[Leica] Remembering the Reagan years

[bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)]

Actually, Greg, he completed the work begun by Truman, Eisenhower,
Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter - he didn't do anything
original. As someone has pointed out already, the Soviet Union was
teetering on the brink by the time Reagan came into office. Yes, he gave
them a good shove - but as I noted earlier, had Gorbashov been a
different kind of man, or had the hardliners won out and taken power,
that shove could have lead to the end of us all - even those of us who
live North of the Border. ;-)

He did indeed restore confidence. But, again, it is worthwhile
remembering that for all the talk about his popularity, toward the end
of his first term his approval rating was so far down the toilet and
into the septic tank that he actually considered not running for a
second term. And when you compare his overall approval rating for eight
years with that of Clinton, Clinton's is slightly higher.

What Reagan was not was the boob many painted, or believed him, to be -
and I include myself in that mistaken group. But that doesn't make him
out to be the second coming of Abraham Lincoln, which is how he's being
portrayed in the current orgy of hagiography.

Best

B. D.

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
GREG LORENZO
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 10:54 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Remembering the Reagan years


There is a period of time in which former world leaders are judged by
historians. Usually before history becomes legend and then myth. Reagan
I suspect will do well for a couple of significant reasons:

He restored America's confidence after the debacles of Vietnam and Iran.
(Vietnam destroyed Johnson's Great Society and his presidency.)

He ended the cold war, destroyed the Warsaw Pact and brought eastern
Europe back into the western world. In process he never had to fire a
shot to do so. (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford and
Carter couldn't do it.)

Too many world leaders are politicians first and statesman never.

Regards,

Greg



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