Reagan Was A Shitty President

[Toro]

I think all and all, he was a pretty good President.

Reagan's biggest attribute was that he made Americans feel good about themselves again. That is often overlooked but the trait of a good leader is one who inspires people in some way. After the 1970s of Vietnam, inflation, Iran hostages, pictures of burning flags, continued Soviet encroachment, Reagan made Americans feel proud to be Americans again.

He did some good things economically, particularly deregulation and flattening and reforming the tax code. His contribution to economic growth is often over-stated by conservatives - Carter would have presided over a booming economy in 1983 and 1984 given that interest rates collapsed after Volcker broke the back of inflation - but he reversed some damaging policies.

He, along with Margaret Thatcher, was representative of the new conservatism sweeping the world to halt the continued encroachment of government intervention into peoples' lives.

Conservatives also overblow his contribution to the collapse of the USSR, but liberals underestimate it. He provided the moral backbone to opposition to communism.

He made many mistakes as well but his good outweighed the bad.

 

[Toro]

Reagan was a far better president than most in what matters for the vast majority of Americans: jobs and inflation.

Posted in another thread, but relevant here.

What Ronnie left us:

A 9.6 point DECREASE in the Misery Index (inflation plus unemployment). Contrast that with Carter's 7 point and Obama's (in 17 months) 2.8 point INCREASE in the Misery Index.

Carter and Obama = More Misery

Reagan = Much Less Misery

And the only reason Obama's isn't much worse is because of the near free money policy being enforced by the Feds with their zero interest rate lending. The 1982 recession was necessary to bring down inflation (which was 13.6% when Reagan entered office), and was done via tight money. The current recession is flush with a big money supply - once the Feds are forced to tighten in order to roll over all of the foreign borrowing, we'll see inflationary pressure and high unemployment. Obamanomics = Epic Fail.

The United States Misery Index By President

The credit for breaking inflation goes to the Fed Chairman at the time, Paul Volcker. Volcker is widely considered to be the greatest Fed Chairman in history.

 

[MikeK]

1. President Reagan’s economic policies stimulated the economy, creating 17 million new jobs. One-fourth of the new jobs were created in 68 consecutive months. Black unemployment was cut in half.

Virtually all the new jobs created during the Reagan Administration were in the burgeoning military and law enforcement complexes.

2. We were given incentives to save our money, to work, and to invest because of Reagan’s tax reforms.

Reagan's tax reforms have destroyed the middle class and have given rise to a second Gilded Age.

3. The inflation rate decreased to less than 4.4%. Family income rose 12%.

Because our economy was given a great big credit card with which to synthesize those deceptively impressive numbers.

4. We are now experiencing the longest and strongest peacetime prosperity in the history of the nation.

This neo-con propaganda piece was clearly created when the Republican bullshit machine was still working.

5. We are experiencing the best peacetime relationship with the Soviet Union in our history.

Thanks to Mikhael Gorbachev and his Glasnost policies.

We have also seen the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

Indeed we have.

6. We are now keeping the peace. We drew the line in Grenada, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf, and no countries have fallen to communism during the Reagan era.

Yeah. We're keeping the peace, alright. And while no countries have fallen to communism our economy is being slowly absorbed by the most aggressively successful communist entity in the world.

7. The U.S. military was refurbished and strengthened.

And transformed into an unnecessarily well-armed monster which is draining a major segment of our national budget.

8. There is now a call for prayer in schools. The Republican adminstration has been lobbying to give this deserved religious freedom.

And it flies in the face of a successful democracy's need to maintain separation of church and state. Anyone who wants their children to have a religiously influenced education can send them to a parochial school. But religion does not belong in any taxpayer financed public school.

9. We have seen a return to traditional values. Under Reagan, we have seen a cut in federal funding of abortions; emphasis on a strong family unit; and the development of family-oriented public policy.

The cut in federal funding of abortions produces a rise in unwanted pregnancies, most of which will impose a burden on local and state economies.

