|name = Ronald Wilson Reagan |image = |caption = Mr. Reagan |Data1 = Political Party |Data1-c = Republican (1962-2004), Democratic Party (Before) |Data2 = Education |Data2-c = Eureka College |Data3 = Religion |Data3-c = Presbyterian |Data4 = Born |Data4-c = February 6, 1911 |Data5 = Died |Data5-c = June 5, 2004 (aged 93)}}
Ronald Reagan was a Movie actor and Labor Union President who was seduced by elements of monetarism and became one of the most successful PR men for the the USA and capitalist economic theory the of all time. Reagan brought professional PR and espionage to party politics, became Governor of California and from 1981 to 1989 President of the United States. Some hardline Conservatives admire Ronald Reagan as political quazi-prophet.
Many Republicans say that the Republican Party has gone so far-right that Reagan couldn't have made it as one of them. However to quote Bill Maher, "Ronald Reagan was an anti-government, union-busting, race-baiting, anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-intellectual who cut rich people's taxes in half, had an incurable case of the military-industrial complex and said Medicare was socialism that would destroy our freedom. Sounds to me like he fit in just fine."
During his days as an actor, Reagan both was an FBI informant and known for being a patriotic American. He was an Irish American and Irish American by culture.
His vice president and successor was less reactionary George H. W. Bush.
Presidential Elections[]
1976[]
In November 1975, President Gerald Ford received a call from former California governor and two-bit actor Ronald Reagan. Reagan, who disagreed with Ford's policy of easing relations with the Soviets instead of escalating tensions, called to announce he was challenging Ford for the Republican nomination. This infuriated Ford, as there was a custom of never challenging an incumbent President who was able to run for re-election. The very divisive Reagan said "I hope this won't be divisive", which blew away Ford.
The New Hampshire primary was held in February of 1976, the first major showdown in almost every election. While Ford wanted to emphasize the idea that "you don't change horses mid-stream", many polls showed that many Republicans didn't want to keep him. Reagan represented the racist and anti-poor right-wing of the Republican Party, as unfortunately the Republican Party was becoming more and more right-wing and abandoning the moderate principles of previous Republican presidents like Eisenhower. Even Reagan's most ardent left-wing haters had to admit he was charismatic.
To combat Reagan's popularity, Ford decided to reveal Reagan's true plutocratic nature. Reagan endorsed a plan to cut $90 billion from the federal budget and have the states pick up the tab. This would've hurt the working middle class of New Hampshire. When the primary was held on February 24, Ford won with 50.06% to Reagan's 48.26%, a margin of less than 2%, but a victory for Ford nonetheless. Reagan was now on the defensive.
By the time of the March 1976 North Carolina primary, Reagan had lost five primaries. Ford was looking pretty good. People more and more called on Reagan to concede to Ford, which made Reagan more angry and stubborn to stay in. Reagan attacked Ford on an issue in which Ford was vulnerable: The Panama Canal. The Ford Administration wanted to give control of the Panama Canal back to Panama. Reagan called upon right-wing American imperialism on the idea "We own that canal. It is sovereign United States territory." Reagan would pound the podium and emote, saying "We bought it, we paid for it, and we're going to keep it." Because America just has to have an Empire. Reagan used the Canal issue to portray Ford as someone who couldn't be trusted on the world stage. Reagan would win the North Carolina primary. While this was just one victory, it gave Reagan hope he could win and make his campaign look alive.
The Republican National Convention was held in Kansas City, Kansas on August 16-19, a month after the Democratic Party nominated former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. Ford spent the last month before calling on committed delegates, getting them into the White House and making deals to consolidate his nomination.
America was given four years of borrowed time from Reagan's inevitable disastrous policies of turning water into polluted water and walking on the poor as Ford secured the nomination.
"I am honored by your nomination, and I accept it. I'm ready. I'm eager to go before the American people and debate the real issues face-to-face with Jimmy Carter!"
Towards the end of the speech, Ford looked towards Reagan and said, "After the scrimmages of past few months, it really feels good to have Ron Reagan on the same side of the line."
In an unscripted attempt to encourage party unity, President Ford invited Reagan to the convention floor right then and there. As Reagan descended to the floor, the crowd went wild. Ford allowed Reagan to speak after shaking hands.
"I believe the Republican Party has a platform that is a banner of bold, unmistakable colors with no pale, pastel shades... We must go forth from here united, determined that what a great general said several years ago is true: 'There is no substitute for victory'."
