Resist the pull of Reagan's ghost

Have you all gone mad? You make it sound as though the Republican Party has nothing better to do than to conspire against the people and generally make life miserable! Ronald Reagan died of a degenerative brain disease that takes the lives of millions each year. Having been a child growing up in the 80s Reagan was the first president I had ever known, back when I knew nothing of politics. Now obviously he made many mistakes that cost many people their lives, but if I were given the choice between Bush and Reagan today, I think I'd rather have Reagan...at least he had the sense to know when to stop! And as for those mistakes, think of the time he was living in; think of when he grew up: AIDS in the 80s? Who really knew about AIDS in the 80s? It wasn't even until the 90s that real hard facts came out about it. Deficits? Yes, he was guilty of that...Grenada, Iran-Contra....stupid stupid choices that's for certian. However, I would advise whoever wrote the info about the Iran hostages to seriously review your sources (NOT just the "alternative" media...ALL media!) and perhaps consult with a few history/political scholars before making such claims.
Remember that issues such as environmental regulation, women's rights, and AIDS were relativly brand-new during the 1980s, and since there was no internet back then, getting accurate information to Capitol Hill and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave was a daunting task, and to most conservatives those who lobbied for such issues were seen largely as left-over radicals from the 60s and early 70s.
You don't have to like the man, but at least have respect for him if, for nothing else, than making Bush look bad (and in fact, one of the conspiricies that I've heard is that the reason Reagan's being so higly tauted in the media is because Bush's approval ratings are so low and this will make him look even worse!).
So breathe deep, carry on, and try not to get paranoid.

Blessings,
A Sensable Liberal

sort of like "Good German."

Alzheimer's is a terrible way to die, indeed. So is AIDS, being thrown from a helicopter (Argentina), being kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered (El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, etc), bombed (Libya, Grenada), or nerve gassed (Iraq), all of which were either given a blind eye, tacitly supported, actively supported, or committed directly under Reagan's administration.

Children, children... please! You are arguing in a box. When will you learn that a good dose of Socialism is what this country needs? If this were a Socialist nation, Reagan would be drug out into the streets and hung from a lamp post. We would not tolerate such debauchery! Everyone who is in office is responsible for EVERYTHING.

Everything that goes on in the nation, from health care, medicare, disabilities, roadways, and workman's comp. Right down to the mice that run around in the halls of the white house.

So let's not argue in this Capitalistic state, let's focus on Socialism. Everyone would be paid equally, and anyone who wasn't motivated to try harder at work would be punished. It worked for the Soviets! But it was our country that stopped them.

Now look at our country now, we're failing because of our Capitalistic ways. Our economy is the worst, EVER, and people are killing each other over seas. And we have the nerve to destroy a perfectly functioning state like the Soviet Union and think we were right? PLEASE

Reagan will rott in the ground because he destroyed communism. Karma closed.

Socialist-Democratic :)
Our system of government works fine, it's just the people running it that are the problem....the "power-over" principle :P

I wonder if the Founding Fathers are laughing at us right now.

If you compare this discussion to hammering a nail, Raven hit it right on the head. Songflower is using a wet sponge with her eyes closed, however well-intentioned. It is ludicrous to say that the environment or women's rights were "brand-new" issues in the 1980's, or that the government had a hard time getting accurate information because the internet wasn't invented yet.

What bothers me is that Kerry is bowing to the coffin along with so many others. Is a dead fraud more respectable than a live one? If he extolls the "bipartison" methods of Reagan, doesn't that implicate the Democrats in some of the worst policies of that dictator-friendly administration?

When Reagan was running for President, there was an incident involving a panel, a microphone, and TV cameras, which culminated in Reagan saying "I PAID FOR THIS MICROPHONE!" This is what passes for wit & force in this country. Years later it was admitted the whole thing was staged in order to make him look more spontaneous and dynamic. Meanwhile, when he was governor of California there was a photo of him in a cowboy outfit saying, "Thanks for the votes, suckers." They should put that on his tombstone.