Ronald Reagan's 30-Year Time Bombs- By Robert Parry

[kpete]

Ronald Reagan's 30-Year Time Bombs

By Robert Parry
January 28, 2011

The time element of “30 years” keeps slipping into American official reports and news stories about the origins of crises – the latest in “The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report” – but rarely is the relevance of the three-decade span explained, and there is a reason.

.........................

The overpowering consensus in Washington is that it’s political suicide to criticize the 40th president of the United States, whose centennial birthday on Feb. 6 will be celebrated elaborately.

........................”

But the truth is that Reagan’s current historical reputation rests more on the effectiveness of the Republican propaganda machine – and the timidity of many Democrats and media personalities – than on his actual record of accomplishments.

Indeed, many of today’s worst national and international problems can be traced to misjudgments and malfeasance from the Reagan years – from the swelling national debt to out-of-control banks, from the decline of the U.S. middle class to the inaction on energy independence, from the rise of Islamic fundamentalism to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

All of these disasters are part of the Reagan Legacy. Yet, possibly the most insidious residue from the Reagan Years was the concept of manipulating information – what some Reagan officials liked to call “perception management” – as a means of societal control.

the rest:
http://consortiumnews.com/2011/012811.html

[MadMaddie]

1. There is no doubt about it!

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[underpants]

3. I see Reagan all over the magazines at the grocery store

they are also going to have some sort of special moment at the Super Bowl for Reagan.

[EFerrari]

6. He was born 100 years ago this year.

But to be honest, I was anticipating a bigger Raygasm than it's been so far.

[azul]

78. I am expecting Pakistan to dress up a dummy as Reagan

and drop him riding an atomic bomb, just like in Dr Strangelove, on a mock-up of the Pentagon.

For effect, and homage.

[EFerrari]

86. Well, SOMEBODY has to do it.

:)

[azul]

122. Yes, the Pentagon needs all our discretionary spending, and more.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Pentagon decided to produce such a production on their own, and pretend that the Pakistanis were responsible. Shameless war-mongers and profiteers saluting the old Gipper in style.

[HughBeaumont]

20. ReaganPalooza - Feb 6th.

It's Coming . . .

[Occulus]

45. I work for USPS.

I saw a package of magazines going through a machine tonight. It was Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan. Reagan.

It was like I was working for Reagans per hour.

:scared:

Could someone magic me outta there? Please?

[japple]

50. Go wash your eyes!!!

:hug:

[jonthebru]

103. Sorry, but no.

You can't be magicked out of here. Because; No matter where you go, there you are!

[femrap]

108. Well...then there's

another reason NOT to watch the Superbowl...the first one being a certain qb.

But I will predict something....the commercials will be mean-spirited....not funny. Basically, hateful.

[EFerrari]

4. K&R

And this is precisely why this isn't all about President Obama.

[moondust]

5. K/R

[PDJane]

7. Among other things, the man was a war criminal........

yet he's celebrated the same way as the founding fathers.

[starzdust]

114. Not by me

I survived the R and B years mostly because I had to file a chapter 7 and later a chapter 13 bankruptcies. Things were a lot better during the Clinton's administration. I was able to buy a new home (1998), new truck, recreation property, RV and built my home observatory fully equipped with a large 14" telescope, CCD camera and a new computer to control all remotely. Midway though W's administration I lost my job which meant that I had to sell off all the astronomy gear including my domed observatory and the other items being repossessed (2004).

I have been able to replace most of the Astro gear, all be it used equipment and a down sized observatory building. I also have managed a small travel trailer and rent a third acre in an astronomy enclave.

Now, my health has deteriorated to the point that I had to file for disability retirement, I will be on a fixed income. I will never get back to where I was before either the R - B (the smarter) and Bw (the chimp) because I no longer have the income.

I am still waiting to hear from my employer's disability retirement to be approved (applied in early August 2010) and my SSDI doesn't kick in until next month. Because I was/am still a federal employee (past 6 years) I can't leave my government housing (remote location) and be officially separated until I am awarded disability, in turn I don't have the money for gas (to reach my new place 400 miles away). Currently, I have no income and am in a non-pay status until late March 2011 because there is a one month waiting period after the month that the payments start.