Reagan gave a stirring speech that overshadowed Ford's own acceptance address, despite being little more than five minutes long. Some delegates later stated that they left the convention wondering if they had voted for the wrong candidate.
President Ford would lose the election to Jimmy Carter. Reagan therefore prepared himself for the 1980 election.
1980[]
Reagan tried again in 1980. Reagan was viewed as the heir apparent in the Republican Party. After time as an actor and Governor of California, he had become the new voice for the party. He was the man to beat in 1980.
Reagan vs Bush[]
| “ | I pledge to you to restore to the federal government the capacity to do the people's work without dominating their lives," he said. "We'll Make America Great Again. | ” |
On January 5, 1980, a Republican debate was held in Iowa. For some reason, former Governor Reagan was at his home in California. Former Texas Governor John Connally noted his absence. By being absent, he boasted the portfolio of George H. W. Bush. Reagan lost the Iowa Caucus to Bush. Reagan got 27% to Bush's 33%. After Iowa, people started to doubt that Reagan would win.
In 1980, Reagan was 68 and Bush was 55. Some assumed Reagan was too old to run for President. The last man to become President at 68 was William Henry Harrison, who died of pneumonia just a month after taking office. Bush was getting a lot of exercise between political events, challenging Reagan to do the same. This infuriated him.
On February 23, 1980, Reagan had a one-on-one debate with Bush in Nashua, New Hampshire. He even offered to pay for it. At the last second, Reagan had the other Republican candidates join in the debate. After Reagan spoke of having the other candidates in the debate, the Debate moderator asked for Reagan's microphone be turned off. This enraged Reagan's supporters. Reagan responded "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" to the adulation of his supporters.
This moment cemented Reagan's status as the presumptive nominee. On August 14, 1980, Reagan arrived at the Republican National Convention. To balance the ticket between reactionaries and conservatives, he chose the more moderate George Bush as his running mate.
Reagan vs Carter[]
| “ | Oh, there you go again. | ” |
Reagan had to try to prove he wasn't some stupid old actor running for President. Reagan fumbled at first by making stuff up. "I'm happy that to be here and he's opening his campaign down in the city that gave birth to and is the apparent body of the Ku Klux Klan." President Carter did kick off his re-election campaign with a speech at the Labor Day Celebration in Tuscumbia, but the KKK was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, not Tuscumbia, Alabama. This also turned some Southerners against Reagan. He also blamed trees and vegetation for pollution. His campaign also went to California and a hung a sign on a tree that said "Chop Me Down Before I kill again". Carter took advantage of Reagan's statements. "He wants to cut down all the trees in the United States. He said that's where pollution comes from."
Reagan appealed to racist baby boomers by using racist dog whistles. In one claim, he said that America's problems were to be blamed on Chicago Welfare Queens.
Carter and Reagan were to have a debate one week before the election of 1980. Carter was confident in his own intelligence. A briefing book was prepared with foreign/domestic questions and lines of attack against Reagan. Three sets of volumes were made, one for Carter's review, one of Mondale's review and another for back up. The back up was stolen by Paul Corbin and given it to Bill Casey, the Chairman of the Reagan campaign. Corbin was fiercely loyal to Kennedy family. He had hoped Reagan would defeat Carter and then Ted Kennedy would defeat Reagan in 1984. The Reagan campaign gaining this information gave them an enormous advantage. Corbin can burn in hell for what he did.
On October 28, 1980, the debate was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Reagan's most notable moments include using the phrase "There you go again" and asking whether or not Americans were better off than they were four years ago. One of the questions was about ending the nuclear arms race. Despite his advisers all telling him not to do so, Carter said:
"I had a discussion with my daughter, Amy, the other day, before I came here, to ask her what the most important issue was. She said she thought nuclear weaponry – and the control of nuclear arms."
He pressed on. "Governor Reagan, as a matter of fact, began his political career campaigning around this nation against Medicare. [...] Social Security benefits should not be taxed and that there would be no peremptory change in the standards by which Social Security payments are made to retired people."
Reagan simply responded with "Oh, there you go again." Reagan also asked viewers whether or not Americans were better off than they were four years ago. Ironically, Reagan portrayed himself as Change vs Carter's Status Quo.
Unfortunately, Reagan won the 1980 election. The hostages were released on Inauguration day.
