[Dubya_gal]

I think this author is missing the obvious--that without the early "tough talk" with the Soviet Union, the later diplomacy would have been impossible. If we avert a war with Iraq, or conduct a sucessful one with an international coalition, it will not be because Bush finally came to his senses. It will be because all of that "crazy cowboy talk" got him exactly what he wanted.

[jwalsh07]

The author is an idiot. No other term will do. Claptrap, cow dung, monkey chips.

[OldFriend]

Reagan's obsession was world peace. Bush's obsession is the same.........and he needs our prayers.

[Larry Lucido]

a sustained all-out war on global poverty

That would require global implementation of free-market capitalism. The terrorists, meantime, seek to impose a sharia-based dictatorship. They could give a rat's a$$ about poverty.

[bluefish]

Yes, it is amazing how an author can just ramble on and on like this, yet miss the most important historical lesson one can derive from both Reagan and Bush's actions and the results they received. Their absolute hatred causes a complete denial, and thus a delusionsal view of how things transpire. It's just a ling winded way of saying "they got lucky." No credit whatsoever for the ongoing "strategery."

[Republican Wildcat]

The author just doesn't get it.

[tort_feasor]

Wher's the barf alert

[11th Earl of Mar]

I remember seeing him at a campaign stop in Milwaukee where he lathered up his audience so much with Commie-hating banter that a man near him shouted, "Drop the Big One, Ronnie. Drop the Big One!" The Gipper nodded appreciatively

Those were the good ol' days weren't they? When the commies were crapping their pants?

Makes me wonder if Osama now wears Depends...

[CreekerFreeper]

The is a PUKE ALERT ARTICLE, if I ever read one. He's smoking crack or something. Reagan didn't change for some unknown reason. He bankrupted the USSR--he pinned them to the rug and wouldn't let them up. Remember the story about SDI. Gorby wanted Reagan to scrap it. He refused and looked Gorby square in the eye and said "You can't win." That was in Iceland. Not long after, the USSR folded economically and militarily. We won because they saw we were'nt going to back down and could kick their commie a$$ in a fight.

The same is true for W. A massive military buildup, which really isn't if you consider that Clinton/Gore gutted defense spending and R&D. So, we're just playing a decade old catch-up game with our adversaries.

In my opinion, our real nation-state enemies have yet to reveal themselves. I think you'll see that the war on terrorism is really a precursor to a war against the Muslim-China axis. That's why I think Russia is pushing for broader action against Muslims in their back door.

Goes back to why I was opposed to action in the Balkans. Clinton chose the wrong side. Instead of defending Muslims, he should have stood with the Christians and crushed their head.

[SBprone]

"But if a man as hardheaded as Ronald Reagan could change, there may be hope for the new cowboy, too."

The stupidity of this sentence really takes my breath away.

Reagan didn't change. Bush isn't about to change. Reagan was a warrior in pursuit of peace. Bush is the same.

Somebody should send this writer a copy of Sun Tzu:

"Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

Reagan knew this instinctively and so does Bush.

[jpl]

I remember seeing him at a campaign stop in Milwaukee where he lathered up his audience so much with Commie-hating banter that a man near him shouted, "Drop the Big One, Ronnie. Drop the Big One!" The Gipper nodded appreciatively.

Bravo Sierra. Amazing that after all these years they're still lying and making up up stories about Reagan.

[eclectic]

BARF ALERT!!!

[Marylander]

What's Monty Python's phrase for the author? Silly twit?

[ReleaseTheHounds]

But over the course of a few years, a transformation occurred. The hawk of hawks decided to wage peace. When Mr. Reagan came to Moscow, where I was then stationed, dropping the Big One was the furthest thing from his mind. Instead, he could be found strolling through Red Square with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, almost arm in arm. Softened by a peace-driven Soviet leader, prodded by NATO, the old movie star dispensed with sabre-rattling, took the route of diplomacy, and helped engineer the great thaw.

Dubya_gal, this really did deserve a "BARF" alert... This author uses so many perjorative (sp?) terms intending to make either Reagan or Dubya to look like lunatics (Star Wars was just a stupid scheme? That never could have worked??? I recall Soviet KGB agents saying that Star Wars was the last straw: the Soviets couldn't keep up and Star Wars put the nail in their coffin... that is when Reagan made it clear he wasn't going to negotiate it away as the Demos would have urged), it even puts the journalism profession to shame.

Yeah, Gorbachev was the real reason the Soviets were brought to heel... Yeah, Reagan changed completely because of Gorby's persuasion and the jaw-boning by those NATO statesmen... Yeah, RIGHT! What a friggin' idiot!

[God is good]

You know why I don't like you Lawrence Martin? CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET ME KILLED!!!

[Cicero]

Reagan didn't change. He stayed right on course. When one of his supporters said, "Drop the big one!" what was he supposed to do? Frown and say, "Naughty, naughty! That's not politically correct"?

Leftists love to lecture everyone on the right thing to say. Ronald Reagan was easy-going. He knew he had that man's support, and he knew that man's instincts were probably a lot sounder than a dozen liberal reporters like this one who were pushing into his face, hoping to undermine him in some way.

I suppose this weenie has heard the phrase, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick," but he doesn't recognize it when he sees it. No doubt he still thinks it applies to Clinton and Chretien.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Reagan's War describes RWR's 40-year battle with Communism, complete with incoming rounds such as an attempt to firebomb his residence. That "nice president Gorbychev" who "softened" Reagan by giving us what we needed got into power in the first place in response to the challenge of Reagan's policies.

The author simply wishes away the process by which our victory in the Cold War came about.

[Yankee]

But pressure from the world community, including Canada's Jean Chrétien, led to his going through the United Nations.

Jean Chrétien = cheese eating surrender monkey.

Oh yeah, and a MORON too.

Canadians that I have met are very nice folks.

Unfortunately, their present government sucks Brie.

[need_a_screen_name]

NRA-ILA:

LOUISIANA SPECIAL ELECTION

While the winners of almost every race across the nation were decided on November 5, 2002, or soon thereafter, some are still up in the air. In fact, because of Louisiana’s election laws, any race in which a candidate does not receive a majority (50%+1) of the vote must be decided by a run-off between the top two vote recipients. Because no candidate received a majority in the race for U.S. Senate, every eligible voter in Louisiana will have an opportunity to cast his vote on December 7 in this important race. However, please keep in mind that December 7 is also Opening Day of Duck Season in Louisiana’s West Zone and Opening Day of Deer Season statewide. Therefore, every hunter must make sure his voice is heard by early or absentee voting or by voting at the polls on December 7.

[hoosierpearl]

This author should read the book "Reagan's War". This book makes the claim that after the defense buildup and all the tough talk, the Soviets were at the end and feeling desperate. There was concern that the Soviets might be willing to attack us and do the unthinkable as they had no other choice. When Reagan went to peace talk after all the buildup, it was to cool down the Soviets.

[William McKinley]

To test the theory that there may, indeed, be root causes behind many of the terror campaigns, he could become an altruist, as opposed to an Americanist. He could launch something Canada's government has hinted at -- a sustained all-out war on global poverty.

What if past altruism has contributed to the mindset which created the terror campaigns?