10. Educational leaders are now working to sustain moral values and reestablish a clear understanding of right and wrong. The need for values in the curriculum has been trumpeted by the Reagan administration.

What is needed in our school curriculums is a strong emphasis on what once was called civics but is education in the political structure and mechanisms of our local, state and federal governments. Leave it to parents to impart values to their children.

11. People from other nations are flocking to America to follow our example. Our principles of civil and economic freedom are now being copied all over the world.

They sure are. Especially from Mexico and China -- and some from the Middle East who want to take flying lessons.

America Just Prior to the Reagan Administration

1. Seven million Americans were unemployed.

The unemployment rate at that time was the natural consequence of an economic cycle, not not the fringe effect of an incipient recession such as we're experiencing now.

2. We were told to live on less, to buckle our belts and to prepare for scarcity.

Which is preferable to the insoluble debt initiated by Reaganomics.

3. Americans went through two of the worst years of inflation in 60 years. There was a 13% inflation rate. Family income dropped and we had the highest tax bill in our history.

There were reasons for that and putting the Nation in debt was not the way to solve the problem.

4. We were on the verge of a major recession.

Not true. We were on the way to a slow but prudent recovery.

5. With our cold wars during the ’70s, we inspired our enemies not to be afraid of us. The Soviets refused to come to the bargaining table. Cultural exchanges between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. came to a halt.

Right. And on 9/11/01 the U.S. homeland was attacked in a way the Germans and Japanese weren't capable of during WW-II.

6. Disarmament was considered a noble goal. We did not know where to draw the line in our negotiations with the Soviets. Three countries fell to communism under the Carter administration: Benin (1977), Nicaragua (1979), and Zimbabwe (1980).

So what? Some nations are receptive to a communist system of government and some aren't. Ours was not because of our economic strength. But the ultimate effect of policies put in place by Reagan's puppet-masters have created a situation which could weaken the U.S. economy sufficiently as to make us receptive to a collectivist form of government.

7. Guns and tanks that did not even work were being sent to battle.

In "wars" which were not wars but military adventures we should not have been involved in to begin with.

8. Young Americans were not allowed to pray in school … even though Congress, every state house, and the Supreme Court begins business with prayer.

This is because we are a nation of hypocrites. None of these places, especially the schools, are appropriate environments for prayer. Churches are.

9. Progressive values became fashionable. Social policies emulated the values of a small, vocal minority.

Progressive values are all that will prevent the U.S. from becoming a the fascist corporatocracy which Reagan's policies have set the stage for.

10. Education did not sustain moral values. Educational curricula began to promote “alternative lifesyles,” such as homosexuality.

Homosexuality is not an alternative lifestyle, which implies choice. Homosexuality is a natural condition common to all mammalian species. Inability to understand this and/or failure to accept it is typical of the often impenetrably dense right wing political orientation.

11. America wore a “kick me” sign on its back. We lost our edge in technology and in global markets due to excessive government regulation, and high taxes which devoured capital.

And Ronald Reagan's removal of the solar panels placed on the White House roof by the Carter Administration is evidence of the Republicans' superior vision in the area of technological development. Right?

 

[Madeline]

I think all and all, he was a pretty good President.

Reagan's biggest attribute was that he made Americans feel good about themselves again. That is often overlooked but the trait of a good leader is one who inspires people in some way. After the 1970s of Vietnam, inflation, Iran hostages, pictures of burning flags, continued Soviet encroachment, Reagan made Americans feel proud to be Americans again.

He did some good things economically, particularly deregulation and flattening and reforming the tax code. His contribution to economic growth is often over-stated by conservatives - Carter would have presided over a booming economy in 1983 and 1984 given that interest rates collapsed after Volcker broke the back of inflation - but he reversed some damaging policies.

He, along with Margaret Thatcher, was representative of the new conservatism sweeping the world to halt the continued encroachment of government intervention into peoples' lives.

Conservatives also overblow his contribution to the collapse of the USSR, but liberals underestimate it. He provided the moral backbone to opposition to communism.

He made many mistakes as well but his good outweighed the bad.

