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The "new-right" standard really doesn't reconcile well with any brand of conservatism that has gone before. Even Reagan was more moderate than the movement that was named for him.

Ronald Reagan in the White House, 06/15/84. (photo: Ronald Reagan Library)

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+15 # Guest 2010-05-18 23:30

When I was a lad, I thought Reagan was a senile old idiot. He soundly defeated Jimmy Carter, who was the last honest President of the US. I couldn't believe anybody voted for this guy who didn't seem to understand anything about "conservation" or "living wages" or "peace". He got up and said movie quotes and masses of idiots cheered. Reagan made Americans feel good about themselves. And pride goeth before a fall. Contras. Death Squads. US Imperialism. He changed his testimony at the Iran-Contra hearings several times, and conveniently forgot everything. Of course he was senile, but he was also an old liar. Look up his testimony during an investigation into anti-trust violations by Reagan between SAG and MCA when he was president of SAG. He got caught and then he "forgot" everything. He was 51 then. Don't let your own memory become corrupted: Reagan was an awful president. A Liar and a Puppet.

0 # Guest 2010-05-19 18:28

They should dig up his carcass and hang him anyway. The war criminal escape the noose when he was alive, he should hang while dead.

This man was a despicable old white male. A second rated actor and third rated president of the USA

He is the reason why the US has become what it is. A morally decaying nation.

+5 # Guest 2010-05-19 04:00

Far Right-Wing and Far Left-Wing Idiots tend to get worse as time goes. It's the nature of My dad can beat up your dad.

+7 # Guest 2010-05-19 06:25

Ron "the Don" Reagan opened the "gates of hell" for the people in the southern hemisphere. Yes, that vast landscape from the Mexico border all the way to the tip of South America.

Ron Reagan is the guy that de-regulated the banks, corporations, military, social programs, education, Wall Street, and on. And the wealthy rise and crow every morning for Ron "the Don" Reagan while the sheep still sleep.

+5 # Guest 2010-05-19 09:22

AMEN!! Somebody besides me has finally said it. The country was so infatuated with him because he had been a movie star in the Golden Age of Hollywood that they never even recognized that someone like Tarzan or Abbot and Costello was not qualified to run a country. Because of the infatuation the people became lax in their vigilance and all of these things happened right under our noses and were never even recognized. Even when he declared that ketchup was to be counted as a vegetable in the school lunch program no red flags went up. Consequently, it has all gone down hill since and each consecutive repub that has been elected has been worse and made things worse for this country until now nothing even makes any sense any more. The repubs have all taken the attitude 'how dare you question my ethics or intentions because nobody did Reagans. Thomas Jefferson said 'Democracy requires constant vigilance". We stopped doing that in the '80's and never started doing it again until now. Is it too late?

+1 # Guest 2010-05-19 06:25

I will mostly recall Cowboy Ronnie as the person that added a graphic delay to acknowledging the AIDS epidemic, causing it to not be taken seriously until after many people had died or were infected. (The 'up' side was that the CDC's advise seemed to be taken with more credence from then on. I was unfortunately home sick when Reagan's funeral included a viewing in about 4 major U.S. cities. It enveloped all news coverage and pre-empted all shows. (Not that there is much intelligent programming on during a weekday). This went on for DAYS. All that for a person who put his head in the sand during a crisis, developed a Dr. Suess word ('Reagonomics') and was more braggadacio than a president. All I could think was "Put him in the freakin' ground so we can forget & go on w/our lives."

+6 # Guest 2010-05-19 06:52

In my Opinion and simply put,
There are no actual Conservatives. At least not in Power anywhere in America, including within the new, hijacked-again, Republicans Gone-Whacko Party.
There are really only Global Corporate CONservatives working on behalf of Global Corporate Interests through the Republican (G-W) Party and CONservative Media Empire Enterprises to create an America and a World where Global Corporations are free of Regulatory Oversight, Responsibility, Accountability and any kind of Judicial Sanctions.
The Tea Party is basically a crowd of hardworking, upset Americans who have been Hoodwinked by Global Corporate CONservative Media into believing that what Global Corporate CONservative Media is selling like snake oil is the pathway to liberty and prosperity, when in actuality, it is simply a big flim flam effort working on behalf of Global Corporate interests.
Tea Party=Global Corporate CONservative's latest group of HOODWINKEES...

+2 # Guest 2010-05-19 08:01

Reagan and Republicans in general were all bought and paid for by the Corporations that buy their political campaigns. Once elected they have to do what the Corporations want just to get re-elected. That is where "Conservativism" comes from; it is really Corporatism.

It should be Populism, as in Of, By and For the Peoople.

-3 # Guest 2010-05-19 09:22

to ray and all :::::::::::::::

if we consider that the flag burning decision of the supreme court was made on regan's watch, and regan did nothing to save respect for the flag; then we must understand that regan was just another movie-cowboy president.

there is no other nation on earth which ever even considered burning their own flag. it is just plane not done.

vladzo

0 # Guest 2010-05-19 10:01

This article echoes a much more detailed account of the inflated legacy of Ronald Reagan that I'm currently reading. It's Will Bunch's painstakingly researched "Tear Down This Myth", and it brings up lots of interrelated details that had grown fuzzy in memory. It's worth a read.

+1 # Guest 2010-05-19 15:39

The point of this article is dead on. Do you know that my parents who were solid rock-ribbed Eisenhower Republicans would barely recognize the party they supported. They have been deceased since 1993. Ronald Reagan is feeling like a liberal despite not being one and Eisenhower would have his picture next to both the Nazi Swastika and Hammer and Sickle on Glenn Beck's blackboard. Oh, how far to the right the Republicans have come and still no substantive ideas!

0 # Guest 2010-05-31 07:33

my take on Reagan....
Free Hinckley
Confine Reagan

0 # Guest 2010-08-13 04:27

What words... A fantasy

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