In the mean time I am getting my food from the local food bank. I will probably loose my truck to repossession (that really complicates things). I've already had my land line telephone (included a DSL-Internet connection) disconnected and my DirecTV shut off.

What was the question? Oh, I remember...R was the worse president in my life time and the rest of republconts have destroyed a lot of us in the middle class. The dream of home ownership is gone. I will be living in my travel trailer for the foreseeable future. And, due to the medical bills, credit card debt (mostly used for health care) and other debts, I will most likely have to file another Chapter 7 BK.

If O becomes a one term president I fear what will happen to my social security disability and my right to medical care.

I wish the best for everyone here.

StarzDust

[druidity33]

119. ugh...i'm so sorry,

unfortunately, yours is a story i hear too often. Admittedly, the Astronomy part is new. I feel like this society is crumbling all around us. I don't know anyone who is DOING WELL.

I made $6,000 last year. I'm a college graduate.

I wish you the best too, welcome to DU... despite the abject poverty, it's a good place to be.

:)

[Atticus]

8. The man definitely peaked when he was hawking "20 Mule Team Borax" on the old

"Death Valley Days" program.

Yeah, I know: I'm older than dirt.

[Raksha]

16. You're not the only one who's older than dirt.

Except that I never realized it was Ronald Reagan hawking the 20 Mule Team Borax until just this minute! :)

[Mojeoux]

41. I remember when Ronald Reagan was a punhline on SNL

We better not get complacent again.

[druidity33]

120. Hey, I use 20 Mule Team Borax!

Stuff works great! All "natural" too!

:)

[bleever]

19. Borax

will get that dirt out.

Many days, I'll see palm trees planted by Francis "Borax" Smith around his old estate as I drive around my home town.

[Lugnut]

26. So am I.

I remember Death Valley Days and 20 Mule Team Borax. :)

[FailureToCommunicate]

47. My mother remembered hearing him on the radio in Iowa, as a sportscaster.

Reagan seemed amiable, yes, but the Devil can take many disguises...

[ThomThom]

67. When he was a Democrat he was president of the Screen Actors Guild"

then he got bought out by big money
his legacy is still haunting California
as a governor

[blondeatlast]

71. My understanding is that Nancy had a big part in his turnaround. I happen to have

known her a little bit and she's everything negative everyone imagines. A snobbier you-know-what I hope to never encounter.

[FailureToCommunicate]

83. Such a genteel way of putting it...

You forgot to add "bless her heart" at the end?

(PS I'm from Mark Twain country originally before moving East)

[blondeatlast]

90. I'm surtprised I didn't think of it. My mama was a Southern gal

and that phrase is second nature to me! :rofl:

[Doctor_J]

101. She came a long way from giving blow jobs for a movie studio

such humble beginnings - a studio call girl.

[BlueJazz]

115. When I was in California, I went with a Woman who's mother knew ...

..Nancy,,,She said.."She's a real piece of work".
She wouldn't say any more but I got the true feeling that there was not any love between them. :)
(and this woman was a sweetheart who got along with everybody)

[blondeatlast]

117. My mom knew her mother too (that's how I knew Nancy). Mrs. Davis Sr. was gracious

and even a bit witty. I was a teen when I met them both but even then I thought "how on earth did that rotten apple fall so far from the tree?"

[Lydia Leftcoast]

69. That's why one of the best moments in Back to the Future is when

Michael J. Fox tells the people of 1955 that Ronald Reagan is president in 1985. The response is something like, "Oh, and I suppose Jack Benny is Secretary of the Treasury."

(For those of you who are not older than dirt, Jack Benny was a comedian whose main shtick was extreme stinginess.)

[Demoiselle]

107. I would have been fine with Jack Benny as Secretary of the Treasury.

Ronald Reagan, however, pointed this country down the hill on its 30 year slide into nasty times. And, yes, I'm older than dirt.