1984[]
Reagan and Bush easily defeated Jimmy Carter's former vice president, Walter Mondale, in a landslide victory.
Cold War[]
Although many credit President Reagan with ending the Cold War and helping to defeat Communism, this conveniently ignores the efforts of decades of liberal presidents starting with John F. Kennedy, to isolate the Soviet Union and contain the spread of Communism. Further Mikhail Gorbachev last premier of the USSR attempted to bring in economic reforms. This caused the Soviet Union to fall as well as communist countries in central Europe.
Criticism[]
Reagan's record
At home, Reagan ran a corrupt administration and many of the underlings he chose were Criminals convicted of felonies. If Reagan didn't know abut it he was incompetent, if he knew he has also corrupt. [1]
Reagan's actions in the Middle East and Latin America have been harshly criticized by significant portions of the United States population as well as by NGOs such as Amnesty International. Well even Reagan was more liberal than many of the sillier Conservatives today. [2] And, yet, conservatives griped when "The Reagans" was set to air on CBS on November 16 and 18, 2003 when the mini-series TV movie was released late that year but ended up airing on Showtimes. And all because "The Reagans" actually revealed who he really was and it was about his family, not just him.
A little dose of reality
Policy in Latin America[]
During his term in office, Reagan funded an anti-communist but still brutal regime in El Salvador. His justification for this was that it would be even worse if a Communist regime were to take power. During this time he also funded an insurgence in Nicaragua. Although the Sandinistas, who were the ruling party in Nicaragua, were corrupt and did engage in some Human rights violations, the counter-revolutionaries that Reagan funded were even more brutal. The Contras have been accused by reliable sources such as Amnesty International of gross violations of human rights. The violations were so bad that even more liberal elements in the normally conservative Roman Catholic Church were somewhat supportive of the socialist Sandinistas. The Contras regularly destroyed social projects initiated by the Sandinistas including schools, hospitals, and agricultural collectives.
Policy in the Middle East[]
Support for Saddam Hussein[]
In addition to supporting Bin Laden, Reagan also publicly supported Saddam Hussein. The reason for this was because America was a bitter enemy of Iran, and had been since a theocratic regime took over in 1979. Despite being a brutal tyrant, Saddam was secular and was at war with Iran. This made him an attractive ally to the United States. Also, America would have access to Iraq's large oil reserves. This support continued even after it became known that Hussein was using chemical weapons against both Iranian forces and segments of the Iraqi population. It was later revealed that Reagan had secretly sanctioned the sale of American weaponry to Iran, who was at war with Iraq, who was openly supplied with American weapons. Not very trustworthy or honorable of Ronnie, but no wonder conservatives idolize the guy!
Nuclear Weapons[]
Reagan giving a speech.
Ronald Reagan spent vast sums of taxpayers money on various schemes to end the deadlock of Mutually Assured Destruction and move to a scenario where the United States might be able to launch a sneak Pearl Harbor style surprise attack and "win" a nuclear war. Though winning a war that leaves tens of millions of casualties on your own side and some of your allies completely devastated is a strange concept of winning. He tried to do this by:
- Star Wars style weapons to destroy long range missiles being fired at the United States - so if they had worked perfectly the US could have fought a war where the Soviets could only incinerate US allies who were within range of their short and medium range missiles.
- First Strike weapons - Nuclear missiles sufficiently accurate they could destroy Soviet weaponry before it could be fired.
- Stealth weaponry - weapons that could reach Soviet nuclear sites without detection.
Needless to say, this was a highly risky and deeply unethical strategy, a betrayal of the US allies whose populations would have been killed by this, Europeans were scared by this and anti-nuclear movements grew. Reagan was also deeply ignorant of the lessons of history - if you make it clear to an enemy that you are preparing to attack them with overwhelming force that you are starting to build, don't be surprised if they attack before you are ready to attack them.
Ronald Reagan is the only person with control of a nuclear weapon system to have publicly joked about using it.
Economy[]
Ronald Reagan is the man who messed up the United States of America. He sold the country to big banks and corporations. He gave Wall Street so much power there have been problems ever since his presidency. Reagan helped corporate executives get even wealthier furthermore by lowering their tax rates. His policy was known as Reaganomics.
Ronald Reagan will be remembered as the man who ended the "economic terrorism" of the notorious peacenik Jimmy Carter. Not only did Reagan "free the greenbacks" (dollars) from the unjust oppression of world peace, he managed to sell arms to both sides in Iran-Iraq war! For this, he is celebrated as the Greatest American Capitalist President ever!
