Posted on 09/23/2019 8:56:54 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
I grew up during the Reagan years, and I remember them well. To me, the war and social upheavals of the 60s were history I’d never experienced and the country had thankfully moved past, and I was too young to remember the Carter malaise. So, the sense of national unity, patriotism, and optimism under the Gipper seemed like the norm, not an eight-year aberration, for a child of the 80s like myself. In hindsight, President Reagan was exactly what the country needed at the time. His inspiring speeches, calming demeanor, and even strident anti-communism were the perfect tonic for a previously fractured country. Obviously, he had his political enemies, but at least they were relatively congenial about it, and the partisan divisions didn’t seem quite as partisan, nor as personal, as they seem now.
Bush Senior’s 1988 victory was more than just a continuance of Reagan’s term, it was also a validation of his policies. The aristocratic, genteel Bush was no Ronald Reagan, but he was the next best thing. To someone who spent every year of grade school and high school with a Republican in office, it seemed like we would never lose. So, as you can imagine, Bill Clinton’s stunning 1992 victory over Bush not only denied him a second term, it absolutely broke the heart of a politically passionate college student who never really knew what it was like to lose to a Democrat, much less a socialist-loving, draft-dodging liberal. (In that sense, I do have a small slice of sympathy for how liberal millennials felt losing to Trump after eight years of Obama.)
Fast forward through eight years of Clinton, eight years of the younger Bush, and eight years of Obama, all the way to the election of 2016. Since 1992, no election result has rocked me to my core, in either direction, like 2016. As down as I was that year, the reverse and more defined my demeanor that November night 24 years later. If anyone could turn the map and win the Rust Belt, I knew Trump could. But whether ANYONE could was a question until that fateful night. When the talking heads first announced Wisconsin to Trump, I remember feeling like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. The die was cast and it was just a matter of time until either Pennsylvania or Michigan came along. When they did, our country had a fighting chance after all.
The past three years, of course, haven’t gone exactly as we conservatives would have liked, but all in all, it’s hard to dispute that Trump is governing as a conservative and is making decisions, especially in the realm of judicial nominations, that put us in a more solid place going forward than we otherwise would have been. The economy is booming. Unemployment is low, and opportunities abound for those willing to work hard.
Still, even with our victories, an unsettled feeling looms, a dark cloud hovering over what seems like should be a bright future. In truth, two ticking time bombs that could very well bring our country to ruin began in earnest under Ronald Reagan, continued under every previous president, and have only gotten worse under Trump, despite what I firmly believe are his best intentions.
National Debt
When Reagan assumed office in 1981, the less than $1 trillion national debt was 32 percent of GDP. When he left, it had almost tripled and was approaching 50 percent of an ever-growing GDP. Critics who were concerned then couldn’t possibly have imagined the debt being $24 trillion and well over 100 percent of GDP, but that’s where we are, and it’s not sustainable.
“Already interest on the federal debt – $324 billion – exceeds annual spending on transportation, international affairs, employment, training, and social services,” David Wessel of the Hutchins Center explains. “And since more than 40 percent of the federal debt is held by foreigners, particularly China and Japan, a lot of those interest payments go abroad. This, too, will erode the growth of U.S. living standards over time.”
“The longer we wait to put the federal budget on a sustainable course, the bigger and more abrupt the changes in government benefits and taxes will have to be,” he continued. “Changes are inevitable; the sooner we start, the more gradual and gentle they can be.”
Except politicians these days, including Trump, don’t have the political will or often even the desire to make any changes that would point this ship in the right direction deficit-wise, and they aren’t likely to ever have it unless they are absolutely forced to do so by a severe economic crash.
Immigration
Nobody imagined then that the amnesty deal under Reagan would result in tons of amnesty and virtually zero border control, but it’s only gotten worse since then. Like it or not, demography equals destiny. It … just … does. Fill the country with socialist-loving immigrants who think their countries of origin would be totally wonderful if only their former countries could afford to give them all the free stuff they’re about to score in the United States, and pretty soon they’re helping to ensure their new country is just as hellish as the old one. It happens inside the country too as. For example, Californians move to Texas to escape that state’s crappy policies and high standard of living only to vote to implement those things in places like Austin.
Sadly, such immigration from both inside and outside the country is boosting Democrats’ hopes to win Texas in 2020 for the first time since Jimmy Carter pulled it off in 1976. The demographic changes are happening in other places as well, obviously, as Democrats continue their push for a “permanent Democratic majority” under the pretense of actually caring for the plight of immigrants. When Texas goes blue, the nation goes permanently blue as well, and when that happens it won’t be long before you can kiss your freedoms, and America, goodbye.
I believe Trump means well, and I think his reelection could put things off for several years if he’s able to somehow secure the border and curb spending to some degree. One thing is for certain: a Democrat in office would have absolutely sped this train to its ultimate derailing much faster. However, regardless of when it happens, a debt crisis will bring this country to its knees financially in ways none of us have ever experienced, only serving to exacerbate existing societal fractures the current rolling economy has managed to keep under wraps thus far. Immigration will eventually turn the country blue, ultimately meaning socialism, totalitarianism, freedom suppression, massive societal unrest and an unavoidable economic crash.
Either way or both, all of us should prepare for rocky times ahead.
All Presidents are figureheads - and increasingly so. Much of the government has a naturally progressive-left-statist DNA (yes, also including IC and Defense), and thus are programmed to move one direction only. Budgets are also mostly on autopilot as well. Huge internal and external interest groups surroun these programs (ie, the deep state) which make change nearly impossible.
My conclusion is that this is all supported by Federal Reserve printed money, massive debt, and now, zero interest rates.
This governance model has also become a global phenomenon.