[femrap]

111. Those were his

best days...I can see him now...in black and white.

I lost all of my political naivete when he was elected. I simply couldn't believe that Americans were that stupid....I lost respect for our citizens/consumers. I just couldn't believe it. We live in Dumfukistan, the former United States.

[Lindsay]

9. Well worth reading.

I despised the man then and now, but we must never forget and never stop challenging the lies.

[immoderate]

22. Worst president evah.

He started the slide and Bush was only a legacy.

--imm

[Kievan Rus]

89. I'd go a step further and say he was the worst American ever

[Octafish]

10. Truth, missing from our economosociopolitical reality.

From the OP:

It may take many more years before a mainstream politician or a journalist who cares about future employment dares speak truthfully about Reagan and the grievous harm that his presidency inflicted on the American Republic and the people of the Earth.

[Senator]

11. ... and so what Dynamic Duo is on the Current Cover of Time ...

[northoftheborder]

13. heh!!!

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. ...

:puke:

[Raine]

18. Exactly

:puke: I sure know I would never ever wanted to be featured next to him! :puke:

[LongTomH]

21. I'll see that.......

:puke: and raise you a :hurts: and a :grr:

[Le Taz Hot]

32. Pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

If there was any doubt at all who Obama is appealing to . .

[disndat]

84. Maybe. the RW Obama haters?

Obama's shield. His presidency brought out the wingnuts who are followers of Palin, Bachman, etc.

[Lorien]

93. It won't matter if Obama goes to the right of Beck. The RW will always hate him

because he isn't 100% white.

[thanks_imjustlurking]

56. Nuff said. nt

[AlbertCat]

97. Ay Yay Yay!

Who the FUCK would fall for that cover?

It's so "let's be friends" I'm gonna puke because the Right , the "Reagan" side of it is bull shit and not going to play.

Everyone on DU should write a letter to the editor of TIME about how awful Reagan was, how he started our problems, how he, like Bush, didn't run things.... someone in the shadows did. They might print....ONE.

[L. Coyote]

12. Reagan bombing refugee camps in the Near East started the 9/11 era!

And, when they bombed the American barracks in retaliation, Reagan pulled out.

[WinkyDink]

25. Forty-one dead Marines, and Reagan's worshipped. Clinton had one soldier die in Somalia, and a da*n

MOVIE gets made to excoriate him.

[Fumesucker]

The number of US dead was much higher than that..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing

220 Marines, 18 sailors and 3 soldiers were killed.

Another 60 Americans were injured..

[Enthusiast]

31. And yet Reagan "cut and run".

Reagan was a typical GOP chickenhawk.

[WinkyDink]

130. I apologize; I used to have that correct number memorized.

[Fumesucker]

28. The number of US dead was much higher than that..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing

220 Marines, 18 sailors and 3 soldiers were killed.

Another 60 Americans were injured..

[onethatcares]

38. but he did invade Grenada

I hate the mention of that addleminded prop.

[jmowreader]

118. He invaded Grenada largely to take America's mind off Beirut

[Enthusiast]

30. This illustrates who it is

that controls the nation. And it ain't the lefties, as Glenn Beck would have you believe.

[thanks_imjustlurking]

57. It ain't the righties either, except indirectlly. It's the money. nt

[Enthusiast]

61. The ones in control are clearly

the righties. Otherwise we wouldn't be pursuing a strictly right wing course under a Democratic president.

[thanks_imjustlurking]

132. Nope. It's the money. Money swings right. nt

[blm]

82. Reagan, Bush1 were ALLOWED to get away with treason. Clinton deepsixed BCCI matters that should've

exposed the fucking PURE EVIL of Poppy's global fascist agenda enough so that this country would never have allowed another Bush near the WH, and would have shut down the state-funding of terrorism for profit business that LED to the events of 9-11.

Clinton was paying a price he didn't mind paying when he allowed himself to become the media-target the way he did. He may have had SOME good come from his governance, but, it could never compensate for the evil consequences of his siding with the secrecy and privilege of BushInc over OUR right to open and accountable government.

