Reagan Death Hoopla - A historical perspective

[bryant69]

As a historian of sorts (I have a degree but ended up working in a different field), the thing that drives me nuts listening to the Right and the Left talking about Reagan is how really a-historical their responses are.

Responses ranging from Fox News to DU are all emotional; fair enough the guy did just day, and he was the type to engender strong feelings. But it's foolish to even pretend that we are going to get smart or worthwhile analysis this close to his death.

The truth lies somewhere in between; Reagan had (a few) good points and (somewhat more) bad points. But this weekend isn't about that. It's about using the death of Reagan to express our feelings about the man, or about the policies and ideologies he espoused, or (more questionably) to further political goals.

That's my two cents. I suppose I shouldn't have named this a historical perspective, as my point is that a historical perspective right now is meaningless. Kind of like trying to get the lay of a land by climbing into a hole. Better to wait a bit until you are on a rise.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Cooley Hurd]

1. I'm fascinated by the process in which we bury our leaders...

...the state funeral thing, the news coverage of it is really interesting to me. That's what you get when you cross a history buff with a news junkie, I suppose...

[tabasco]

2. I spent the day doing hard manual labor & thinking.

How will history judge Reagan? I can only conclude that he will be remembered as a great enabler of corporate control over our government. The kind of guy Ike warned us about. History will not be kind to a man who was so uncaring about the common man in America.

I'm glad I got all my trees planted :)

[drfemoe]

3. who did he pardon?

IIRC when he lapsed into poor health, he was quite controversial.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. In the long run, Reagan will be seen as being an average President.

While things got better under him, nothing was superb.

[BeFree]

5. Things got better?

Whoa.... now there's news. Things got better under RR? Damn, I lived through that time and I saw it way different. In fact, the government as a whole got way fucking worse, because of his policies.

Sorry, but your post is pure BS, eh?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. No!!! In all fairness the economy was turning around.

The 70's were a horrible time when it came to the economy.

I agree that things could have been much better and all could have prospered greatly as they did under Clinton, but still the 1970's were horrible.

And yes, when Reagan left, he only had a 50% approval rating. The Iran-Contra affair and S and L scandal took their toll on Reagan as did the slowing economy.

I would have NEVER, EVER voted for him. A am 100% Democrat!

:kick:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. JFK was buried 3 days after his sudden, unexpected death

why the one week hoopla for Reagan? This is sick glorification... nay, beatification of the man.

[ochazuke]

8. This is close to emperor worship

like in ancient Rome or Japan.

P.S. I was in Japan in 1989 when the emperor died, and I haven't seen anything like it since, but this Reagan coverage is as close as America can come to it.