I'll say it again: The problem is (as Major astutely pointed out in another thread) it all depends on what side of the Laffer curve you are on - which is Heisenberg-esque in it's uncertainty.
Couldn't agree more. What I find fascinating is how the current GOP candidates (including those who have quit) wrap themselves in Reagan's toga, as does George in the White House, but compared to what we've seen from the GOP and its leadership the last several years, Reagan was a moderate in comparison. No, I never voted for him and would never consider it, but I would give a lot to have had him as President these last seven disasterous years. Impeach Bush.
One could argue the opposite side as well. If Reagan had not hard lined the Soviet Union, their hawks would have let go sooner. I think the truth is that the Russian people finally had had enough, making Reagan a non-factor.
The Reagan Legacy El Mozote Massacre They separated the men from the women and children and locked them in separate groups in the church, the convent, and various houses. During the morning, they proceeded to interrogate, torture, and execute the men in several locations. Around noon, they began taking the women and older girls in groups, separating them from their children and machine-gunning them after raping them. Girls as young as 12 were raped, under the pretext of them being supportive of the guerillas. Finally, they killed the children. A group of children who had been locked in the church and its convent were shot through the windows. After killing the entire population, the soldiers set fire to the buildings. The soldiers remained in El Mozote that night. The next day, they went to the village of Los Toriles, 2 km away. Several of the inhabitants managed to escape. The others — men, women and children — were taken from their homes, lined up, and shot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Mozote_massacre The Reagan Administration doubled military aid to El Salvador in the year after the Mozote massacre.
Firstly, I believe Reagan's greatest contribution was his attitude. His cool-under-fire persona was calming, encouraging to a failing economy and culture that desperately sought leadership. He was tough with the communists and tough on the drugs. This was reassuring to an uncertain populus. I think the problem most have with Reagan is all the credit he gets for his tenure. The fall of the Soviet Union of course, but also the whole idea of 'reaganomics' as this philosophy that he and only he embodied. His own secretary of treasury said "In the four years that I served as Secretary of the Treasury, I never saw President Reagan alone and never discussed economic philosophy or fiscal and monetary policy with him one-on-one....The President never told me what he believed or what he wanted to accomplish in the field of economics.” He was a good, not great president IMO.
I’m dying laughing at folks saying he unified people. I don’t know too many older minorities who care for Ronny (I am too young to remember him personally).
W has no style and nor substance. at least Reagan demonstrated, time and again, that he was the great communicator. actually Bush 41 was a bigger spender than Reagan. he cut tax rates early in his first term. but, in the second term, he raised taxes in an attempt to lessen the budget deficit
Clinton balanced the budget by wise spending AND some tax increases. There is no free lunch as conservatives used to say before the Reagan/ Stockman strategy which continues to this day of deliberately trying to hamstring government by running up huge deficits. Basically I think that Clinton did not spend relatively as much on the military as Reagan and Bush. I don't believe that is appropriate to refer to the promise to pay people social security benefits that they have been taxed for as a "debt". Social security is sound till-- what 2042? It is still running a surplus. I think that even Medicare is currently sound, though the projections with health care costs exceeding inflation are horrendous. My understanding is that basically that for years the money from social security taxes has been used for other government expenses such as the wasteful Iraq War. The costs of that war are roughly what it would cost to have social security solvent for many many years. The Bush tax cut which even he admitted mainly went to the well off was also roughly the same amount (several trillion?). I think the whole issue of a "lock box" that Gore was talking about in the 2000 election referred to this.
An interesting comment. I think that it was the conservative movement that had its first victory under Reagan that led to the non-stop investigation of Bill Clinton, the bs impeachment that roughy 70% of the population was against, George Bush II and the nastier politics that we have now. I think the country was much less polarized under Jimmy Carter, though he had his problems as president.
Didn't this guy tried to have Ketchup categorized as a vegetable for the School Lunch Programs? Rocket River
It was an early version of "compassionate conservatism" GOP style. After all under prevailing conservative doctrine, the government is under no duty to even provide public schools, much less free ketchup to poor kids. Just ask Rush or Ron Paul.
A collapse in oil prices in April '86 had a lot to do with the Reagan Legacy-stable energy prices. The Reagan legacy to me includes: 1)Mad - mad spending on defense- a non returnable investment 2) Prosperity in parts of the country 3) Huge deficit spending 4) "Anything goes" moneymaking and cronyism for his associates 5) Countless appointments to federal courts and the supreme court- a curse we live with to this day 6) Absolute "teflon " ability to deflect crticism-he was a master speaker-handled a crowd like few others ever-he could have fired me - talked to me for a while and I might have thanked him 7) you do not have to be more than average in intelligence to be president-let your advisors influence your decisions and policy - making- See George W.Bush
During Reagan years a message- theme of hatred resonated from conservatives- I am a conservative and do not like the intolerant hatred of the day-this is not me- he was not my president-he spent way to much money for me He did not win a "mandate"-the election against Carter was closer than many chose to remember
This is unabashed horses***. I see no Republicans stating that we should close all public schools. As for your earlier post about the "bs" impeachment that "70% of the population was against"...because something is unpopular, does that make it not the right thing to do? I'm sure ending slavery was unpopular, but it was the right thing to do. I am sure that if a Democrat is elected and they raise taxes, it will be unpopular, but you will tell us about the deficit, and it is the right thing to do. Honestly, you are so damned partisan it is laughable. It's sad really. You seem like a legitimately good guy. You just try too damned hard to vilify the GOP and anybody who would even consider voting for them. Pitty.
looks like the only bigger landslides were in '36 and '84. Franklin D. Roosevelt: votes 27,752,648 EC 523 Alfred Mossman Landon: votes 16,681,862 EC 8 Ronald Wilson Reagan: votes 54,455,472 EC 525 Walter Frederick Mondale: votes: 37,577,352 EC 13
Our public schools are among the worst in the world. Thanks, glynch. I wish Reagan could have gotten all kids into private schools by using the money public schools waste and giving it to parents. They could then use the money on the private or charter school of their choice. Another issue where Reagan was correct. Thanks for reminding me. Reagan wanted to get rid of the Department of Education, which just does the bidding of the teacher's unions.