[underpants]

52. That invaded Grenada two days later to change the news story

The Beirut barracks bombing (October 23, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon)

The invasion, which commenced at 05:00 on October 25, 1983

[benfranklin1776]

58. Yes it was the original Wag the Dog

A totally manufactured media diversion.

[Enthusiast]

62. I have always wondered just

how many "communist operatives from Cuba" there were in Grenada to justify such an invasion.

[femrap]

113. I loved that movie! nt

[Hannah Bell]

14. yes.

[Raine]

17. Here is the truth and yet the myth of

his "greatness" continues. This country was literally ruined by that administration, it's been a continual slide downhill ever since. It's just plain sickening! :mad:

[dotymed]

60. IMO, it wasn't just America.

The last 30 years has been a global race to the bottom. A world for and by the elites...

[krispos42]

23. Reagan was a fuckin' terrible president

He was a con man that never robbed you. Oh no, he convinced you to open your wallet and give him the money... and you thanked him for the privilege!

[WinkyDink]

24. What's the deal here? So a dead President would have been 100. How did this amiable monster get to

be virtually VENERATED, FGS?

SOME of us actually REMEMBER the Iran-Contra Crimes, the deliberate destruction of the Carter Presidency by negotiating secretly with the Iranians, the fake Invasion of Grenada, the indifference at best to the environment (James Watt was the equivalent to today's Tom Vilsack), the vile visit to Bitburg Cemetery, etc.

And as long as people are recalling the Challenger disaster,.....

[jmowreader]

29. Very good PR

There are WAY too many people who think voodoo economics actually worked.

[Enthusiast]

33. If only the current President would only say,

"Trickle down economics has been a miserable failure."

[howmad1]

104. Hang on:

This putz is headed for Mt. Rushmore.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TatonkaJames]

34. Why was Reagan and Nixon at Bohemian Grove ?

From what I understand this is where the most powerful, wealthy men meet and decide who will be president
and what course the government takes. Here they are pictured there;

http://www.truthcontrol.com/pictures/ronald-reagan-and-richard-nixon-bohemian-grove

[Mojeoux]

39. I kayaked right by Newt Gingrich one time.

I saw his big helmet head and from behind and I wondered if it was him, then somebody called out "Hey Newt." When I saw it was him for sure, I was very careful not to make any sketchy movements in my kayak. I realized that someone probably had me in their cross hairs. Creepy and at the same time a fascinating place, the Grove.

The Bushes and Clinton always stay at "Hill Billy House." There are about 200 camps and houses in the Grove. It's as big inside as any of the towns around here.

[malaise]

35. Parry nails it

Rec

[quaker bill]

40. agreed, K&R

[SpiralHawk]

36. Reagan began the tradition of Republicon chickenhawkery

Ptoooey on that...

[Number_Six]

37. Warp factor ten to Plutocracy, Mister Bush!

n/t

[nxylas]

42. The relevance shouldn't have to be explained

Are people really so dumb that they don't know which President came to power 30 years ago? On second thoughts, don't answer that.

[rasputin1952]

43. Everything about Reagan is an illusion...

just as his acting career was all about illusion, so was his entire life.

The thought of Reagan being a "great" president is nauseating, he wasn't even a decent human being, and that he ever gained any form of political power is incredible. He broke CA,then moved on to set the stage for the collapse of the US.

To be sure, it's not all hi fault, those that pulled the strings had a lot to do with our present situation...but to glorify that blithering idiot, as opposed to vilifying him borders on the criminal.

Bonzo would have made a better president...and was closer to a human being than Reagan.

[Disintermedia8]

44. Someone please send this link to President Obama

He apparently doesn't know about this.

[Enthusiast]

65. He has already made up his mind

about the Reagan one.

[Disintermedia8]

68. In retrospect, know what's funny? The Rev. Wright charade

they sold us that Obama was a disciple of Rev Wright, when he was always a disciple of Ronald Reagan.

In know, it's my fault for projecting my wishes on to him.