Nobody imagined then that the amnesty deal under Reagan would result in tons of amnesty and virtually zero border control, but it’s only gotten worse since then.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intentionally.
The Bush League Republicans that took over in 1989 decided for us that we were going to become North Mexico.
They knew we would never vote for the New World Order, so they set about to import people who would.
They actively blocked all efforts by the citizens to stop the illegal alien inundation or reduce legal immigration.
They made sure we could only vote for amnesty R or amnesty D.
Until the hostile takeover by Trump, the RNC was working against us in every election.
If we happened to get a candidate not controlled by them, they helped the Democrat win.
Most of the GOP Senators are Bush League Republicans still committed to completing the Bush Plan for North Mexico (aka USA).
1913 was the year the 16th and 17th Amendments were ratified, and the Federal Reserve was created.
Very unlucky year for America.
He wsasn't close to Reagan by any measure.
Agreed.
Intentionally.
The Bush League Republicans that took over in 1989 decided for us that we were going to become North Mexico.
They knew we would never vote for the New World Order, so they set about to import people who would.
They actively blocked all efforts by the citizens to stop the illegal alien inundation or reduce legal immigration.
They made sure we could only vote for amnesty R or amnesty D.
Until the hostile takeover by Trump, the RNC was working against us in every election.
If we happened to get a candidate not controlled by them, they helped the Democrat win.
Most of the GOP Senators are Bush League Republicans still committed to completing the Bush Plan for North Mexico (aka USA).
AND they actually gave the ChiCom leadership the okay to run over their own people with tanks in order to assure that the Cheap Labor Express could move forward. They’ll burn in Hades for that one.
“Nobody imagined then that the amnesty deal under Reagan would result in tons of amnesty and virtually zero border control”
I not only imagined it, but expected it. The lack of action on the border as the amnesty was put in place confirmed the worst. And then that nonsense about a “virtual fence” was foisted upon us, just to insult our intelligence. An insult that the taxpayers were obligated to fund.
Berlin wall and hostages in iran? No? Hmmmm.
They promised President Reagan that they would do border control in return for the amnesty deal.
He took them at their word-big mistake.
They, the establishment, are born liars.
I agree, GHW Bush was a poor choice from the beginning.
Reagan didn’t want him as VP and the choice boiled down to Gerald Ford or Bush and still Reagan confronted his advisers with questions of who else?
Bush had been Director of the CIA and given today’s war between the Obama CIA and the NSA, I would rule out any living breathing humanoid with CIA experience as a candidate for President.
While Reagan didn’t have a lot of choices, he also failed to prepare for a successor. Trump, as a CEO of many large companies and as an overseer of many CEOs put in to run his businesses, was responsible to have successors waiting in the wings groomed to take over when nevessary.
The good news today is that Trump has stated last year that there are successors in the wings to follow him as POTUS. So God help us pray that we will not see a Reagan-Bush catastrophe and instead we will see a very capable successor to POTUS 45.
Not really. The republic was KIA in the Civil War and we've evolved into an oligarchy which is the most common form of government today.
(Take away the D's and R's ideologies to see the "men behind the curtain".)
Aside from signing a bill allowing abortion in CA while governor the amnesty bill is the biggest error Reagan made as president.
My friend, there is so much apparent hysteria (almost like Leftist hysteria on global warming) about the national debt.
I would suggest you read “Will America’s Massive Debt Really Doom Us/” by Ken Fisher of Ken Fisher Investments, in the Sept. 22 issue of USA today. Here is a summary:
** $23 trillion debt vs. $21 trillion GDP = 103% (lower than Japan, higher than Germany)
** Federal government owes 25%+ of debt lowering it to $16.7 trillion or 67% of GDP
** America’s hard assets (collateral) is $175.3 trillion or 10 times national debt
** Solvency is not about paying debt off but making interest payments which currently is 9.8% of tax revenues
** Interest was 8.15% 30 years ago now about 2%
** America can borrow at 1.62%; Turkey at 15.18%
Debt does not loom over America
His third big error was pulling the Marines out of Lebanon after losing 200+ in a car bombing. That really emboldened the Osame bin Laden types to believe they could roll back American power by rolling up body counts in terror attacks.
That particular point was much worse than imagined.
Bill Clinton registers for the draft on September 08, 1964, accepting all contractual conditions of registering for the draft. Given Selective Service Number 3 26 46 228.
Bill Clinton classified 2-S on November 17, 1964.
Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on March 20, 1968.
Bill Clinton ordered to report for induction on July 28, 1969.
Bill Clinton dishonors order to report and is not inducted into the military.
Bill Clinton reclassified 1-D after enlisting in the United States Army Reserves on August 07,1969 under authority of Col.E.Holmes. Clinton signs enlistment papers and takes oath of enlistment.
Bill Clinton fails to report to his duty station at the University of Arkansas ROTC, September 1969.
Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on October 30, 1969, as enlistment with Army Reserves is revoked by Colonel E. Holmes and Clinton now AWOL and subject to arrest under Public Law 90-40 (2)(a) 'registrant who has failed to report...remain liable for induction'.
Bill Clinton's birth date lottery number is 311, drawn December 1,1969, but anyone who has already been ordered to report for induction is INELIGIBLE!
Bill Clinton runs for Congress (1974), while a fugitive from justice under Public Law 90-40.
Bill Clinton runs for Arkansas Attorney General (1976), while a fugitive from justice.
Bill Clinton receives pardon on January 21, 1977, from Carter.
Bill Clinton FIRST PARDONED FEDERAL FELON ever to serve as President.
The Dems in Congress also promised to cut two dollars of spending for each one dollar increase in the 1986 tax increase. Reagan believed them and, of course, the Dems lied again. They never did cut ANY spending.
Kemp was Reagan’s choice.
HW was a compromise with the establishment.
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