He did, however, keep a steady hand on the wheel during the demise of the Soviet Union. Many critics absolutely screamed blue bloody murder at the time over his assured insistence that we were the good guys, and the Soviet government were the bad guys. But a belief in our own goodness is necessary to our ability to think and act rightly: the Soviet Union was absolutely an "evil empire."
Between the evil moral relativists and the weaklings fearful of the wounded Russian bear lashing out, there was a great deal of pressure for appeasement, capitulation and even financial support from America for the dying empire. Reagan had the good judgment mostly simply not to prop the evil bastards up.
He was not belligerent, nor did he in fact make any move to promote some military conflict with the Soviets, as he was so constantly and ridiculously accused of. He simply made it clear that we were standing our ground, perfectly willing and able to spend the money and defend ourselves.
Reagan shouldn't get credit for ending the Soviet empire. That's too much. The Soviet Union collapsed under it's own weight eventually because communism doesn't work. Praise be, though, that as that time came we had a president with the good sense not to cower or prop them up for another ten years with OUR wealth.
From the top, Reagan masterfully projected his vision that America is good and strong and moral- the shining city on the hill. Introspection and self-doubt are important things- in moderation- but you can't live on that stuff.
Nor should we have to. America IS the shining city on the hill.
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Reagan's best and worst moments
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jim Carruthers
I hope they remember to stuff his mouth with garlic, drive a wooden stake through his heart and cut his head off before burial. It's what that evil, poison bastard deserves.
Reagan was the supreme turning point in the corruption of 'murrican politics, taking it away from the citizens, and turning it over to the corporate state of happy fascism.
2 - kuros
in true empire fashion
will the senate
decree
that Ronald Reagan
be made
a
God?
It was the custom to consecrate popular emperors after their deaths, declaring them a minor god. Vestavia (23 AD) was heard to say as he was about to die, "Oh my, I fear I am about to become a god!"
3 - Al Barger
Criminy, Jim, give that evil in your soul a rest for just a minute while we mourn our fallen leader. Thanks.
4 - Bob A. Booey
Terrible piece.
There are so many errors in your vapid thought I don't even know where to start:
First, there's no "A" in BELLIGERENT.
Secondly, there was never a 90% income tax for anyone in this country. Find me proof of that -- cite an actual academic text. Please. I beg you. You're off by a good 40% at least. I understand your desire to pick a red herring due to your weak logic and argumentation skills, but you don't have to make up such wild claims to garner agreement. No one could ever be agreeable toward your writing, so don't try so hard.
Third, Reagan virtually dismantled HUD and job training programs and various other parts of the social safety net. While it's true that Clinton's was the first major legislation addressing the overall structure of welfare programs, there is plenty written about Reagan's budget priorities toward the urban poor.
That is all, dummy.
5 - Shark
Carruthers, yer rather hard on the old boy.
Personally...
I think...
Ronald Ray Gun was a "spiritual leader" only in that he gave birth to the idealogical nightmare that was later responsible for squirting another pus-filled sack of shit from the womb of Satan (and his heir to the puppetdom) -- that little Evil Weasel, GW. Bush.
America will be paying for the sins of those two marionettes for decades.
But the guy made some GREAT movies.
NOT.
6 - Ms. Tek
LMAO @ Jim
omg... you made my "hippy, liberal, pinko, commie" rice milk drink dribble out of my nose I laughed so hard after reading that!
I just had my friend say "Hell is going to brust wide open in a moment because they need to make room for Reagan."
Too funny! =)
And nope, I'm not mourning... well maybe over the fact that it isn't Dubya instead- but in general, I DON'T GIVE A FUCK.
7 - Bob A. Booey
I think the title of this post is quite ironic and revealing. "Spiritual leader?" Where's that familiar from? We usually hear that as a vaguely pejorative term in reference to some Imam or Muslim cleric.
I don't have the time or energy to blog out something obvious about the irony of one absolute worldview pitted against the "threat" of another, but here's a link to an interesting article:
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_4636.shtml
If I were a poor writer like some of my friends here, I'd quote this article extensively and "blog" some weak summarization of it under the misleading title "Analysis." But I don't think that's particularly worthwhile. It speaks for itself.
I don't know how accurate the reporting is, but some interesting revelations, particularly about Tenet. I'm sure there's been other good stuff written about the influence of Bush's religion on policy and White House operations -- I heard there was a PBS Frontline special on this that I missed. Anyone who saw that care to give some highlights?
I think much Bush bashing is trite. I don't particularly condone the dancing on Reagan's grave. There's a lot to criticize politicians for aside from their mortality. Expressions of personal hatred kind of miss the point.