[Enthusiast]

91. That was quite a charade, alright. nt

[Godot51]

46. Coming to a TV near you on 2/6/11...

...get ready for "Reagasm, The Sequel"...

In June of 2004 you saw part one: "Reagasm, The Funeral" and now, in selected TV News studios across America you can see part two: The Sequel*.

* Coming soon, part three: "Reagasm: The Immaculate Inception".

[tanyev]

51. Part Four: The Zombie Resurrection.

[LarryNM]

48. Reagan was the Selected Image for the Global Corporatists

in their destruction of the U.S. It could have been someone else but he was in the right place at the right time and had shown his willingness to sell out.

[Enthusiast]

66. You are exactly right on.

He wasn't at all ideological. And he had rudimentary acting skills. Perfect.

[japple]

123. Plus, he'd already sold out as a willing witness to the HUAC hearings

during the McCarthy era? http://books.google.com/books?id=1MnIIcxa3i8C&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=ronald+reagan+mccarthy+era+hollywood+blacklists&source=bl&ots=cTuWWbpC97&sig=UgAtTHZ7xrNkMFmH3S0NturSHJY&hl=en&ei=9aBETaHGMoPUgAeHzOyfAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFsQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=true

They found the perfect character to deliver their message of hate, fear, and greed.

[Enthusiast]

134. I like your puppy.

Is it a Welsh Corgi?

[japple]

135. Thanks! And Lady thanks you, too. She is a Jack Russell

mix, and an excellent cat supervisor!

[Enthusiast]

137. When I scold my kitteh

for scratching the Lay-Z-Boy our pomeranian joins in on the scolding. Very cute. The neighbors had a Jack Russell, it was beyond cute.

[japple]

138. I used to have a recliner, but now I just sit on a cat scratching

center! LOL! Once when I came into the living room, one of my cats was hanging by her front legs on the chair, swinging back and forth. I've tried scolding and it doesn't work. I've given up.

[Enthusiast]

139. Funny.

We had three Lay-Z-Boys until one was destroyed. Every morning our neutered male cat hangs off the side of one acting like a little bad ass. His tail gets big and his ears are back. If the dog takes one step toward him he races off. They seem to get their play in, in the morning.

[blondeatlast]

72. Pretty much. nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

49. Good antidote to all the sickly sweet "tributes" flying around these days...

Thanks, kpete, for posting this clearly reported piece by Parry.

Iran Contra, the tax breaks to the rich -that ruined our once growing middle class... the list of Reagan's disasters is long and grim.

[BREMPRO]

53. been saying this since the day he took office. It was obvious

from his rhetoric he was going to prop up the wealthy and corporations at the expense of the rest of us and pay for it with tax cuts that would inevitably undermine the long term federal budget. There was some justification however to lower tax rates for a limited period at the time to get us out of the recession and he did actually raise taxes after that to his credit. The Bush/ Republican era mantra however, that ALL taxes are bad and rates should ALWAYS be lower-can be traced to the Reagan rhetoric and in context of the lower rates now is nonsensical and insidious. By that logical extension- NO tax is the ideal tax- and where would we get the money to run the necessary functions of the federal government then?. The Bush tax cuts were the final straw that broke the budget. If we JUST restore the rates to pre-Bushmania, and do some more work on reining in health care and defense costs, it would solve much of our long term budget woes.

[livingonearth]

54. I'm making an effort to educate those around me about Reagan

I know young people in their 20s that praise Reagan and know nothing about Iran- Contra, Beirut barracks bombing, Grenada etc. They only know what they hear from the right wing media, and all that stuff gets left out. It's scary, but that "perception management" stuff has really worked.

[swilton]

55. Everyone Needs to Read This as Feb 6 Approaches

I can see the revisionists biting at the bit to get out there and promote the Reagan legacy....


As a Washington DC area resident for many years, I rode the metro and noted the resentment that many of the locals had to change the name of 'Washington National Airport' to 'Reagan National Airport'. After all, it was Ronald Reagan who fired the air traffic controllers en masse.

