"Man of the West"? Really? The guy was born and raised in Illinois, and spent most of his adult life in Hollywood, play-acting that he was a cowboy.
The most overrated President in American history. Just dumb lucky enough to be minding the store when the Soviet empire imploded, an historical inevitability for which he is now given undeserved credit. The architect of today's dysfunctional Republican Party, which has become less a political organization than a bizarre, crypto-religious cult. His sentimentalized "white picket fence/morning in America/shining city on the hill" drivel is the principal reason why Americans today are a bunch of spoiled rotten cry babies about everything, unwilling to make anything even vaguely resembling a sacrifice, and deluded by the belief that "others" are to blame for our fiscal irresponsibility, and the decline of our standing in the world. But for the fact that George W. Bush reset the bar for Worst President Ever, this gold-plated phony, whose image every goofy right-winger on the planet wants to place on everything from Mt. Rushmore to the $20 bill, would have retired the title.
When they write the history of the End of the American Century, the 8 years between 1981 and 1989 will be Chapter One - "The Beginning of the End".
Time for a contrary position. At the time Reagan became President, Russians were in Afghanistan, the hostages were still in Tehran, interest rates were through the roof, most of my friends' fathers were out of work and Soviet dominance in the World seemed an historical certain, not the inevitable collapse as so many revisionist historians now posit (much like so many Monday morning QB's who "saw it coming the whole time" when an underdog pulls off a major upset against a prohibitive favorite). Reagan ushered in an era of prosperity and American pride that hadn't been seen since prior to that sad day in Dallas in 1963. Were mistakes made during his presidency? Sure. The failure to address the AIDS crisis early on cost far too many fine people their lives. The intervention in Lebanon was a cluster fuck from the get go, and helped Hezbollah take de facto control of that country. And the Iran/Contra Affair was a fools' errand, even if one of the elements (keeping our enemies in Iran and Iraq at war with each other) was an excellent idea. If you step back from partisanship and look at things objectively, Reagan did a fine job while in office (I could make the same statement about Clinton, although I'm sure I'd draw the same fire from my friends on the right as will probably now from my friends on the left). As for "Worst President Ever", I'm afraid that the current resident of the mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue is making a great run at that dubious title.
BTW, in Canada, we have a prime minister - Stephen Harper - who also plays the Western symbols (cowboy hats and so on) although he was born in Toronto and raised in Ottawa until he was 20 years-old...
15 comments so far:
"Man of the West"? Really? The guy was born and raised in Illinois, and spent most of his adult life in Hollywood, play-acting that he was a cowboy.
The most overrated President in American history. Just dumb lucky enough to be minding the store when the Soviet empire imploded, an historical inevitability for which he is now given undeserved credit. The architect of today's dysfunctional Republican Party, which has become less a political organization than a bizarre, crypto-religious cult. His sentimentalized "white picket fence/morning in America/shining city on the hill" drivel is the principal reason why Americans today are a bunch of spoiled rotten cry babies about everything, unwilling to make anything even vaguely resembling a sacrifice, and deluded by the belief that "others" are to blame for our fiscal irresponsibility, and the decline of our standing in the world. But for the fact that George W. Bush reset the bar for Worst President Ever, this gold-plated phony, whose image every goofy right-winger on the planet wants to place on everything from Mt. Rushmore to the $20 bill, would have retired the title.
When they write the history of the End of the American Century, the 8 years between 1981 and 1989 will be Chapter One - "The Beginning of the End".
Wow. Touch a nerve?
Where's Before?
Amen Brother! That's one perfectly concise, perfectly TRUE paragraph!!
Damn.
John stole my thunder.
Only thing he didn't work in was 'Trickle Down Economics'.
"Mother, where'd I put my hat?"
Left out Star Wars and Iran Contra, too. And the dirty trick they played on Carter.
John, you pretty much nailed it.
Time for a contrary position. At the time Reagan became President, Russians were in Afghanistan, the hostages were still in Tehran, interest rates were through the roof, most of my friends' fathers were out of work and Soviet dominance in the World seemed an historical certain, not the inevitable collapse as so many revisionist historians now posit (much like so many Monday morning QB's who "saw it coming the whole time" when an underdog pulls off a major upset against a prohibitive favorite). Reagan ushered in an era of prosperity and American pride that hadn't been seen since prior to that sad day in Dallas in 1963. Were mistakes made during his presidency? Sure. The failure to address the AIDS crisis early on cost far too many fine people their lives. The intervention in Lebanon was a cluster fuck from the get go, and helped Hezbollah take de facto control of that country. And the Iran/Contra Affair was a fools' errand, even if one of the elements (keeping our enemies in Iran and Iraq at war with each other) was an excellent idea. If you step back from partisanship and look at things objectively, Reagan did a fine job while in office (I could make the same statement about Clinton, although I'm sure I'd draw the same fire from my friends on the right as will probably now from my friends on the left). As for "Worst President Ever", I'm afraid that the current resident of the mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue is making a great run at that dubious title.
Way to go, John.
Reagan has never worked for the average Americans but rather for the well-off (tax reductions) and the big corportions.
I am amazed Americans didn't figure out the game played by this president.
So amazed that GWB - same approach if not worse - was elected TWICE like his so-called fabulous predecessor.
"Man of the West"? Really? The guy was born and raised in Illinois, and spent most of his adult life in Hollywood, play-acting that he was a cowboy.
If you take a look at the other entries in this series you'll see that, while everything you say is true, Reagan's inclusion is not inconsistent.
BTW, in Canada, we have a prime minister - Stephen Harper - who also plays the Western symbols (cowboy hats and so on) although he was born in Toronto and raised in Ottawa until he was 20 years-old...
I sometimes wear cowboy boots (but not the matching Stetson), and I've lived almost my entire life in the New York metro area.
But do you pretend being a true core Western born guy?
Nice, my dyslexic eyes saw 'proudly posted' for nanosecond.
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