Ronald Reagan - rot!

POSTED BY: Ghoulman
UPDATED: Sunday, July 11, 2004 22:01
VIEWED: 16699
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GHOULMAN

Monday, June 7, 2004 8:17 PM

66 (Unflattering) Things About Ronald Reagan
By David Corn, The Nation
June 6, 2004
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18874

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.'

QUICKSAND

Monday, June 7, 2004 8:27 PM

This bein' a fairly liberal-mined FF board, I'm not sure if you're about to get attacked or praised, Ghoulman... but I just wanted to offer:

He suffered a long time, even if he DID grow up to be a total d*ck. Give him a day or two, at least. I mean, c'mon, even if Dubya got taken out tomorrow, I'd still be sad a few days.

(um, no i wouldn't... is the dept. of homeland security reading this?)

___\_o_/___
--------------- (Qs)

SERGEANTX

Monday, June 7, 2004 8:43 PM

Wow, thanks for putting things in perspective Ghoulman. I was never a cheerleader for Reagan, but if that list represents his worst, it makes me nostalgic. I can't imagine how nasty Bush43rd's rap sheet is gonna look twenty years from now.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

Big Damn Heroes is here:
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GUNRUNNER

Monday, June 7, 2004 8:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ghoulman:
recallable nuclear missiles

Uhhhhh its been done, about 40 years before Reagan was elected the US Navy deployed the Regulas Missile off submarines of the Greyback class (USS Greyback, and USS Growler) and Halibut class (USS Halibut).

The Regulas missile was remote guided via ship/sub/airplane, and could be recalled and even landed on a runway for recovery.

BTW When Reagan was an actor filming “Hellcats of the Navy” he was partially responsible for destroying a US Navy Dock. The Captain of this sub (That was tied up at aforementioned dock) informed his crew to do exactly what Reagan said (he meant when they began filming), a sailor heard Reagan practicing his lines in his room’s mirror and the sailor relayed the orders to the Conn. I think you can imagine the chaos that resulted…

-That has nothing really to do with this I just thought it was funny [true] story.

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PEACE

Monday, June 7, 2004 9:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:
Wow, thanks for putting things in perspective Ghoulman. I was never a cheerleader for Reagan, but if that list represents his worst, it makes me nostalgic. I can't imagine how nasty Bush43rd's rap sheet is gonna look twenty years from now.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

Big Damn Heroes is here:
http://sunflower.com/~gamearts

Yes, the impossible has happened-- somebody came along who made Reagan's tenure in the White House look like the good old days. I would rather have Reagan back than than endure another term under El Supremo, uh, Dubya.

I was genuinely saddened by Reagan's passing-- the death of any person is a moment to pause and reflect, and the manner of his passing, I would not wish on anyone. May he rest in peace.

Oh, bugger! Now I have to wait for someone to wake up!

ANNIK

Monday, June 7, 2004 10:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Peace:
(snipped)
I was genuinely saddened by Reagan's passing-- the death of any person is a moment to pause and reflect, and the manner of his passing, I would not wish on anyone. May he rest in peace.

I agree. As a Canadian, it was impossible not to hear about Reagan over the years. But there is great truth in the idea that how a society treats its dead is a great indicator of the quality of that society.

To me, compassion is the ability to mourn the death of our enemies as well as our friends.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

GRACEOM

Monday, June 7, 2004 11:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Peace:
Yes, the impossible has happened-- somebody came along who made Reagan's tenure in the White House look like the good old days. I would rather have Reagan back than than endure another term under El Supremo, uh, Dubya.

Exactly what I've been thinking. I was no fan, but hearing his cheery voice in old speeches replayed...I kinda miss him.

Still, it raises my eyebrows to hear him described as "one of America's greatest presidents." The Soviet Union may have fallen apart during his tenure, but I'm still not convinced he single handedly brought about its demise--as is being widely touted on the news in recent days.

Quote:
I was genuinely saddened by Reagan's passing-- the death of any person is a moment to pause and reflect, and the manner of his passing, I would not wish on anyone. May he rest in peace.

Indeed. And condolences to Nancy, may she carry on with her efforts in support of stem cell research.

Grace

PEACE

Tuesday, June 8, 2004 2:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by GraceOM:
Quote:
snipped...

Still, it raises my eyebrows to hear him described as "one of America's greatest presidents." The Soviet Union may have fallen apart during his tenure, but I'm still not convinced he single handedly brought about its demise--as is being widely touted on the news in recent days.

Indeed, the Soviet Union was already in the process of imploding; whether RR sped the process along is another issue.

Reagan loomed large during his time because, I believe, he told Americans things they wanted to hear. Note that this is distinct from telling them what they need to hear-- Jimmy Carter tried that, and between his own lack of political skills and his preachy manner, he was crucified.

Reagan also had a disproportionate impact during his tenure because he was so unabashedly pro those-who-have versus those who ain't-- all the while cloaking his agenda with homespun humor and flag-waving. He was not wholly successsful, but his administration was a training ground for many of the thugs-- yes, thugs-- who are in the White House today-- as well as serving to advance the interests of some people who are downright scary, such as the extreme religious right (ever read Heinlein's Revolt in 2100? It's about a theocratic dictatorship in America-- Heinlein said that no one he ever talked to about it ever questioned the plausibility of the premise).

Right now the rhetoric about Reagan is pretty purple, and I just want to insert my two cents of dissent from this opinion. In the long run, I don't think history will be very kind to Reagan; I'm pretty sure he'll rank in the lower third of presidents.

I will now retire to my foxhole in anticipation of the incoming fire this statement is going to take....

Oh, bugger! Now I have to wait for someone to wake up!

ECGORDON

Tuesday, June 8, 2004 2:11 AM

The best that I can say about Reagan is that I think he was just as good a president as he was an actor.

GINOBIFFARONI

Tuesday, June 8, 2004 3:12 AM

Just to point out,

Jimmy Carter for one, started to spend money in order to push the Soviet Union over the edge, incidently some of this money was spent to encourage muslim radicals to terrorist attacks, destabilizing the Southern Russian Republics.

This precipitated the Soviet invasion of Afganistan, and in a way brought us to the
war(s) today.........

Hindsight ain't it grand

" If I going to get killed for a word....
Then my word is Poon-Tang "

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