The Reagan legacy: The bad, the ugly and the unforgivable

[MindMover]

As conservatives continue to honor the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan, it's important to look back at the real legacy of the man that brought Reaganomics into the American economy.

There has always been a debate over what makes a great president and depending on your political ideology, you will come up with different answers. For Republicans and conservatives alike, the name Ronald Reagan shines with a type of brightness usually reserved for a sunny summer day. Pulling back the curtain, the sun will set, the darkness of his presidency will appear and the reality of the Reagan administration will haunt the dreams of the American people moving forward.

Ronald Reagan became the President of the United States after a decisive victory over incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1980. It seems like something out of a fairy tale from the moment Reagan was sworn in as the American hostages in Iran were released. Republicans will tell you it was because they were afraid of the conservative "toughness" of Reagan himself, others might suggest that Reagan cut a deal privately with Iran to release them once he was in office, or maybe Jimmy Carter just arranged it that way.

Over the course of the next 8 years, Ronald Reagan put his stamp and legacy on the United States. His key economic principal was that supply-side economics, otherwise known as trickle-down economics or even "Reaganomics." The idea that if tax and other breaks were given to the most wealthy, their wealth would eventually "trickle-down" to the rest of the American people. This idea has long since been debunked, but conservative economists continue to push the agenda, especially when there is financial prosperity. Reaganomics creates a short term positive outlook, but as more wealth leaves the middle class, the economy tanks and falls into a tail spin as the rich become richer and rest continue to struggle.

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-reagan-legacy-the-bad-the-ugly-and-the-unforgivable

[seabeckind]

1. Reaganomics wasn't the problem, it was a symptom

The biggest problem was that he brought the moneychangers into the temple and promoted them to godlike status.

Government and business operate with totally different goals. Business emphasizes profits for the few while government functions for service for the many. In the former case it is easy to determine success or failure. In the latter it is much more abstract, more esoteric.

He arose in stature by pointing out those places where government failed small segments under different circumstances and appealed to them. Since it is impossible to satisfy all people in all ways...well, the rest is history.

Since his presidency we have seen no leader who hs reversed this attitude. Our current president gives the moneychangers as much access as Reagan did. In fact he held Reagan up as someone to be admired for a generated sea change.

When we look at the current failures in our gov't, bank regulations, sprawl, tax shelters, wealth inequities, they can all be traced back to the shift from gov't to service the many to emphasis on economics as a measurement of success.

[bemildred]

2. +1.

You cannot serve both God and Mammon.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Worth a read ...

http://www.moldea.com/MCA.html

[kairos12]

5. Ray-gun was a despicable dolt stupider than a wheel barrow full of anvils.

[Zorro]

6. Over the past 30 years the USA has been transformed into Reagan's vision of America

and we are much the poorer because of it.