Deregulation was not an accomplishment, Toro. Look at the Savings and Loan debacle, the airlines mess, the phone company mess...etc.

I agree that simplification of the tax code was a positive, but shifting the tax burden down onto the poor and middle class was bad.

I dunno how to measure the "touchy feely" thing. Reagan was a slick bastard, I'll agree.

 

[fyrenza]

As all the revisionists rush to defend their messiah.

It isn't that I think he was a messiah ~

it's FACTS.

You can't look at FACTS and devise an informed opinion?

I don't get that.

 

[fyrenza]

WTF is this?

NOW,

y'all are going to blame Reagan?!?

Cripes.

 

[Truthmatters]

I think all and all, he was a pretty good President.

Reagan's biggest attribute was that he made Americans feel good about themselves again. That is often overlooked but the trait of a good leader is one who inspires people in some way. After the 1970s of Vietnam, inflation, Iran hostages, pictures of burning flags, continued Soviet encroachment, Reagan made Americans feel proud to be Americans again.

He did some good things economically, particularly deregulation and flattening and reforming the tax code. His contribution to economic growth is often over-stated by conservatives - Carter would have presided over a booming economy in 1983 and 1984 given that interest rates collapsed after Volcker broke the back of inflation - but he reversed some damaging policies.

He, along with Margaret Thatcher, was representative of the new conservatism sweeping the world to halt the continued encroachment of government intervention into peoples' lives.

Conservatives also overblow his contribution to the collapse of the USSR, but liberals underestimate it. He provided the moral backbone to opposition to communism.

He made many mistakes as well but his good outweighed the bad.

He gave us massive debt, the deregulation was a complete failure because of the fallout it created. The feel good thing was sickening because he used it to inflame racial tentions by talking the "welfare queen in the caddy" crap. He does get credit from me for recognizing that Gorbachev was the real deal and coopperating with him. He began the right wing courting of the religious right which has been a horrble influence on our policy fore decades now.

He was a bad president on the whole.

 

[AllieBaba]

1. President Reagan’s economic policies stimulated the economy, creating 17 million new jobs. One-fourth of the new jobs were created in 68 consecutive months. Black unemployment was cut in half.

Virtually all the new jobs created during the Reagan Administration were in the burgeoning military and law enforcement complexes.

2. We were given incentives to save our money, to work, and to invest because of Reagan’s tax reforms.

Reagan's tax reforms have destroyed the middle class and have given rise to a second Gilded Age.


Because our economy was given a great big credit card with which to synthesize those deceptively impressive numbers.


This neo-con propaganda piece was clearly created when the Republican bullshit machine was still working.


Thanks to Mikhael Gorbachev and his Glasnost policies.


Indeed we have.


Yeah. We're keeping the peace, alright. And while no countries have fallen to communism our economy is being slowly absorbed by the most aggressively successful communist entity in the world.


And transformed into an unnecessarily well-armed monster which is draining a major segment of our national budget.


And it flies in the face of a successful democracy's need to maintain separation of church and state. Anyone who wants their children to have a religiously influenced education can send them to a parochial school. But religion does not belong in any taxpayer financed public school.


The cut in federal funding of abortions produces a rise in unwanted pregnancies, most of which will impose a burden on local and state economies.


What is needed in our school curriculums is a strong emphasis on what once was called civics but is education in the political structure and mechanisms of our local, state and federal governments. Leave it to parents to impart values to their children.


They sure are. Especially from Mexico and China -- and some from the Middle East who want to take flying lessons.

America Just Prior to the Reagan Administration


The unemployment rate at that time was the natural consequence of an economic cycle, not not the fringe effect of an incipient recession such as we're experiencing now.


Which is preferable to the insoluble debt initiated by Reaganomics.


There were reasons for that and putting the Nation in debt was not the way to solve the problem.


Not true. We were on the way to a slow but prudent recovery.


Right. And on 9/11/01 the U.S. homeland was attacked in a way the Germans and Japanese weren't capable of during WW-II.


