Ronald Reagan was right. Government is the problem, not the solution.

[TwentyFive]

If Ronald Reagan were alive today, I think he'd tell these modern day Republicans that they've lost their way.

With majorities in the House & Senate, and Bush in the White House, they've become morally lazy and corrupt...or in the case of Tom Delay and the numerous republicans under the sway of Jack Abramoff - criminal.

A perfect example this moral laziness is the Iraq war. It's the worst disaster ever to hit America. But how did this self-inflicted disaster happen? With just one party in power, the opposition was effectively muzzled. Nobody was able to call Bush out on his lies about Saddam being connected to 9/11. The State-of-the-Union deliberate Bush lies about yellow cake were never brought before a committee of critics. The phony drawings of WMD went unchallenged. As a result, Americans bought into the fear mongering about scenarios of drone aircraft causing mushroom clouds over American cities.

So far, the tab is $340,000,000,000 (and counting). Worse, these lies have cost us our moral leadership in the world. You can't put a price on integrity. You can't put a price on human life either. The war cost us over 3,000 American lives (with countless more returning maimed). The only beneficiaries are companies like Halliburton, who received billions in ‘no-bid’ contracts, and oil companies with record profits from the 100% gas price increases.

If Reagan was right about government being the problem, not the solution - then the least we can do is allow more debate in our government. At least with debate, perhaps we’d be fighting Bin Laden instead of Iraq.

If you’re like me in thinking we need more debate in our government...then I urge you to contribute and vote for the Democrats in the November election.

[tuvor]

1. Or, rather, was it Reagan's speechwriter who was right?

I have trouble giving the guy who claimed ketchup was a vegetable that much credit.

[TwentyFive]

2. I agree - Reagan was a fool and a tool for right wing power brokers.

But my editorial is aimed at republicans. I want to put together something that uses Reagan's words to indict what the republicans are doing. I want to connect what Reagan said about government being the problem to the Iraq war fiasco.

[Syrinx]

3. government could and should solve a lot of problems

However, the government we currently have isn't interested in solving problems. And they are not shy about creating new ones.

[saltpoint]

4. I hear your point, but left to me, I'd dump Reagan as the invoked

Republican and maybe bring in Pete McCloskey.

He's one of those rare, rare Republicans who were actually public servants.

When I think of Reagan I think of an imbecilic dolt whose Cabinet was running Central American death squads under his nose.

[Briar]

5. In a democracy

we are the government. Or should be.

[bowens43]

6. Don't go overboard

Reagan was never right about anything.

[FloridaPat]

7. All this started with Reagan. And * ran on a ticket of less gov't. In

fact, so did Reagan. Neither did a thing to have less gov't

[ACK]

8. Reagan would have done worse

If there had been no Tip O'Neil and other brave Dems to stand in his damn way.

If he had all 3 branches of government he would have done far worse.

People tend to forget mr small government Reagan was the forefather of our Neocon enemies and increased spending as all Repukes do more than the Dem administrations he blasted.

Do not contribute to the canonization of the man.

[Demeter]

9. Reagan-Style Government Is the Problem

and its many offshooots: Nixon-style, Bush style, etc.