Ronald Reagan Was an Empty Vessel Into Which Conservatives .....

[kentuck]

poured all their dreams and illusions. He single-handedly brought down the Berlin Wall and the scourge of communism. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Just the magnitude and the vision in the words send chills down the spines of every conservative. He could have said "Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum" and it would have been equally magnanimous.

Asleep at the wheel for much of his time in Washington, he had handlers that managed his speeches and his photo ops. Nancy made sure his personal atrological chart was in good aspect before he made any big trips or big speeches. He may as well have had puppet strings tied to his neck.

[zbdent]

1. Yeah, but try to get any of them to read Stockman's book

where he points out that Reagan was probably slipping into Alzheimers (not directly, he says that RR's eyes would glaze over during the details of meetings, then reminisce about the "good old Hollywood daze").

And the fact that waayyyyy too many Repukes decided to add $1.05-$1.50 for every $1 cut from the budgets.

Yes, part of the problem was Congress submarining RR's budgets, but it was sinking before the Dems got near the boat.

[xxqqqzme]

4. I believe st ronnie's

slide N2 dementia was the best concealed and covered-up secret in DC. I remember televised speech sound bites from the period, when he suddenly start talking about some movie.

[swinney]

19. ALZHIMERS IN 1984

Dr. Steve Case and his Geriatrics Dept at U of Minnesoto studied Reagan's activites and concluded he had Alzhimers in 1984.

The two debates proved it. Conclusively.

[hadrons]

2. Neocons used to call him "Our useful idiot" ....

I suspect they're saying the same thing about Dumbya

[Cat Atomic]

3. He had many of the same puppeteers that Junior has, too.

I agree with you- I've always thought Reagan was basically a dope of a president, surrounded by a very willful group of democracy-haters.

Schwarzeneggar may be Reagan, Mk. 2- who knows? He's the Governor of California, he's a movie actor, and he's certainly stupid.

[BigMacAttack]

5. Have you read his letters?

Have you read his letters?

BMA

[Gin]

6. Hey..GW is an empty vessel too...

talk about puppets...history really does repeat itself.

[kentuck]

7. Did he write them before he got to Washington?

We can only report our opinion as to what we observed during his tenure in our nation's Capitol....

[BigMacAttack]

10. Wouldn't the letter be a better source of information?

Wouldn't the letter be a better source of information? Wouldn't they be one the best sources of information?

BMA

[BikeDeck]

8. Regarding letters

Letters, with the advent of email, faxes, computers, and all manners of new technology are soon going to be a lost art. It is unfortunate, but a reality.

Honestly, how many people here still regularly write actual letters?

[denverbill]

9. These letters?

http://www.whitehouse.org/history/reagan-letters/index.asp

Yeah. There's some good stuff.

[BigMacAttack]

12. I have seen it before. Funny stuff.

NT.

[hunter]

13. When I write letters on a yellow pad...

I cross lots of stuff out, rewrite stuff, draw little diagrams, etc.

Reagan's "final drafts" are quite amazing. He did his grammar school teacher proud -- she must have been a fanatic about spelling and penmanship.

When I saw Reagan's letters in Time Magazine I could almost hear his teacher's voice:

"Take out your paper and pen, Mr. President. This morning we are going to write a letter!"

He was good at that.

[newyawker99]

14. Hi BigMacAttack!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[BigMacAttack]

18. Cute picture.

NT.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. About that Berlin Wall...another CIA information failure.

I don't think it was an accident that the CIA "failed" to predict that communism was bankrupt and about to fall. I think they knew it was coming and they kept quiet so that the Republicans could time their photo opportunities and take credit.

I mean, really, how many billions of dollars were spent on a spy network that was customized to spy on the U.S.S.R? They knew. The biggest surprise is that no one questioned them. Ronnie took all the credit and that was all the explanation that middle America could handle.

[Kolesar]

15. Reagan almost joined the Communist Party when he was an actor

His friend Eddie Albert talked him out of it. That just goes to demonstrate his pliability. (yes, that Eddie Albert, Mr. Douglas from Green Acres).

[Clete]

16. So now we have an empty vessel with a slow leak.

:-(

[swinney]

17. RONALD REAGAN GREATNESS AS NUMBER ONE

--------------------------RONALD REAGAN RECORDS AS FIRST---------------------------
(1900-1989)

(Peggy Noonan pay attention)