So what? Some nations are receptive to a communist system of government and some aren't. Ours was not because of our economic strength. But the ultimate effect of policies put in place by Reagan's puppet-masters have created a situation which could weaken the U.S. economy sufficiently as to make us receptive to a collectivist form of government.


In "wars" which were not wars but military adventures we should not have been involved in to begin with.


This is because we are a nation of hypocrites. None of these places, especially the schools, are appropriate environments for prayer. Churches are.


Progressive values are all that will prevent the U.S. from becoming a the fascist corporatocracy which Reagan's policies have set the stage for.

10. Education did not sustain moral values. Educational curricula began to promote “alternative lifesyles,” such as homosexuality.

Homosexuality is not an alternative lifestyle, which implies choice. Homosexuality is a natural condition common to all mammalian species. Inability to understand this and/or failure to accept it is typical of the often impenetrably dense right wing political orientation.

11. America wore a “kick me” sign on its back. We lost our edge in technology and in global markets due to excessive government regulation, and high taxes which devoured capital.

And Ronald Reagan's removal of the solar panels placed on the White House roof by the Carter Administration is evidence of the Republicans' superior vision in the area of technological development. Right?

What complete and total garbage. Post some facts and we'll talk.

 

[Truthmatters]

Awww how cute allin babble is trying to talk history

 

[MikeK]

President Ronald Reagan was the product of the hypnosis of middle America by Hollywood image-makers. His only relevant ability was that of effecting a convincing grade-B performance of a U.S. President, which he managed to pull off surprisingly well. In reality, the man was nothing but a self-serving, union-busting, corporate puppet who would have poisoned his mother if General Electric told him to.

The best thing the sonofabitch ever did was die.

 

[AllieBaba]

Coming from splatter, that really means something.

 

[fyrenza]

Awww how cute allin babble is trying to talk history

Awwwww

How cute!

YOU'RE trying to talk about ANYTHING!

Yeah.

It's like THAT.

 

[fyrenza]

President Ronald Reagan was the product of the hypnosis of middle America by Hollywood image-makers. His only relevant ability was that of effecting a convincing grade-B performance of a U.S. President, which he managed to pull off surprisingly well. In reality, the man was nothing but a self-serving, union-busting, corporate puppet who would have poisoned his mother if General Electric told him to.

The best thing the sonofabitch ever did was die.

Would that be the same GE that supports Obozo and the dumborats?

 

[Madeline]

Coming from splatter, that really means something.

Mebbe so Allie, but you have yet to put your own thoughts on this thread. Anyone can regurgitate rightwing blogs.

 

[Jeremy]

Awww how cute allin babble is trying to talk history

"Nice rebuttal dipshit."

 

[Jeremy]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NowLZlfx5qw]YouTube - President Reagan tells a heckler to shutup[/ame]

 

[Truthmatters]

How many years in the office was he suffering from alzhimers?

He allowed arms to be traded for hostages.

 

[uscitizen]

Reagan was not a great president.
However many people think he was.
It is all about perception not facts.

 

[Big Fitz]

I am fed up with all this revisionist history in which Reagan was the best president since George Washington. It's all bullshit folks, and here's why:

* "Trickle down economics" -- the basis for the infamous Reagan tax cuts -- was utter bullshit and did not work. At all.

* He expanded the national debt in unprecedented amounts. Yes, so have others since, but his was a Great Leap Forward.

* He and his wife relied on astrologists to help them make decisions about the country. WTF Nancy was even involved, no one knows...but to use a horoscope is inexcusable.

And my personal favorite:

* By embracing the Moral Majority, Reagan opened an era of religious lunacy in American politics, especially in the Republican Party. We are still paying for this. Pols in America have to pander to the Very Stupid to get elected...and that is almost entirely Reagan's fault.

Knock it off with the Great Communicator horseshit.

You keep trying to sell that one but no one's buying it except Carter and Mondale voters. Even with tax credits and discounts, nobody's buying it.

 

[uscitizen]

Iran contra...

Bush I had to pardon all involved including himself.
A massive blanket pardon.