So... Was Ronald Reagan an "anti-colonialist" as well?

[ck4829]

The latest screed from the right is that Obama is an "anti-colonialist". Now, the average person is still scratching their head on what that even means (And making up words and language as you go along is a sign that you're involved in a cult, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence, right?). But if we take a look at the context of what one of these chief propaganda-pushers are saying; then maybe we can see what being an "anti-colonialist" means.

Dinesh D'Souza sez: "Obama proves he is an anti-colonialist because he doesn't want the US to have nuclear weapons!"

"We are not just discussing limits on a further increase of nuclear weapons. We seek, instead, to reduce their number. We seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth."
Obama? No! Reagan.
http://mediamatters.org/research/201010040030

Reagan was also BFF with Mobutu Sese Seko, an explicit anti-communist and anti-colonialist dictator.

There's also making secret deals with the Iranian regime, which toppled the Shah's government which was propped up by Operation Ajax.

And there's also his whole series of actions in Central America from El Salvador to Nicaragua and beyond against the Soviets that were supposedly invading the region which included arming and supporting violent forces native to their countries.

Sounds like Reagan is the head honcho of "anti-colonialism", eh teabaggers?

[meegbear]

1. Holy Media Matters Batman!

<snip>

4. CLAIM: Obama's push for a "nuclear-free world" is evidence of his "anti-colonialism"

D'Souza claims on page 38 that Obama "must constantly translate his ideology into terms that are accessible and palatable to the American people," adding:

He cannot say that he hates the rich, so he has to talk about fairness and equality. He cannot say America is a nuclear menace to the world, so he has to say that he wants a nuclear-free world. He cannot say he thinks Wall Street is evil, so he must accuse the investment firms of not looking out for the interests of Main Street. Obama sometimes blows it; he doesn't always succeed with his anti-colonial marketing. Even his attempt, however, is impressive; this is a skill he has been honing for many years.

REALITY: If this is true, then Ronald Reagan was also "anti-colonial"

Obama, in his April 5, 2009, speech in Prague, called for a world free of nuclear weapons:

OBAMA: So today, I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. I'm not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly -- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change.

In his second inaugural address, Ronald Reagan also called for a world without nuclear weapons:

REAGAN: There is only one way safely and legitimately to reduce the cost of national security, and that is to reduce the need for it. And this we are trying to do in negotiations with the Soviet Union. We are not just discussing limits on a further increase of nuclear weapons. We seek, instead, to reduce their number. We seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.

In an April 14 Wall Street Journal op-ed, George Shultz, secretary of state under Reagan, wrote of Obama's nuclear strategy:

President Barack Obama shares President Ronald Reagan's desire to rid the world of nuclear weapons. He also shares Reagan's conviction that as long as nuclear weapons exist, the United States must maintain its deterrent capability through a stockpile of nuclear weapons that are secure, safe and reliable.

<snip>

http://mediamatters.org/research/201010040030

[ck4829]

2. Thanks for reminding me to put that in

[Democrats_win]

3. Reagan also argued for authoritarianism. (supporting dictators)

Even after we "freed" Iraq, some Republicans said that they might need a stong-arm dictator for a while. The fact is, they use whatever suits their goals rather than any principles.