Posted on 06/20/2004 9:17:12 PM PDT by BerniesFriend
Reagan not compassionate toward the unfortunate
June 20, 2004
It’s been amazing to listen to the assessments of former President Ronald Reagan by presumably intelligent people who would have you believe that Reagan was a political savior to America and one of her greatest presidents. Let me assure you as someone who lived through Reagonism and Reagonomics neither is true. My condolences go out to the Reagan family as I have had a dear relative die from the degenerative Alzheimer’s disease. But while we extend prayers and sympathies to the Reagan clan it is instructive to understand that Ronald Reagan was not a compassionate man in his policies toward the unfortunate and discriminated against in our nation.
Who can forget his attempt to get ketchup classified as a vegetable in the school lunch programs. How about his saying “I didn’t know they had a problem” when asked what he would do about the African American problem. Also Reagan’s cutting funds for homeless programs and using his cabinet to understate the number of homeless people in America. Keeping the minimum wage frozen for nearly his entire two terms in office merits mention doesn’t it? And his Ronnie-come-lately funding of AID’S programs when the leading scientists were screaming at him to do something also merits attention. The African American standard of living crash landed under this so-called great president.
Finally let’s take a look at foreign affairs. Reagan is credited with ending the cold war and bringing down the Berlin wall but what about Harry Truman and the Berlin airlift, Repelling North Korea, John Kennedy at the Berlin Wall saying “I am a Berliner.” Following that up, JFK’s magnificent handling of the Cuban missile crisis when the world faced nuclear holocaust.
There are dozens of other examples with succeeding Presidents but I think we all get the picture. As a popular country song goes, “How you Forgotten?” Ronald Reagan was one of many Presidents who actively fought communism. He had the luck of historical timing on his side for the fall of communism. Looking overseas in southwest Asia — Lebanon to be specific — Ronald Reagan, after 241 marines were blown up by Hezbollah guerrillas, launched an invasion of nearly defenseless Granada and subsequently pulled out of Lebanon leaving Hezbollah unpunished. Not pretty, people, but the truth!
John Bess
Lafayette
©The Lafayette Daily Advertiser June 20, 2004
Reagan bashing probably goes over in Lafayette as well as bacon at a bat mitzvah.
I always like these worshipful mentions of JFK and the Wall. Or JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
He was probably one of our worst Presidents. He was probably one of most over-rated. It was his posterity's great fortune that he was assasinated. Otherwise he would have lined up right beside Jimmy Carter.
I'm sorry, but the poor are the poor because they don't have the skills, drive, intelligence or desire to succeed. Simple.
Reagan opposed forcable redistribution. That means he opposed government sponsored theft.
He was the moral one. The author of this article thinks we should be forced to toe the left's definition of right and wrong.
"Reagan is credited with ending the cold war and bringing down the Berlin wall but what about... John Kennedy at the Berlin Wall saying “I am a Berliner.”
Yeah, I'm sure that JFK standing there saying "I am a jelly donut" in German really had the reds shaking in there boots. Shook them up so much that the Soviet Union kept right on going for another 30 years.
I disagree. JFK may have been the greatest Democratic president of all time. He cut taxes on the rich. He stood up to Communitst. Do either one of those today and the Dems would kick you out. I am kind of puzzled why the Dems worship him. I guess because JFK was able to get some civil rights stuff passed despite the Dem filibustering it.
Yea, he cut taxes, went to war, and flubbed some lines. He's just like Bush. ;)
The African American standard of living crash landed under this so-called great president
And it also rose to it's highest levels. The real problem that harmed the Black community was the introduction of crack cocaine. Everything in presidential politics is a mixed bag. I have yet to see a perfect presidential term.
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