Reagan Wasn't a Hero

I'm sorry to disappoint folks but Reagan wasn't a governor he sold during his presidential compaign and he wasn't the president some history folks want to gloss over to praise his image. That's all he had and was, an image. He never cut spending of or the size of state government during his eight years.

Quite the opposite, he expanded the size of state governement, including the university and college system. He didn't cut spending the size and extent of government. He made it larger and more extensive. That was his legacy. And as president he wasn't that much different.

The tax cuts caused problems with the deficit and debt. He hated government and did what GW Bush did, bring in cronies to run the governement for business. In short, he did everything he could to destroy the federal government. All he was during his years was an image. He was charismatic and an accomplished speaker.

But as has been noted, his attention span was short, almost like GW Bush's. He knew the facts but he also bent and twisted them, or simply ignored them, to get his message to the public and the voters. He was simply an actor playing president. He left all the ideas and details to his staff. He played the role.

He took advantage of situation. He didn't cause the Berlin Wall to fall and communism to be to fade into history. The people of those countries did that. He only appeared to threaten the then Soviets because he could, knowing there wasn't any backlash or fallout from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe collapsed on its own by the people, not Reagan.

And as we know now, he was experiencing the signs of the onset of Alzheimer during his presidency. That means his staff did more not only to keep the agenda going but also to cover up the truth and reality that we elected a president who was incompentent and becoming lost in himself.

So don't give him any more credit that he deserves. And to me, he sucked. You have your view and I have mine.