A great man and a great president.
Cheers.
Posted on 05/03/2007 1:21:23 AM PDT by Eurotwit
The Prince of Wales was a "most likeable person", President Gaddafi a "mad clown" and Michael Jackson was "surprisingly shy".
The private diaries of Ronald Reagan, which are about to be published for the first time, reveal a US president who was worried about imminent Armageddon but who also fretted about how he would handle chopsticks in front of the Chinese.
The man who was credited with ending the Cold War reveals that he was "lonesome" when his wife, Nancy, was away and refused to talk to their son, Ron Junior, after he hung up on him.
His carefully handwritten and succinct private musings, contained in five leather-bound books embossed with the presidential seal, span his eight years at the White House from 1981 to 1989. Excerpts have been published in Vanity Fair magazine prior to a new book by Douglas Brinkley, a historian who was given exclusive access to the diaries.
They will reassure both Mr Reagan's supporters and his detractors, providing supporting evidence that he was both a dangerously simplistic buffoon or - alternatively - that, beneath the folksy exterior, lay a razor-sharp and highly-principled mind.
Complicated matters of state and world leaders are reduced to their essence, jostling for prominence in the late president's mind with infinitely more mundane matters. "We have definite evidence of Nicaragua transferring hundreds of tons of arms from Cuba to El Salvador. p.m. ran a movie - Tribute - Jack Lemmon. He is truly a great performer," he wrote in one entry.
An important visit to China kicks off with a state banquet but there is little talk of politics. "Here was our 1st go at a 12 course Chinese dinner," the president wrote. "We heeded Dick Nixon's advice & didn't ask what things were we just swallowed them. There were a few items I managed to stir around on my plate & leave. We both did well with our chopsticks."
Etiquette again reared its head during a visit by the Prince of Wales. "The ushers brought him tea, horror of horrors they served it our way with a tea bag in the cup," Mr Reagan wrote.
"It finally dawned on me that he was just holding the cup & then finally put it down on a table. I didn't know what to do. Mike [Deaver, deputy chief of staff] escorted him back to the W.H. [White House] and apologized.'' He said the Prince admitted: "I didn't know what to do with it." advertisement
Mr Reagan's homespun humour also finds its way into his take on world affairs. "Intelligence reports say Castro is very worried about me. I'm very worried that we can't come up with something to justify his worrying," he wrote in February 1981. Later, during disarmament talks, he is frustrated by the Soviet "paranoia" about being invaded. "What the h l [hell] have they got that anyone would want," Mr Reagan mused.
The straight talking rhetoric that delighted fans and enraged critics is never far away. When the Iranians arrested an American journalist in Teheran, the president was "ready to kidnap the Khomeini". At other times he seems much less self-assured.
His entry for June 7, 1981 reads: "Got word of Israeli bombing of Iraq - nuclear reactor. I swear I believe Armageddon is near." His diaries confirm his admiration for Margaret Thatcher.
On her visit to Washington in 1981, he wrote: "She is as firm as ever re the Soviets and for reduction of govt. Expressed regret that she tried to reduce govt spending a step at a time & was defeated in each attempt. Said she should have done it our way - an entire package - all or nothing."
The only period in which he made daily diary entries was when he was shot on March 30, 1981. "I sat on the edge of the seat almost paralysed by pain," he wrote. "Then I began coughing blood... Getting shot hurts."
Trouble with his children was a painful experience that Mr Reagan, who died at 93 in June 2004, often chronicled in his diaries. One entry reads: "Ron called this evening all exercised because SS [Secret Service] agents had gone into their apartment while they were in California to fix an alarm on one of his windows. I tried to reason with him that this was a perfectly OK thing for them to do. I told him quite firmly not to talk to me that way and he hung up on me. Not a perfect day."
Mr Reagan also wrote frequently of his love for Nancy. A few weeks before he was shot he wrote: "Our wedding anniversary. 29 years of more happiness than any man could rightly deserve."
A great man and a great president.
Cheers.
Voting for Ronald Reagan in the first election I was old enough to vote in will always be a cherished memory.
What a great President.
