after retiring as president in 1999, is getting numerous nongovernmental organizations under its umbrella with the goal of creating a better world. The United Nations has designated his birthday, July 18, as “Mandela Day,” recommending that people perform volunteer work for at least 67 minutes. The number 67 represents the number of years spanning Mandela’s foray into the pro-democracy movement to retirement. His spirit will be an intangible asset for humankind even after his passing.
In South Korea, President Lee Myung-bak, whose term ends Feb. 25, is said to be planning the launch of a foundation early next year to promote the values of “green growth” and contribute to society. From Syngman Rhee to Roh Moo-hyun, the country`s former presidents have experienced miserable endings. So the hope is that President Lee`s foundation will end this jinx. Korean presidents should aspire to achieve greater things even after retirement.
Editorial Writer Ha Tae-won (triplets@donga.com)
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