Astrology[]
He had a tendency to consult pseudoscientists astrologers [3]. This happened for a while, as his 1967 inauguration as California governor took place at 12:10 AM.
Even though many other presidents were superstituous, you'd think that by the second half of the 20th Century they'd know better. And we'll never know Ronnie's true motivation for the Iran Contra Affair. Maybe the position of Jupiter told him.
Saint Reagan[]
For some ungodly reason, Ronald Reagan, both before and after his death, was treated as if he was Jesus Christ, even though Christ Himself was left of Karl Marx (according to Kyle Kulinski). Many have touched on that subject, including liberal comedian Bill Maher on June 7, 2013:
"[Conservatives say] Ronald Reagan himself couldn't have made it today as a Republican. This has become a kind of conventional wisdom that the Republican Party has gone so far-right, that Reagan himself couldn't fit in. But I'm here tonight to call bullshit on that. Ronald Reagan was an anti-government, union-busting, race-baiting, anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-intellectual who cut rich people's taxes in half, had an incurable case of the military-industrial complex and said Medicare was socialism that would destroy our freedom. Sounds to me like he would fit in just fine."
After an applause, he continued.
"Now, I know over at Fox News, they're already putting a fatwa out on me, for committing the cardinal sin of taking in vain the sacred name of Ronald Reagan. It's a name like Jesus Christ. You can say it, but only in a good way. Like 'Jesus Christ, bless this chili dog'. Not like 'Jesus Christ! Look at the ass on Rihanna!'"
"They love him beyond logic. Last year, they tried to elect his haircut. They want him on a stamp so they can lick his backside."
Pros and Cons[]
Reagan was one of the worst Presidents of the 20th century. While he still have several bad acts, he also have some good acts.
Pros[]
- Helped persuade Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall
- Became the first popular gender-neutral public restroom, search "Ronald Reagan Grave Location" on Google
Mixed[]
- Appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman Justice of the supreme court.
- Social Security Reform Act of 1983
- Family Support Act
- Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), gives some workers who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue health benefits provided by their employer’s group health plan.
- Undo the price controls on oil
- Tax Reform Act of 1986
- Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
- Helped speed up the end of the Cold War.
Cons[]
- FBI informant
- Cut taxes for the rich
- Put plutocracy on steroids
- Race-baiter
- Homophobic
- Anti-choice
- Iran-Contra Affair
- Ignored the AIDS crisis until it affected a friend of his...
- Believed that widespread freeloading plagued welfare and social programs.
- Poverty rate climbed from 12% to 15%
- Unemployment rose from 7% to 11%
- Destroyed the labor unions (Despite being President of an actors' union in Hollywood)
- Deregulation
- Opposed many civil rights legislation
- Vetoed the Civil Rights Restoration Act (Congress override the veto, thankfully)
- Opposed extending provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Initially opposed making Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a national holiday
- Ally to apartheid South Africa.
- Mocked Africans who didn't wear shoes as "monkeys" in a phone call with Richard Nixon
- Funded the mujahedeen that became the Taliban/al-Qaeda
- Star Wars program failure cost taxpayers $33 billion dollars
- Fired Air traffic controllers who were striking for better job conditions
- Initiated military involvement in Libya, Grenada, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Lebanon.
- “Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.”
- Reagan issued leases for oil, gas, and coal development on tens of millions of acres of national lands.
- Slashed federal aid to schools by more than $1 billion
- Cut the Department of Education budget by 19%
- In 1981, the deficit was $79 billion and, in 1986, at the peak of his deficit spending, it stood at $221 billion.
- The federal debt was $994 billion when he took office in 1981 and grew to $2.9 trillion when his second term ended in 1989.
- Promoted abstinence-only education.
- Over bloated military spending
- Gutted social welfare
- Said Medicare was socialism that was destroy our freedom
- Incurable case of the Military-industrial complex
- Claimed that people who commit violent crimes “are not desperate people seeking bread for their families; crime is the way they’ve chosen to live.” Total apathy.
- Pardoned Robert Walker Jr, who later murdered his wife
- Supported Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War.
- Privatized almost everything.
- Crappy defunded public daycare system
- Set the state for Donald Trump's rise
See also[]
- Iran-Contra Affair
- Charlie Sheen An entertainer who also imagines he could be President