1.First to turn America into a DEBTOR nation
2. First to increase DEBT faster than growth of national income in eight years
3. First to increase DEBT faster than growth of gdp over eight years
4. First to double the deficit in just eigh t years
5. First to “almost”: triple the national DEBT in just eight years
6. First to increase SPENDING by 80%--over 8 years.
7. First to SPEND more in eight years than was spent in prior 50 years.
8. First to have “real” INTEREST RATES of 8% after averaging 1% over 35 years.
9. First to keep PRIME INTEREST RATES at 20%.
10.First to over value the dollar to the yen at rate of 262 yen to 1 dollar.
11.First to have served as Governor and increase STATE SPENDING by 112%
12.First to have HOME LOAN INTEREST RATES as high as 16%
13. First to CUT TAXES by 60% for his rich pals
14. First to allow the SAVINGS AND LOAN INDUSTRY to be raided after signing a deregulatory bill and proclaiming “I think we have hit the jackpot”. Come and get it the vaults are unguarded.
15. First to deal with TERRORISTS
16. First to send an AUTOGRAPHED BIBLE to a man he called “The Satan of Terrorists”.
17. First to have an ADMIRAL plead the Fifth Amendment.
18. First to have a stealing, lying, gutless wife abusing MARINE LT. COLONEL plead the Fifth Amendment.
19. First to have a “sitting” CABINET MEMBER INDICTED
20. First to have an ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE INDICTED.
21. First to have an ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SENT TO PRISON.
22. First to have over 100 MEMBERS OF AN ADMINISTRATION CHARGED WITH CRIMES..
23. First to have more members of his administration charged with crimes than CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF ALL OTHER PRESIDENTS in the twentieth century
24. First to set a record for the LARGEST ONE DAY PERCENTAGE DECLINE in the DOW in history. 10-19-87
25. First to have over $10,000,000 INCREASE IN WEALTH from serving for 8 years as president.
26. First to testify ”under oath” 130 times that ”I DON’T REMEMBER” .
27. First to have an Admiral with a photographic memory testify 128 times “ I DON’T REMEMBER”.
28. First to undergo BRAIN SURGERY a few months after leaving office. No pain no gain.
29. First to, repeatedly, FALSIFY HIS WIFE’S AGE. As tho anyone cared.
30. First to promote his religious faith and never have an ACTIVE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
31. First to never use the term JESUS CHRIST in speeches.
32. First to seek GUIDANCE FROM THE STARS not from God
33. First to have had a SHOTGUN WEDDING.
34. First to have worked as a SHILL in Las Vegas.
35. First to call a Stealing, Lying, Psychotic, wife abusing Marine a “LIAR.
36. First to have been OPENLY ALIENATED from his children.
37. First To have served with ALZHIMERS
38. First to have UNEMPLOYMENT AT 10.8% since great depression.
39. First to attack a small unprotected nation with 88,000 inhabitants and 10,000 bb guns then PROCLAIM -“America stands tall again”— “we have whipped the Vietnam Syndrome”-we have defeated communism”. Gosh! What if we had whipped Cyprus?.
40. #1-in FARM FORECLOSURES
41. #1-In BANK FAILURES
42. #1-In SAVINGS AND LOAN FAILURES
43. #1-In Percent increase in PERSONAL BANKRUPTCIES
44. #1-In recorded MISSTATEMENTS
45. #1-In never having a single press conference in which he did not make at least one or more INCORRECT STATEMENTS.
46. #1-In needing a staff person standby during press conferences to tell the press “WHAT HE REALLY MEANT”.
47. #1-In having SERVICEMEN KILLED during peacetime.
48. #1-In largest DROP IN POPULARITY in one week.
49. #1-In being first to HONOR NAZI STORM TROOPERS by calling them” Innocent Victims”
50. #1-In being first to be labeled “BRAIN DEAD AFFABLE DUNCE’ by this writer.
51. First to lie-over and over-to reporters “I DO NOT DYE MY HAIR my barber uses a special shampoo”
52. First to have a wife who ”forced” him to WEAR THREE SUITS in one day
53. First to boast “Not bad for a DUMB GUY who worked only 20 hours per week”.
54. First to have his wife sit nearby and WHISPER ANSWERS to questions
55. First to FALL ASLEEP while the Pope spoke
56. First to invite the Pope to visit the White House and “BRING THE WIFE AND KIDS”
57. First to have his press secretary remove him from the microphone because he could not answer questions. Then, as the reporter
yelled out “answer my question” he replied “MY HANDLERS WON’T LET ME SPEAK”. Quick get the white coat.
58. First 20th Century president to have historians RATE HIM BELOW every president of the 20th except for Richard Nixon. 1994 Poll.
59. First to give us a First Lady with a past reputation for giving the BEST BJ in Hollywood.
60. First to suggest his eldest son undergo PSYCHIATRIC examination
61. First to have been voted in British polls (twice) as the ”MOST FEARED LEADER IN THE WORLD” sic em Rambo.


