Debate: Which President Really Won The Cold War?

12-21-2009

[My Favorite Headache]

I was watching a debate this morning on CNN while at a doctor's appointment and it got me to thinking...which U.S. President really can take credit for ending the cold war?

The panel was originally discussing the Reagan Revolution in comparison to the Obama Revolution with everything Obama has "accomplished" in 1 year versus what it took Reagan 8 years to do and that Obama has a more "impressive" list of accomplishments in his first year in comparison.

Then one person said "Reagan won the cold war, Obama will never win the war on terror," to which the debate shifted that Reagan really didn't win it and that Russia was collapsing anyway. Of course nobody mentioned that Reagan made the Soviets spend themselves to the point of collapse with the nuclear arms race.

Is there an American president who was more responsible for "winning" the Cold War? I thought the answer was pretty cut and dry myself but apparently revisionist history professors are trying to throw as much sand on Reagan's accomplishments as fast as they can.

[papasmurf]

Oh, I forgot to add...it ain’t over.

[ansel12]

However, I give him enormous credit for the way he lost. He most certainly could have ensured that the Soviet Empire collapsed in blood. In fact, it would have been quite possible for hundreds of million to have died during its fall.

Gorbachev was the fourth Soviet leader to face Reagan and I wonder if he was chosen to fit the times and climate that Reagan had created.

[ansel12]

Who “won the cold war” The American People under leadership of Reagen

I give much credit to Reagan, it was his vision, it was the fruit of his life's work, he won the presidency and implemented his plans and strategies, through eight presidents we had never really tried to destroy the Soviet Union, we seemed to accept them as either permanent or even the future for humanity, Reagan thought it was possible to end them, and he did it, and he did that against an ocean of domestic and western resistance.

[bt_dooftlook]

The Cold War ended last November - the Communists won when they captured our presidency. Just sayin’