I lived in Chile at the Time Reagan was Elected . My Absentee Ballot was on the Front page of the El Mercurio.I voted out of Miami those days I wonder if it ever got counted...
I was Busy explaining the “0” syndrome president Reagan survived that unfortunate fate...
People are going to be surprised and Liberals enraged that the man was just as he appeared; a good,, solid intelligent man with a good sense of humor and very capable.
- Reagan was one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century.
Much thanks to him and his personal efforts, hundreds of millions of Eastern Europeans today enjoy democracy and true economic development and the Western World, at large, if not the Globe, is a more secure place. Despite the threat of Islamofascism.
The only trace of weakness I find in Reagan’s personal world view is this attitude:
“I swear I believe Armageddon is near”
Since the dawn of civilization, man has believed the end of mankind to be just around the corner. This belief, in itself, is just as useless as environmentalist doomsday propaganda or dark, depressing lines of poetry by dilettante teenage authors.
As a European, I am grateful to Ronald Reagan and the patriotic US citizens who brought him to power.
One of the best way to salute him is to refer to a piece of poetry written by Friedrich von Schiller, a European who knew very well life has its darker sides, but became aware that as long as there are family values, friendship and patriotism, life and civilization will prevail.
His poem, An die Freude, later became the basis for what is, perhaps, the greatest piece of music on Earth, namely the legendary Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven who put music to it. Today it is the ‘national’ anthem/hymn of the EU. All Europeans, regardless of what they think of the EU, ought to reflect upon what kind of message it delivers to us as Europeans and Westerners.
In their brightest moments, I’m convinced a true European like Friedrich von Schiller and a true American like Ronald Reagan shared the same Weltanschaung/world view:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode_an_die_Freude
Defending traditional Western values is the only way to preserve Western Civilization.
“I swear I believe Armageddon is near”
Just an anecdote...
Another great man. King Olav the fifth of Norway died of a heart attack watching
the outbreak of the first Gulf War and the bombing of Baghdad on CNN believing that world war III had broken out.
Cheers.
Just an anecdote...”
- I’m convinced that, deep inside, Reagan truly believed Western Civilization is powerful enough to overcome any threat.
His critics claimed he viewed himself as a Warrior with the mission of starting a Armageddon WWIII in the name of God, but in reality he rescued the World from such a nuclear threat and peace, liberty and prosperity followed in his trail.
A true hero.
“Another great man. King Olav the fifth of Norway died of a heart attack watching
the outbreak of the first Gulf War and the bombing of Baghdad on CNN believing that world war III had broken out.”
- I didn’t know this. Maybe Swedish media have refrained from writing about it because it could somehow be interpreted as ‘disrespectful’ towards Norwegians. Well, you know what Swedish media are like..
Cheers!
Best president in my lifetime — no question. Maybe the best president of the 20th Century. Among the best presidents of all time.
Bookmarked
Lovely post, thank you. We miss him so much.
So did the apostles.
I don't think I would rate any better. Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt were more much important from a historical perspective, but Reagan as a president was better.
Great post! Thanks for the link, it is lovely music and a very nice way to start my day.
I have automatically put them on my “Must Read” list for the year, and will be mentioning to my wife that I would LOVE a copy of these (as well as his memoirs) for anniverisary and/or Christmas.
My first and best vote that I ever cast!
When I went to Asia the first time, we heeded the same rules about food. “We heeded Dick Nixon’s advice & didn’t ask what things were we just swallowed them. There were a few items I managed to stir around on my plate & leave. We both did well with our chopsticks.”
Don’t ask what it is and they wont tell you!
I know we live in parallel universes, but where are the references that would indicate a d.s.b.?
They will reassure both Mr Reagan's supporters and his detractors, providing supporting evidence that he was both a dangerously simplistic buffoon or - alternatively - that, beneath the folksy exterior, lay a razor-sharp and highly-principled mind.Not very likely that "buffoon" thesis will be supported.
I think the Xlinton/Strobe Talbott/D'nesh D'Sousa Buffoons will be totally debunked...end of story.
Always my second greatest hero! : )
It wouldn’t surprise me if Reagan considered it a compliment to be criticized like that by liberals, it probably made him feel like he was doing something right. :)
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