Ronald Reagan

[reverendjeremiah]

Thanks DeistPaladin. That is pretty much what I thought.

I am also waiting for a right wing Republican to answer the question as well.

[theVOID]

Could someone PLEASE explain to me why Ronald Reagan is held in such reverence?

1. Because he created the myth of "trickle down economics", which Republicans have been successfully selling ever since despite the fact that it's been proven for 30 years to do nothing but make the rich even richer.

That was Art Laffer, Raegan just ran with it, and he was right to an extent, unfortunately it more applies to liabilities, debt and risk than profits

2. Because his catch-phrases about "government IS the problem" has fueled the Republican co-opting of libertarians ever since, despite the fact that Republican foreign and domestic policy actually grows the size of government and makes it more intrusive, not less.

He's a complete hypocrite in other words

3. Because he showed the Republicans that what you do or achieve isn't important so long as you mind your marketing and public image.

4. Because he was lucky enough to be in office when the Cold War went in our favor.

Agreed.

5. Because he has a kindly grandfatherly demeanor and the rest of the myth surrounding him bears no resemblance to reality. But then, conservatives can't seem to remember what was happening two years ago (some of them currently think that Obama was in office when the economy melted down), never mind what the real Reagan was like during the 80s. Facts aren't important to these people.

And the Dems seem to forget that Obama is doing exactly what bush did to end the NASDAQ bubble recession, the policies that directly caused the housing bubble.

I've been deeply embarrassed by my country's behavior over the last decade but I will say in our defense, "we" didn't wheel out Bush Jr. The Supreme Court did. Bush lost the popular vote. The Supreme Court stopped the recount and simply appointed a president. I didn't know they could do that. Must have missed that part in our constitution.

That's why when I write "president" Bush, I put the office title in quotes.

It's right next to the part where the government can force you to buy health insurance.......

[reverendjeremiah]

It's right next to the part where the government can force you to buy health insurance.......

You touched on something that really pisses me off. I am SO tired of people saying Obama is a progressive. A progressive would not do that to his citizens, but a fascist would gladly mandate that you have to buy from certain corporations or be fined...all for the benefit of big pharma and big insurance to make guarenteed profits.

The only thing slightly progressive I have seen Obama do is talk nice about gay people, and insist he will not inforce DOMA after the federal judge ruled it unconstitutional. He didnt even come out in support of Wisconsin unions until a week later. Didnt do SQUAT to BP for their oil mess...if anything he covered for them. He is STILL wasting huge amounts of money in the middle east. He is STILL borrowing money from China and giving it to the uber rich that we middle class have to pay back AT INTEREST by extending the bush tax cuts...it seems like whoever you vote for its guarenteed the rich will use the rest of us as a limitless credit card.

Obama can take his health care plan and shove it.

[theVOID]

Rev. Jerry, You're the man

You don't listen to No Agenda by any chance?

[DeistPaladin]

He's a complete hypocrite in other words

Republicans have always been big on saying one thing to their base and then doing something completely different when in office. In fairness, all politicians do but I find it striking how well it works on American libertarians who get so easily sucked into the social conservative fold. Take the last election, for example. Republican rhetoric was all about reducing government but one of the main priorities since getting into office has been socially conservative moves on abortion. For whatever reason, American libertarians have not been effective in demanding anything from the Republican party, a party that quickly changes focus to favor right wing Christians once they get into office.

And the Dems seem to forget that Obama is doing exactly what bush did to end the NASDAQ bubble recession, the policies that directly caused the housing bubble.

Same shit, different party.

[reverendjeremiah]

Rev. Jerry, You're the man

You don't listen to No Agenda by any chance?

Never heard of them... but I DO listen to The Young Turks (perhaps the most popular progressive show on the net and MSNBC) and I read The Progressive.

[theVOID]

You'll love these fuckers

http://www.noagendashow.com/

[Ubermensch]

Reagan wasn't a bad guy at all. It was the people who were pulling his strings that were criminal scum who ought to be dragged out into the streets and publically executed. George H. W. Bush for one.