I was just responding to his statement that Reagan was a dick. A rather tasteless remark regardless of politics.
...Hitchens who? Palast who??? "Reagan was a statesman who, despite all the differences between our countries, showed foresight and the will to stop the nuclear race, to embark on the destruction of nuclear weapons and to establish good relations between our countries." Mikhail Gorbachev in Russia's Izvestiya ***** "Ronald Reagan will go down in US and world history first of all as a president who was instrumental in dealing a crushing blow to world communism." Dmitriy Sidorov and Sergey Strokan in Russia's Kommersant ***** "Reagan's name has become an integral part of the history of Russian-US relations. It was he and Mikhail Gorbachev who turned the standoff between the two superstates into dialogue." Artur Blinov in Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta ***** "Reagan's name has become an integral part of the history of Russian-US relations. It was he and Mikhail Gorbachev who turned the standoff between the two superstates into dialogue. " Artur Blinov in Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta ***** "Having beaten the Soviets, he succumbed to Alzheimer's... One of the most popular American presidents, Ronald Reagan, has died after a long illness. " Lithuania's Respublika ***** "Reagan was accused of intellectual limitations, and in cartoons he was shown as an aggressive cowboy. It was, however, his deeply personal anti-communism, his belief that totalitarianism is an unnatural evil which opposes human freedom, his decision that it was his obligation to work against that evil - it was these factors that sped up the collapse of the USSR. " Aivars Ozolins in Latvia's Diena ***** "He defeated the Soviet Union, won the Cold War and helped restore freedom in Central Europe... Although he was a controversial president in many respects, the Czechs should not forget that Ronald Reagan is one reason that they are enjoying their present freedom." Czech Republic's Mlada Fronta Dnes ***** "His optimistic and uplifting spirit led the American people to gradually cast off the differences and concerns brought by the Vietnam War and to step onto the path of economic revival; his magnanimous and straightforward nature not only made the Republicans praise him more, but even political rivals were full of respect for him." Zi Ye in Zhongguo Qingnian Bao (China Youth Daily) ***** "The contradictions of Reagan's legacy do nothing to undermine his achievement in bringing the Cold War to an end. If the mark of a great presidency is the kind of moral clarity that can lead to nuclear disarmament and detente between long-standing bitter enemies, then Reagan will be remembered as a great president." Hong Kong's South China Morning Post ***** "Among the important programmes executed by the Reagan government against Iran were to equip Saddam's regime with arms and plan for the start of Iraq's war against Iran. Among the scandals of Reagan's presidential term was the Iran-Contra affair." Iran's Etemaad ***** "It was during Reagan's presidency that America's weapons of mass destruction poured into Iraq, and Saddam deployed them during the Iran-Iraq war. It was also on Reagan's orders that the Iranian passenger airline was brought down by an American missile over the Persian Gulf in 1988, killing 290 passengers." Iran's Kayhan ***** "Given his focus on freedom, it is not surprising that Reagan was considered one of the most "pro-Israeli" presidents ever. Supporting Israel came naturally for him. Ronald Reagan was the father of moral clarity." Israel's Jerusalem Post ***** "Reagan faced the challenges of the Cold War and financial problems in the US with wisdom and put the US on the path of economic prosperity. The people of the US will always remember him as a great statesman." Pakistan's Pakistan ***** "Even though Ronald Reagan was the only US president who came from Hollywood, in reality all US presidents can be seen as starring actors... The giant project in which all these actors have a role has a single name: "When Do We Conquer the World, Buddy?" Ece Temelkuran in Turkey's Milliyet ***** "Mr Reagan's legacy continues to shape US policy through President Bush. Mr Bush claims him as his "ideological model" and has likened his "democratic vision" for the Middle East to Mr Reagan's crusade against communism. Mr Bush has also revived the controversial Reagan-era Star Wars missile defence programme and is counting on tax cuts to stimulate the economy. But the parallels should not be taken too far. Mr Bush is seeking change in a very different world." Australia's Sydney Morning Herald
Much has and will be written about Ronald Reagan over the next several days, not to mention the next several years. Good and bad. We've seen some of it here of the latter kind. A crass and excretable column by Palast, courtesy of BK. A column by Hitchens, courtesy of Sam, that was all over the place... calling Reagan, "a cruel and stupid lizard", also in amazingly bad taste at a time like this, but truthfully pointing out a whole boatload of Reagan's actions as President that were not pleasant reading. In contrast, here's a facinating column by that boogieman of the Right, Paul Krugman, who paints Reagan in a most favorable light, compared to the guy who has constantly draped himself in the cloak of Reagan's legacy, only to find that the cloak doesn't fit, being several sizes too large for a man of such small mind and minute character... George W. Bush. It will be surprising reading for those quick to sing Reagan's praises, or to do the opposite with relish, while depending on a rather shallow view of the Reagan years, seen through the lens of 2 decades. That's almost a lifetime for some of our BBS denizens. Things are never as simple as they appear. Never, when the subject is politics. June 8, 2004 The Great Taxer By PAUL KRUGMAN Over the course of this week we'll be hearing a lot about Ronald Reagan, much of it false. A number of news sources have already proclaimed Mr. Reagan the most popular president of modern times. In fact, though Mr. Reagan was very popular in 1984 and 1985, he spent the latter part of his presidency under the shadow of the Iran-Contra scandal. Bill Clinton had a slightly higher average Gallup approval rating, and a much higher rating during his last two years in office. We're also sure to hear that Mr. Reagan presided over an unmatched economic boom. Again, not true: the economy grew slightly faster under President Clinton, and, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the after-tax income of a typical family, adjusted for inflation, rose more than twice as much from 1992 to 2000 as it did from 1980 to 1988. But Ronald Reagan does hold a special place in