One of the biggest successes of Ronald Reagan - not mentioned in this article was to 'cure the Vietnam War syndrome' - by invading Grenada. The causes for America's losing the Vietnam War were never examined in the foreign policy since. The cause for the loss was transferred to the press and also the student protests. So when Grenada was invaded the press was censored and did not report until it was a fait accompli.

Unfortunately, I was part of selling the Soviet military threat myth in the 1980's that is mentioned here. One of the tactics was to publish under the auspices of DOD (Department of Defense) unclassified publications called Soviet Military Power - which went out to inside the beltway political analysts and lower level political consultants...These books were glossy magazines that portrayed the larger than life Soviet military machine and essentially marketed the threat to increase the defense budget.

Thanks kpete!

[dotymed]

59. 30 years of Mubarak......

Americans must seize this opportunity (the spreading global revolutions) to demand a paradigm change. One that will, at the very least, put us back on the track of the pre-Reagan era. I believe, that we were headed for a more just nation.
Democratic Socialism mixed with capitalism maybe. We have been so hijacked by the RW elites, for the LAST 30 YEARS, that it is almost impossible to think that there can be a "just" form of capitalism. Maybe there can't....
Whatever it takes, we need to reverse the last 30 years and and return to what is now considered to be the left. Back then it was defined much differently. What was then considered RW is now LW....
We must put people before profits and put this 30 YEAR NIGHTMARE behind us.
The time is ripe to act. Civil disobedience needs to go global until the majority can wrest control from the "ruling elite", corporate interests of our world. IMO, this is our chance to remake this world into a fair, people centered world.

[rhett o rick]

127. I wish it could happen. But watch Egypt. It will not end with democracy but another dictator. We

were unique in America when our revolution resulted with a democracy. Situation is different today.

[dotymed]

140. Do you think we are currently in a Democracy?

not even close.

[lonestarnot]

63. K & R!

[Plucketeer]

64. Perception management

That's what Ryan was practicing Tuesday night. Ol' Ronnie wasn't much of an actor - in office or out.



Boehner & McDuncell
Doin' the bullshit shuffle


Boehner's Jobs Program

[RoccoR5955]

70. Reagan started in motion, the crises of today.

Now it's documented, even though I have been saying it for quite some time!

[blondeatlast]

73. Damn straight. Keep this kicked----ALL EFFIN' YEAR. nt

[liberal N proud]

74. You can trace almost every problem we have today to Reagan policy

Foreign relations, financial, and social problems all have root causes to policies set by the Reagan Administration. And many of the crooks were in power through the bu$h II years.

[young_at_heart]

75. The spin machine and MSM have made this happen

If anyone would have the guts to tell the truth about him----and there's plenty of dirt, maybe, just maybe he wouldn't be lionized.

[Lorien]

96. That's why he killed the Fairness Doctrine

they knew what the outcome would be.

[young_at_heart]

102. I agree---notice how no one ever mentions the Fairness Doctrine?

The Reagan Revolution, with its army of anti-regulatory extremists dismantled regulations such as the safety net providing mental health care. In 1987 he vetoed a bill that would write into law the Fairness Doctrine requiring broadcasters to present divergent views on controversial topics.

What a guy!!!

[Lorien]

116. The Fairness Doctrine existed for 60 years, keeping the Far Right in check

Reagan repealed it, knowing that without checks and balances very unpopular far right ideas could gain traction. Interestingly, one idea that was considered absurd for those 60 years-that the fairness Doctrine curbed free speech-has been adopted, even by the Left, because Limbaugh has repeated the lie so often.

[dotymed]

128. Absolutely Lorien.

That was actually one of his biggest accomplishments. The repeal of this rule, allowed our media to be completely taken over by corporate interests.
At the beginning of the media age, our leaders realized what a potent weapon of destruction or tool of good the spoken word, "beamed" into almost every home in the world (eventually) could be. The FAIRNESS DOCTRINE was enacted to protect Americans from the mind bending propaganda that radio and tee vee had the potential to become. When this rule was repealed, Reagan's corporate masters knew that their future, of controlling a mind washed citizenry was guaranteed. It has proven to be true.

