Ronald Reagan Was Not So Great

[Leo 9]

February 26, 2008

Ronald Reagan Was Not So Great


Diary Entry by Jay Miller



Commentary on former President Ronald Wilson Reagan

::::::::

Republicans idolize Ronald Reagan. Their candidates have used his library as a debate location and photo opportunity back drop. Even my choice for President, Barack Obama, has evoked the former president’s name.

But I have different memories of the Gipper.

In 1983, while Reagan was President, I joined the U.S. Army motivated by desire to defend freedom and democracy.

What I witnessed was disgusting. Reagan spent billions of U.S. tax dollars to fund terrorist’s like Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, death squads that murdered nuns and priests in Central America and ruthless dictators like Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Weapons were even being illegally funneled to our enemies in Iran.

People think 5% unemployment is bad now. How about 10.8% under Reagan, the worst since the Great Depression. Reagan more than quadrupled the national debt and set records for farm foreclosures, S&L bank failures, and number of administration officials indicated for serious crimes.

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http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=6272

[Lint Head]

1. Ronny Ray-Gun was a manipulated boob.

:dem:

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Yep. An empty figurehead.

Poppy Bush was the real power, with his oil buddies and CIA running the show.

All Reagan did was what he did all his life - read lines with a fair degree of sincerity. And you know what they say about sincerity in Hollywood - if you can fake that, you've got it made.

[rurallib]

3. The president they should idolize is Eisenhower

the president they do idolize is Ray-gun. All talk, no go. A pathetic performance masked by an adoring press.

[tabasco]

4. Provided nerve agent to Saddam Hussein.

Sold weapons to both sides in the Iran-Iraq war.

When they say "he gassed his own people," they forget to tell you Reagan sold him the "gas."

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Before Dubya, he was our Most Embarrassing President Ever

But now he's just #2.

[WoodyM]

6. Reagan was a contract actor in Hollywood.

He acted in whatever movie that he was assigned and he was working rather steadily. Never really was good but only on a few occasions was bad. Never an Oscar or a nomination. He did have a grin or smile that was engaging.
Television came along and put contract actors out of work. A few went into TV. He was one of them. At the end of his programs, he would say a few lines. Conservative ones written to satisfy the programs sponsor, General Electric.
The republicans in California saw this man on TV with a well-known name, an engaging smile, and saying conservative things. They got him to run for governor.
He really had no convictions but this was the greatest part he would ever get to play so he took it on made every effort to make it real. He finally made it to playing the president.

One who saw many of his movies on the silver screen.

[MisterP]

7. reading through his documents at the Reagan Library, it's so obvious

he made no decisions whatsoever, just signed whatever went in front of him. In fact, that's almost a quote of him.
They also have a collection of anti-Communist Bircheriana: it's as abnormal as it sounds.

[orleans]

8. not to change the subject, but where is ron jr.? i miss seeing him

on msnbc--he hasn't been on in a long time.

what happened to him?