Rice Dream sucks, Tek. Be a good hippie and drink soy. Your friend is unfunny.
That is all.
8 - Ms. Tek
YOU may think Rice Dream sucks... so don't YOU drink it. I HATE soy so I don't drink it.
I'll manage to do what I want and drink what like without your advice... thanks.
And Jim is VERY funny sometimes, even if he pisses me off at others.
9 - Mac Diva
I know Al Barger has avoided all books not wirtten by Ayn Rand. He prides himself on saying so. However, I am going to lobby on the behalf of someone sending a dictionary and thesaurus to the farm in Kentucky. 'Spiritual' is the very antithesis of what Ronald Reagan was. He was the master of seeking out the lowest common denominator in any area of national life and exploiting it. Obsession with money and power, and contempt for everything else, was the hallmark of the Reagan administration.
I expected to see much more bloviation about the despicable old goat at Blogcritics than I do. Perhaps the weekend and the server problems are keeping the dust down. However, I suspect the dittoheads, the one's who did not go catatonic at the thought 'Daddy is dead' anyway, will make up for the sparsity in the coming week.
10 - jack e. jett
mr. reagan lived a much longer life than many of my friends that passed away from aids in the 80's. as leader of this country, i think he uttered the word aids once. i know it is my own fu**ed up head that blames him. i know that i will go to hell for not mourning his death. he died at the age of 92 in bel air.
howver, out of respect for the ray guns, i am saying no to drugs tonight.
jack e. jett
11 - RJ Elliott
BAB:
"World War II - the bottom income tax rate climbs from 4 to 19 percent between 1940 and 1943. Top income tax rate climbs to 88 percent by 1943. By 1945 it hits 91 percent, where it remains until 1964."
From
12 - RJ Elliott
"he died at the age of 92 in bel air."
93, actually.
13 - bhw
Was Saint Ronnie president in 1964?
And yes, 91 percent is obviously ridiculous.
14 - RJ Elliott
BHW:
I was simply pointing out that BAB was wrong in his comment.
That is all. ;-)
15 - bhw
Good job on doing the research, RJ.
16 - RJ Elliott
Thanks. But, honestly, it only took about 15 seconds on Google...
(Anything requiring deeper research, I tend to pass on to others...) ;-)
17 - Bob A. Booey
Hmmmm ... interesting research.
The point is that those tax rates certainly weren't in effect when Reagan took office. I would venture to say that those rates probably applied to the very, very wealthiest 1% of corporations and the very few families who were extremely wealthy in that era. I'm not an accountant or tax lawyer, but I'm certain there are other qualifications as well.
That is all.
18 - RJ Elliott
Ironically, one of the liberals' favorite Presidents (JFK) was the one who slashed tax rates from an absolutely obscense percentage to a more reasonable one.
Reagan's economic policies clearly helped the US economy. Yes, they also helped create a massive budget deficit. Nothing is 100% all-good...
Anyway, Reagan was truly a revolutionary. A good chunk of the population disagreed with the direction the "Reagan Revolution" took, but he DID manage to change the entire political calculus of Washington DC.
That alone makes his a "Great" President. Whether you think he was a "Good" President is fully subjective...
19 - bhw
It doesn't make him a great president. It makes him historically noteworthy or "important." Great, however, is not a term that applies simply because you think he led some sort of "revolution."
20 - jack e. jett
this entire reagan funeral is turning out to be like something from
EVITA. i am expecting nancy to appear on a balcony soon and workers lining the street shouting.....ray gun
ray gun...
as i understand it they will bury him in late january.
jack
21 - John-z
Question: Where do all of you left extremist rate the lame ass Jimmy Carter?
He had to have had the smallest balls of any President. President is actually a strong term for the peanut man.
22 - Eric Olsen
It all seems weirdly disconnected from reality since he has really be "gone" for some time, the ceasing of biological function seems less important than when he became nonfunctional.
23 - Eric Olsen
this comment rebuild delay is driving me insane
24 - Phillip Winn
I see no comment rebuild delay -- try refresh.
25 - Jim Carruthers
JC is a carpenter, he builds houses for people. Which is more than you can say for that fake, murderous supporter of terror in Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, Philippines, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Cambodia, Malaysia, Columbia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and so on.
Plus, with his casual nuclear brinkmanship, he tried to kill me. I spent almost all of the 80s with the definite dread that he would start a nuclear war any time now.
I watched "Miracle Mile" last week, and was reminded how omnipresent the reality that a contrail was a nuclear missile going overhead.
Fuck Ronald Reagan. He was the figurehead who taught me to hate the US government as a bunch of power-mad psychotics.