“You make assumptions about Reagan that aren’t quite correct. He was a canny old guy; he knew the difference between strategy and tactics. And he knew all about limits.”
I’ve studied his long was with the Soviets going back to the 50s. He didn’t give up even though he started it as an actor.
“As for pragmatism and weakness, get some years under your belt and then repeat that line to yourself again.”
I’m 36. That’s long enough to see things as they are.
No, he didn’t give up with the Soviets. He also did a lot of non-conservative things like selling them grain, deliberately running deficits to speed up the arms race, making treaties that treated them like equals (supposedly), ran a lot of quite questionable covert operations with the help of a lot of very bad people, and etc. and etc.
He also was very chummy with Tip O’Neill outside the limelight, and worked hand-in-glove with the Democrats to keep the world on an even keel.
36 is still a youth these days.