Saturday, June 05, 2004
Extremely Incorrect Take on Reagan
One of the comments posted from Drezner's blog on Reagan that seems to be to be a representative of an extreme, partisan leftist take on Mr. Reagan that is almost entirely incorrect, except from say the defecits (although one should remember that most of the defecit came from spending increases, not tax cuts, and that the tax cuts gave the American economy a wave of prosperity that it rides, with a few small bumps, to this day):
Reagan's administration was a failure on many levels. The main problems he bequeathed to us are:
1. The "free ride" philosophy of government. Deficits don't matter, you can get whatever you want without paying for it. This is tied to the Laffer curve idiocy and "growing out" of deficits. We still haven't grown out of the deficits he left us with.
2. The "genial idiot" philosophy of government. The President can be a figurehead, as long as he hires good people. We are reaping the results of that idea as we speak.
3. The explicit support for terrorists in Central America and Afghanistan. Little bit of blowback on that one.
4. The cult of personality, shown by the current effort to name government buildings, airports , etc. after Reagan. Reminiscent of Kim Jong Il in North Korea.
5. The idea that what government does is not as important as how people in the media report it. Refined by Clinton and perfected by Bush II.
6. Allowing religious fanatics increasing sway in government policy, and blatant entanglement of religion with government. Remember "Freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from religion?"
7. Implicit racism, from his statement about supporting states' rights in Philadelphia, MS to his visit to Bitburg cemetery in Germany. Oh yeah, and the line about welfare queens in their Cadillacs.
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