Socialism US-Style and Ronald Reagan

[marmar]

via CommonDreams:



Published on Monday, September 22, 2008 by Reuters
Socialism US-Style and Ronald Reagan
by Bernd Debusmann



"Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem...It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the federal establishment."

That statement, in Ronald Reagan's inaugural address on January 20, 1981, was the opening shot in what became known as the Reagan Revolution: small government, low taxes, de-regulation, a belief that the markets know best. The revolution's spirit shone through the 2008 platform of the Republican Party, presented at its convention early in September.

"We do not support government bailouts of private institutions," it said. "Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself. We believe in the free market as the best tool to sustained prosperity and opportunity for all."

The final bell for that philosophy may have tolled on September 16, when the government nationalized the American International Group (AIG), the world's biggest insurance company, as part of a series of interventions to prop up the U.S. financial system and housing market at a cost, so far, of around $1 trillion to cure an American financial plague that is spreading to the rest of the world.

All contrary to the dogma of the Republicans who occupied the White House for 28 of the past 40 years. But in September, pragmatism trumped ideology and the world's leading capitalist country acted much like some of the European countries American free marketeers have often derided as "nanny states." .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/09/22-9

[Lasher]

1. It was a charade anyway.

Saint Ronnie's smaller government was a hoax. While it's true that taxes didn't increase as much as before, he just borrowed the money and spent more than Carter did. His disciples Bush 41 & 43 did the same. But you've gotta give them credit. They were all firm in their belief that the markets know best. Thank you very much.