bush is neither style nor substance. in no way has he had the sort of effect that reagan had on this country's psyche. i'd argue it's the exact opposite. people 20 years from now won't be running for president and seeking to compare themselves to him. you won't hear people talk about "Bush-Democrats" years from now.
This isn't necessarily directed at you Max, but it does touch on some of what you said. First, I think that Reagan, much like W, was not very smart and the people around him were really the driving force for what happened during his presidency. For that reason, I think it's more accurate to discuss the "Reagan Administration" rather than "Reagan". And the Reagan Administration embraced some of the worst, really evil regimes and actors around at that time. Just their policy in Latin America is one of the most shameful periods of US history. They provided huge amounts of financial, military, and diplomatic support to people that were really, no hyperbole, torturers, nun rapers, murderers that killed hundreds of thousands of their own people. The realization that factions in my country actually supported governments/movements that did this kind of thing was really a watershed moment for me and has driven my policital activism ever since.
Reagan was a leader who inspired people to believe again. He talked about America being great, and standing tough, and standing up to people. It made people feel good, and that's why. His policies weren't helpful, or good in any real or meaningful way. His role in the Soviet Collapse was real, but has been definitely over stated. He vetoed sanctions against Apartheid and South Africa. Congress had already passed them, and Reagan vetoed the sanctions. He increased the debt beyond reason, funded horrible oppressive dictators in Central America, etc.
Agree with a lot of what Refman says. He had charisma and vision and gave people hope. That's why I get confused by all the Obama criticism of "oh words are cheap, blah blah!" because words are not cheap when they resonate with the public. When they make you feel that your leader is up to his tasks, when they reassure and inspire, they are wonderful, and Reagan definitely delivered that to a wide swath of Americans, especially in his first term. Policy wise, since I lean to the left, I still wince at some of what he left behind. Turning away from alternative power at a (in hindsight) critical time (e.g. he took Carter's solar panels off the roof of the whitehouse to make his position clear), the widening gap between rich and poor, and turning out the chronically mentally ill, first in California and then in the nation, still linger with a distinctly Reagan aftertaste, in my mind. Won't get into his South American hijinks or Iran-Contra, the biggest free pass I've ever seen.
by the "liberal" media. reagan was probably lucky his term ended right before the explosion of news networks on cable television. the other thing is people kind of accepted that he was like this senile old man who's evil children were responsible for all his questionable policies.
He propped up brutal dictators and ignored the spread of AIDS, among other things, which some people like to candy-coat and see as a good thing nowadays
Wrong! Guess what, countries around the world smartened up and followed his policies of low income taxes and corporate tax rates. Not to mention his policies free trade. AND deregulation. Oh, and anti-communism. Remember when he was first elected some people actually still thought communism was a good idea. If those policies are so bad why aren't Democrats trying to reverse them? They know it would be a disaster. Heck, even Clinton lowered the capital gains tax and Charlie Rangel is pushing for a corporate tax CUT! How do you think China and India are growing so fast? Yep, low taxes, capitalism, free trade, etc. Also, the Soviet Union collapsed during his tenure and the Berlin Wall fell soon after. Reagan was right on the BIG things, and he was criticized mercilessly for it. He IS considered a great president.
People always like to leave out that, in America, these economic policies have saddled us with a defecit that is now totally unmanageable. I'm all for lowering taxes, but you gotta stop excess spending too. *cough* every republican president from Reagon onwards *cough* EDIT: A of that defecit is note reagan's fault per say, Laffer himself agrees that tax cuts and defecit spending were appropriate for Reagan's timeframe. But he opened the floodgates for what amounts to government-on-credit. And now it's no longer wise.
I'm part Contra and damn proud of it!... What I do know is that my mother's side of the family because of the political ties to Samosa couldn't get to the U.S. under the b*stard Carter,...Reagan immediately changed that and enabled the rest of my mom's side of relatives to get here...All good people. It was a literal race for their lives to get out of the country...Hiding in pickup trucks and such to get to Guatemala and escape...Now they all have done well in jobs, and one of my cousins is a self made millionaire. Thankfully the communist sandinista govt. is no more, but my mother to this day will not go back... I guess I'm biased, but the affection for Reagan and his ways latched on right then and there...
The problem was definitely on the spending side. Clinton did a good job, but Bush has been a debacle. Also, most of our debt I believe is coming from Social Security and Medicare. If Reagan had balanced those, he wouldnt have been merely a great president, he would have been like the next coming of Abe Lincoln.
I agree with most of the positive points already posted -- I do wish they would have been more forthcoming about his Alzheimer's disease after his presidency ended - because he was clearly having some trouble at the end of his term. I don't mean to disparage the man by commenting on the Alzheimer's but to include it as a strength of sorts -- in that he overcame one of the ultimate adversities for a leader.
Let me guess you write history books for a living. [/sarcasm] Reagan and his Democratic Congress lowered the tax rate on high incomes, but raised the lower brackets and eliminated most tax shelters (which made an enemy in Trump). the net effect was tax revenues increased, so you got to say (but you won't) that Reagan actually RAISED taxes. Soviet Union did not collapse during his tenure (cite). BTW the only people who thought communism was a good idea were the leaders of the Communist Block.
I understand some will say that no republican President can be considered great by virtue of ideal....Just as well as no democrat President can be considered great by that virtue on the other side... To each his own opinion, but what I do know is that Reagan was hugely popular with the people overall....Not just blue and red,..but "Americans", as some folk like to say...That is something that should have been experienced and is difficult to convince on a point talk basis...
Uh no. Increasing tax revenues are not the same thing as raising taxes. Guess what, capital gains tax revenue has INCREASED since the US cut capital gains taxes in the '90s. That doesnt mean we raised capital gains taxes. For reference you can also look at the Laffer curve. But one thing you can say is many people thought Reagan took much too hard a line against the Soviet Union. But his hawkish stance was exactly the right thing to do.