the annals of tax policy, and not just as the patron saint of tax cuts. To his credit, he was more pragmatic and responsible than that; he followed his huge 1981 tax cut with two large tax increases. In fact, no peacetime president has raised taxes so much on so many people. This is not a criticism: the tale of those increases tells you a lot about what was right with President Reagan's leadership, and what's wrong with the leadership of George W. Bush. The first Reagan tax increase came in 1982. By then it was clear that the budget projections used to justify the 1981 tax cut were wildly optimistic. In response, Mr. Reagan agreed to a sharp rollback of corporate tax cuts, and a smaller rollback of individual income tax cuts. Over all, the 1982 tax increase undid about a third of the 1981 cut; as a share of G.D.P., the increase was substantially larger than Mr. Clinton's 1993 tax increase. The contrast with President Bush is obvious. President Reagan, confronted with evidence that his tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, changed course. President Bush, confronted with similar evidence, has pushed for even more tax cuts. Mr. Reagan's second tax increase was also motivated by a sense of responsibility — or at least that's the way it seemed at the time. I'm referring to the Social Security Reform Act of 1983, which followed the recommendations of a commission led by Alan Greenspan. Its key provision was an increase in the payroll tax that pays for Social Security and Medicare hospital insurance. For many middle- and low-income families, this tax increase more than undid any gains from Mr. Reagan's income tax cuts. In 1980, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, middle-income families with children paid 8.2 percent of their income in income taxes, and 9.5 percent in payroll taxes. By 1988 the income tax share was down to 6.6 percent — but the payroll tax share was up to 11.8 percent, and the combined burden was up, not down. Nonetheless, there was broad bipartisan support for the payroll tax increase because it was part of a deal. The public was told that the extra revenue would be used to build up a trust fund dedicated to the preservation of Social Security benefits, securing the system's future. Thanks to the 1983 act, current projections show that under current rules, Social Security is good for at least 38 more years. But George W. Bush has made it clear that he intends to renege on the deal. His officials insist that the trust fund is meaningless — which means that they don't feel bound to honor the implied contract that dedicated the revenue generated by President Reagan's payroll tax increase to paying for future Social Security benefits. Indeed, it's clear from the arithmetic that the only way to sustain President Bush's tax cuts in the long run will be with sharp cuts in both Social Security and Medicare benefits. I did not and do not approve of President Reagan's economic policies, which saddled the nation with trillions of dollars in debt. And as others will surely point out, some of the foreign policy shenanigans that took place on his watch, notably the Iran-contra scandal, foreshadowed the current debacle in Iraq (which, not coincidentally, involves some of the same actors). Still, on both foreign and domestic policy Mr. Reagan showed both some pragmatism and some sense of responsibility. These are attributes sorely lacking in the man who claims to be his political successor. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/08/opinion/08KRUG.html
there's no denying that he was a good-hearted person. I wish we could go back to that time when there wasn't so much hatred between fellow Americans. Reagan was not a good hearted person. Reagan, like his clone, the publicly sunny Dubya, is largely responsible for this hatred between fellow Americans. You can't screw millions and millions in a class war and not generate some resentment. Palast is to be pardoned. Unlike most Americans he personally saw the people dying because of Regan's policies, which were admittingly against American law. Because of this he is not as appreciative of Reagtan's sunny private demeanor. .
Just heard last night from NC Senator Dole on MSNBC that the Nancy Reagan's visionary "Just Say No" program turned the tide on recreational drug usage in the 80s. You go Nancy girl!!!
66 (Unflattering) Things About Ronald Reagan By David Corn, The Nation June 6, 2004 Editor's Note: This list of "66 Things to Think about When Flying in to Reagan National Airport" appeared in the Nation on March 2, 1998 after the renaming of Washington National Airport after Ronald Reagan. As Corn says, "the piece remains relevant today – particularly as a cheat sheet for those who dare to point out the Reagan presidency was not all that glorious and was more nightmare in America than morning in America." The firing of the air traffic controllers, winnable nuclear war, recallable nuclear missiles, trees that cause pollution, Elliott Abrams lying to Congress, ketchup as a vegetable, colluding with Guatemalan thugs, pardons for F.B.I. lawbreakers, voodoo economics, budget deficits, toasts to Ferdinand Marcos, public housing cutbacks, redbaiting the nuclear freeze movement, James Watt. Getting cozy with Argentine fascist generals, tax credits for segregated schools, disinformation campaigns, "homeless by choice," Manuel Noriega, falling wages, the HUD scandal, air raids on Libya, "constructive engagement" with apartheid South Africa, United States Information Agency blacklists of liberal speakers, attacks on OSHA and workplace safety, the invasion of Grenada, assassination manuals, Nancy's astrologer. Drug tests, lie detector tests, Fawn Hall, female appointees (8 percent), mining harbors, the S&L scandal, 239 dead U.S. troops in Beirut, Al Haig "in control," silence on AIDS, food-stamp reductions, Debategate, White House shredding, Jonas Savimbi, tax cuts for the rich, "mistakes were made." Michael Deaver's conviction for influence peddling, Lyn Nofziger's conviction for influence peddling, Caspar Weinberger's five-count indictment, Ed Meese ("You don't have many suspects who are innocent of a crime"), Donald Regan (women don't "understand throw-weights"), education cuts, massacres in El Salvador. "The bombing begins in five minutes," $640 Pentagon toilet seats, African-American judicial appointees (1.9 percent), Reader's Digest, C.I.A.-sponsored car-bombing in Lebanon (more than eighty civilians killed), 200 officials accused of wrongdoing, William Casey, Iran/contra. "Facts are stupid things," three-by-five cards, the MX missile, Bitburg, S.D.I., Robert Bork, naps, Teflon. David Corn, Washington editor of the Nation, is author of 'The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception.' link
