Sunday, July 3, 2005

Greatest American? Best Villain of the 1980's Maybe.

The Discovery Channel says that Ronald Reagan has been chosen as the Greatest American. That's pathetic. I mean, even if you disregard the fact that he was being compared to real statesmen like Jefferson, or Franklin, Reagan was a lying son-of-a-bitch who did far more harm than good in the world. But oh, he was telegenic, and that made everything alright. Death squads. Giving arms to Iranian terrorists. Crawling into bed with Saddam Hussein. Convincing the country that if we can give all of our money and property to the very richest people on earth, we'll see our reward someday. Ronald Reagan said that South- and Central-American death squads were the "moral equivalent of our founding fathers" (when democrats say similar things about insurgents defending their homeland in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are villified by the neocons). Oh, and don't give me that old line about him "winning the cold war." That's one of the neocons' most ridiculous lies. I was there. It didn't happen. And remember, if you fly into Ronald Reagan Airport, that he fired all the air traffic controllers. He had the sense of humor of a Disney cartoon villain.

Here, you want to see some reality about Ronald Reagan? Try these on for size:

Remembering the Dead
Not Even a Hedgehog
Reagan’s Legacy of Lies
CIA's Drug Confession
October Surprise files
Saddam's Old Buddy Reagan
The First Stone
Reagan the Paradigm Shifter
66 Unflattering Things About Reagan

Nobody says it anymore, but I will: REAGAN SUCKED!

3 comments:

Ken Grandlund said...

Politically, I can probably agree with all of your points. And while never a Reagan lover, after his death I did a little research and decided that from a "just look at the man" point of view, his was a remarkable life. One that could inspire any number of ordinary folks.

Yes, his politics were more for the rich than the poor, but as a man, he managed to accomplish much from humble beginnings.

Just another side to look at, I guess.

SheaNC said...

I know I'm probably too over-the-top about Reagan, but... He has always been practically deified. They want to put his face on Mt. Rushmore. Yet, he facilitated a lot of death and destruction. His story was a great Horatio Alger rise from humble beginnings, but his politics were brutal.

One thing I would like to find is the documentary footage of Reagan telling stories, during speeches, of things that had happened to him during the war or conversations with soldiers. Each story was followed by the clip from the film where the exchange actually took place... in other words, Reagan was either lying about having done these things, or he was delusional and thought he had done them! In the speeches, he really portrayed them as things he actually did. Sad in hindsight, maybe, but infuriating at the time.

Unknown said...

The whole Reagan situation shows again that, just because a person can get votes does not mean they are the right selection for the category.

The repugs think they have a winner in Ronny. But just ask the El Salvadorans what they think of him. Or for that matter, all students who would have been eligable for financial aid and thanks to Reagan, now can only get a loan (which is not financial aid, really).

Can so many Americans really think that Reagan was a better man than say, George Washington? The answer, unfortunately is, yup.

They are the same ones following the fine upstanding rick kid in a business suit in your photo on the post above.

Blog on shea.