Richard94611

All the parts ? You must be joking. I bet that about 99.9 percent of the people who know anything about apartheid would disagree with you. The radical rightists on this forum would not, but they are not grounded in reality. You're on the wrong sided of history, Ginny. Rarely has their ever been a statesman with the spiritual values Mendela possessed. But you wouldn't understand that.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

I can name 10 right off the top of my head, how many can you name for Obama?

1. Ending the Cold War: The Cold War had raged since World War II and communism‘s quest for world domination remained an existential threat to the United States when President Reagan took office. Reagan reversed the policy of detente and stood firm against the Soviet Union, calling it the Evil Empire and telling Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” in Berlin. He was relentless in pushing his Strategic Defense Initiative and gave aid to rebels battling Soviet-backed Marxists from Nicaragua to Angola. Those efforts were critical in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet empire and essentially ended the Cold War.

2. Reaganomics: Reagan’s mix of across-the-board tax cuts, deregulation, and domestic spending restraint helped fuel an economic boom that lasted two decades. Reagan inherited a misery index (the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates) of 19.99%, and when he left office it had dropped to 9.72%. President Obama take note: Under Reaganomics, 16 million new jobs were created.

3. Revitalizing the GOP and the conservative movement: The Republican Party was at its nadir after Watergate, but Reagan was able to form a winning coalition of fiscal conservatives, family-values voters, blue-collar Reagan Democrats and neo-conservative intellectuals and set the stage for future GOP electoral gains. His free-market, small-government, pro-liberty conservatism helped to revitalize the GOP and his influence resonates today as conservative candidates still invoke Reagan as their standard-bearer.

4. Peace through Strength: The military was diminished during the Carter years, but Reagan reversed that by rebuilding the armed forces. His Peace Through Strength philosophy was manifested by his reviving the B-1 bomber that Carter canceled, starting production of the MX missile, and pushing NATO to deploy Pershing missiles in West Germany. He increased defense spending by more than 40%, increased troop levels, and even got much-needed space parts into the pipeline. Those efforts ensured that America remained a military superpower.

5. Morning in America: It was basically a slogan for Reagan’s 1984 reelection bid, but Morning in America symbolized a new beginning for the country. Reagan’s jaunty optimism and an economic boom was a much-needed tonic for a country that had experienced the malaise of the Carter years and the traumas of Watergate and Vietnam.

6. Star Wars: Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative was derided by his opponents as being technologically unfeasible, but the mere threat of the U.S. building the system was instrumental in the Soviet Union’s collapse. The successful use of Patriot missile batteries in the first Gulf War proved the critics wrong, and the missile defense system that ensued has lessened the threat of ballistic missiles.

7. Nuclear weapons cuts: Even as massive demonstrations were held in Europe against Reagan’s hawkish stance on nuclear arms, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty he signed with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons. He also laid the framework with Gorbachev for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which reduced both countries’ arsenals of nuclear weapons.

8. Voiced values: Reagan gave voice to the values that had served America well—thrift, patriotism, and hard work—and often recounted the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. He also championed the causes of the pro-life and family-values movements that sought to counter the societal upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.

9. Tax reform: Not only did he cut tax rates, but the Tax Reform Act of 1986 simplified the income-tax code by eliminating many tax shelters, reducing the number of deductions and tax brackets. Reagan’s dream of tax returns fitting on a postcard has been nullified as Congress has regressed and continued to make the tax code more complex, necessitating a new push for reform.

10. Taking on PATCO: Early in his administration, members of the federal air traffic controllers union (PATCO) went on strike, violating a federal regulation. Declaring the strike a “peril to national safety,” Reagan gave the workers an ultimatum and ended up firing more than 11,000 of the controllers, sending a strong signal that union workers needn’t be coddled.

Richard94611

This is a very interesting and worthwhile post, Ginny. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. The list of Obama's accomplishments is as long or longer, even despite Republican obstructionism, but I I will not take the time to put it together. You can read many of them in the book, The New New Deal.

quasimoto63

Yes, yes, yes. I concede that point. All of them, in fact. Canning the air traffic controllers made me proud at the time. But Ronald Reagan, if nothing else, was a creature of Hollywood, and, as such became one of California's more liberal governors in the 1960s. The Great Man was not without flaws.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

When people die they are often eulogized as supernatural in their benevolence, which often does not meet with reality. It matters not whether you agree with me or not, if you research him and what he encouraged you may see a different side. Also, you are not qualified to proclaim what I do or do not understand.

Richard94611

From your posts, I am most definitely qualified to judge what you believe. You're a nitwit, a rightwing-nut.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

No one is without fault. We are human and we do the best we know how each and every day. I do not say that he was perfect, far from it. He is the President that saw flying saucers for goodness sakes and Nancy had a medium..... But, he did bring a feeling of optimisms and laughter to our nation which was in dire need after the doom and gloom of his predisessors.

quasimoto63

Wasn't that Jimmy Carter? Or was he attacked by a wild beaver or something rowing on a lake? As for a UFO--the U stands for "unidentified," it doesn't mean X-Files type aliens.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

You are entitled to your thoughts and opinions. I too have my opinions of you, but I came about them on a limited basis of what you have written on this forum. I am sure, beyond a doubt that there is more to your personality and character than is represented in isolated swaths of beliefs.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

No, it was President and First Lady Regan. Here is an interesting article for your reading enjoyment: http://www.presidentialufo.com/ronald-reagan/204-ronald-reagans-ufo-sightings

VladimirPee

Many Democrats also opposed that particular bill. Mandela's African National Congress was a Marxist party with links to the Soviet Union

VladimirPee

Carter said he saw a UFO in Georgia

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Really, that is too cool. Recently I started watching H2, there is a program on ancient aliens that is very thought provoking. My rational mind is having problems with it, but my irrational side makes me research what they claim. So, President Carter too. How interesting!

VladimirPee

Obama's list is pathetic and filled with exaggeration and items every President does like appointing people to the Supreme Court. What makes Reagan's accomplishments even greater is he had a Dem Congress unlike Obama who had Pelosi and a Super Majority in Senate for almost a year

UncleJesse Loc: Hazzard Co, GA

Aha! Ginnyt, this should be on one of those ancient alien episodes where they are influencing history by tracking leaders during travel. I've got to admit, like you, I get attracted to the story but then after hearing the ancient alien theorist give their explanation I realize that it is going nowhere. Then I fall asleep before the end of the show. And I keep doing it hoping there will be something but there never is. I guess that's entertainment, hearing the intriguing promo and wondering how could they come up with that explanation? Then, after seeing it, you,re like, "wow, they are really stretching creative thought, big-time". It's all fun and the one theorist has that crazy hairdo.