[blm]

136. WE had the 90s to further scrutinize and expose Reagan-Bush crimes, but, Clinton sided with them and

protecting their secrecy and privilege and continued their global agenda.

Read Bill's book.....he never mentions ONE word about BCCI report or its serious, unresolved matters.

[azul]

76. So congress puts up a bill allowing certain dead presidents a third term?

Just to show how with-it and honorable they can be?

Who knows, if elected he might be a better leader than the first 2 terms of senility.

[WingDinger]

77. Wrote a song about it, and it goes like this

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/WingDinger/49

[WinkyDink]

131. Not sure about the tune, but your words are right on!!

[The Wizard]

79. Reagan had no ideas

He was the front man(smiling face) that allowed the Bush cartel to seize power.

[AlbertCat]

98. He was the front man(smiling face) that allowed the Bush cartel to seize power.

Yes. The 1st PR President.

Bush was the 2nd PR president.

They get elected because the REAL people running things would never get elected by the people of the US (and even Bush didn't! They had to cheat! Of course they cheated with Reagan too)

[woo me with science]

80. Wow, great OP.

K&R

[Major Hogwash]

81. More banks in the US closed under Reagan than during the Great Depression. Some legacy!

Even the economists here were telling people to watch their money in 1985.
One economics professor told his students that the coming Savings and Loan crisis was going to implode any day now (back then) and the Republicons tried to get him fired from the college for warning his students about it.

[WillyT]

85. Morning Kick...

:kick:

[Kievan Rus]

87. Reagan = worst American ever

[MasonJar]

88. Ronald Reagan killed an enormous number of people, especially in

Central America, an evil doer personified.

[JDPriestly]

92. Thanks. It's good to hear the truth once in awhile. And Robert Parry

is one of the few journalists who tells it like it is.

[AlbertCat]

94. “perception management”

Jesus H. Christ! I think the word they mean is "Propaganda"?

James K. Polk was a better president than Reagan.

Bush is by far the worst. But Zachary Taylor is a better prez than Reagan!

And of course, Carter was a great president in hindsight.... and should have had another term.


Here's an interesting Wikipedia page.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States


Notice how most "modern" polls of citizens have Reagan as one of the best.... every time. "Perception management" complete.....

[Lorien]

95. Obama seems hellbent on repeating Reagan's mistakes and crimes

and he's been almost as effective with "perception management"; at least with his True Believers who are totally committed to his "brand" without caring about the effects of his policies. What's old is new again.

[defendandprotect]

106. Obama seems to be lauding Reagan and his "mistakes" as he resurrects them .. !!

:)

[Overseas]

99. K&R! Excellent! //nt

[Doctor_J]

100. Unfortunately the current president is a big fan

A real leader might actually speak the truth about the disaster that was started by Reagan.

[defendandprotect]

105. The right wing are the destroyers -- that includes Reagan ... and

we should recall that one of Ollie North's assignments was to destroy the

Constitution --

later it is Ollie North who is in command of Pres. Carter's hostage rescue effort --

the one with helicopters going down in the desert because they just didn't happen to

have the necessary sand filters attached to keep sand out of the engines!

Secord was second in command on that mission.

. . . but it also includes Nixon who began dismantling and selling government --

who introduced the idea of an "enemies" list -- and notions of killing one's

political enemies. First plans to STOP an election were introduced by Nixon

with the Huston Plan -- which was based on "Operation Northwoods" -- !!

And he was certainly put in place by the coup on JFK which was also a coup on

our people's government --

Long trail of health care deform -- reducing services for more money -- also begins

with Nixon and Kaiser.

This is not to say that we didn't have right wing political destruction prior to

11/22/63 -- we certainly did -- McCarthy Era another example of right wing attack

on the ideals of democracy and purging liberals from government.

And, certainly, there were other assassinations by the right wing, including Dag Hammarskjold --

and probably many others -- such as, union leader Walter Reuther.

I'm repeating this mainly because so many have been influenced by the right wing propaganda

re Watergate which tells them it was merely a "third rate burgularly" -- and that propaganda

continues on today!

[Marnie]

109. Under Reagan the US for the first time in history

began having a negative balance of trade. Reagan did nothing.
The US also for the first time in history exported less oil than it imported. Reagan did nothing.

A Big Lie of the Reagan administration was a tax break. I'm still waiting from my Reagan tax break.

The Biggest Lie is that Reagan caused the fall of the Berlin Wall.
There is a good reason that Lech Walesa got the Nobel Peace Prize and not Reagan. If there is any one person who tore down the Iron Curtain is was a lowly Polish union leader.

[get the red out]

110. Absolutely

Now we are told over and over to see Reagan as the MAN WHO ENDED THE COLD WAR! The great hero. It is all BULL! But the management of information (propaganda) is extremely strong in this country.

His "legacy" is so obvious to anyone half-way willing to see, but the mantras carry on.

[NBachers]

112. He lied with more convincing ease than anyone I've ever seen

[Uncle Joe]

121. Reagen brought Death Valley Days to real life.

This is an excellent analysis by Robert Parry.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[stormpilot]

124. A Crisis of Democracy

A "Crisis of Democracy" is brought up in this interview of Noam Chomsky by Bill Moyers (from 1989) and his thoughts on Raygun and more. This interview couldn't be more timely today during the oversensationalism and "deification," if you will, of Raygun.

Interestingly:

<snip>

QUESTION: The President as ceremonial leader.

CHOMSKY: Yes. That's why Reagan is so interesting. Although a lot of intellectuals put the best face they can on it, most of the population knows that Ronald Reagan had only the foggiest ideas of what the policies of his Administration were. The Democrats were always surprised that he could get away with these bloopers and crazy statements and so on. The reason is that much of the population understood very well that they were supporting someone like the Queen of England or the flag. The Queen of England opens Parliament by reading a political program, but nobody asks whether she understands it or believes it.

QUESTION: So many books from the Reagan Administration -- from the Stockman book to the Regan book to the new book that's on the newsstands -- say that the President was detached from the decision-making process.

CHOMSKY: More than detached. I think he doesn't know what it is.
<snip>

Read on: http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/1988----.htm

[pacalo]

125. This article hits everything & is a keeper. Reagan was the first president my husband & I

couldn't bear to even look at or listen to on tv because we saw right through his charade. How clever of the neocons to select an old washed-up "B" actor with a gentle voice & a "team player" who could turn on his fellow actor friends &, as president of the Actors' Guild, name them as "Communists" during the shameful McCarthy period.

And, because of him, our industry-rich area began layoffs, which, in hindsight, weren't necessary.

[upi402]

126. i fought that shit relentlessly

for decades
from money to marches
only to find my own party supports it now


ugh

[bongbong]

129. raygun - evil personifed

One of the "jokes" being repeated in those dark days was that raygun was he devil because his name - his "sign" - was 666: Ronald Wilson Reagan. Less known is the multitude of other 666-related items.

http://pages.prodigy.net/lightoftheworld/omens.html

Disclaimer: I don't believe in the Magic Sky Genie, much less mythology written by Bronze Age Middle East nomads, but it's interesting if nothing else. Plus you can amaze your fundie/right-wing/teabagger friends with that trivia.

[NBachers]

133. Ronny Horror Show from December 12, 1980- Absolutely sensational

I was watching a new late-Friday-night comedy TV show called Fridays on December 12, 1980. Reagan had just been elected. They did a Reagan send-up of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They called it The Rony Show. You can see a three-part video of the whole thing on Youtube-

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22The+Ronny+Horror+Show%22&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-ContextMenu&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLL_en#q=%22The+Ronny+Horror+Show%22&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-ContextMenu&rlz=1I7GGLL_en&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=WgNFTcDLKY6msQOuuoioCg&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CDEQqwQwAQ&fp=c7f6c26ee7b2e16b

It's one of the most subversive pieces of film I've ever seen. Watch it all the way to the end. This is the first time I've seen it since that night in December of 1980. It still holds up.