62. First to serve as Governor on a ”conservative” platform and INCREASE SPENDING BY 112%.
63. First Governor TO INCREASE personal income taxes by 60%, tax increase on cigarettes by 200%, state tax collections by 152%.
64. First to have a Special Assistant say on national TV “sometimes you had to HIT HIM ON THE HEAD with a 2 x 4 to get his attention”
65. First to have his official biographer state on national TV ‘After he was shot in 1981he GOT SLOWER AND SLOWER EACH YEAR. His speech got slower. He deliberated more and he hesitated more when he spoke. He lost his physical quickness and would not make decisions on the spot. It was a very, very slow and steady mental and physical decline”.
66. First to have a POPULARITY RATING OF ONLY 35% after his first two years in office.
67. First president to have been DIVORCED
68. First president to have the Geriatrics Department of a major
university study his behavior and conclude that AFTER THREE YEARS IN OFFICE HE HAD ALZHIMERS.

------------------------------------ THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE--
[e-mail]

[swinney]

20. EIGHT YEARS OF NOTHING

Reagan traveled for 8 year speaking to GE groups all over the nation.

He gave the same speech each time even six times in one day.

The GE Manager who accompanied Reagan said--"He would make a speech then return to his room on the train and never come out except to eat. I never saw him read anything except Reader's Digest."

TRAIN--Reagan was sacred to death of planes. He never flew until campaign for Governor when his advisers said he could not run unless he flew. His first flight was time for a celebration.

BRAVE AIRMAN. PLUS HE GOT TWO TEMPORARY DEFERMENTS FORM WWII AND APPLIED FOR A PERMANENT ONE. BRAVEMAN THIS RONNIE.

ATTEMPTED DRAFT DODGER. REAGAN AFFABLE, CALM, SOFT SPOKEN PERSONALITY WAS HIS ONLY ASSET.

[BikeDeck]

21. so what

TRAIN--Reagan was sacred to death of planes. He never flew until campaign for Governor when his advisers said he could not run unless he flew. His first flight was time for a celebration.

So what. Millions of people are afraid of flying. My brother in law never flew until he was 31 (2 years ago), and only did so because he was forced to do so to attend a pool tournament in Vegas as he wasn't going to drive from Long Island to Vegas.

My mother in law has never been on a plane (57 years old), and never will be. She is also afraid of, and will not ride trains. Nor will she get on an elevator! She will not drive nor ride in a car through tunnels either.

[genius]

22. No Gorbachev single-handledly brought down the wall and stopped

WWIII. I remember. The U.S. refused to de-escalate and Gorbachev decided to go for world peace and to ingore us. One political comentator said "The American people gave us Reagan. God gave us Gorbachev." That was an accurate statement.

[wadestock]

23. I share your contempt.....

but you are factually wrong.

Ronald Reagan is the true ideological giant of the new conservatives for what he believed in and how he worked the issues. He IS the PROVIDER....he is the Santa Claus....

What did he provide? He provided the exact formula for how to love stepping over other people....and believe that it is the morally right thing to do....

Get into the minds of any of these new conservatives and you'll see that is in fact the case....

Reagan has indeed immortalized many significant tenets for the new conservative....some of the main ones being...

1. You make the money therefore you deserve to keep it (from his roots in the screen actors guild and at a point in history when actors had salary control). Actually, his vision was not so bad when applied to ART....but it has no place in global economics. It is in fact the realization of runaway dysfunctional capitalism that Marx correctly hypothesized. Reagan also very cleverly demonized the government to the point that many people today have no faith in government at all. How absolutely brilliant to turn people against the government and then use the system for the advantage of the rich.

2. We are good and they are evil (true translation being.....those who are strong and proper deserve to survive and other don't). This is the direct way for them to maintain a moral high ground while stepping over other people (actually a fundamental tenet of today's selfish management). Also great stuff for the religious right and it has since taken a special place in the hearts of "born again" conservatives. This is a potent ideology which holds that capitalism and pure profits determine the victor....it's a sick kind of survival of the fittest realized through capitalism and invincible military might.

3. Trickle down economics....or in other words....you'll learn to enjoy the crumbs. You have to BELIEVE to understand that there really is no need for a middle class....there is really only the the ongoing dream of being in the elite class (BTW...go out and buy another lottery ticket my friend). Once again, the 2 class dysfunctional society that Marx hypothesized.

4. "You can grow your way out of debt". Reagan has led to the conservatives effectively controlling the debate on economics, as utterly vacant as they are in this area. Reagan's actual "voodoo economics" and going into obscenely high debt is still justified till this day because of Reagan's brilliance in working the issue. The Republicans can continuously blame the government for what's going on....because THEY are the ones that really control the debt situation.

Truth is....actually you CAN grow your way out of debt if the budget is balanced each year....but Reagan couldn't do it and the new conservatives clearly can't do it with the inherent belief in a runaway military machine, coupled with huge tax breaks to the rich. Meanwhile....simply point to other programs and blame others for why spending is out of control.

Reaganism is the real sickness that has to be fought.
Understand what he brought to the scene and you'll be much better prepared to know how to undo what he did to all of us.

[frank frankly]

24. great points and you are dead-on correct

thanks! :hi: