Reagan's Fraud

[T_Slim]

I was talking to a good friend from Florida last evening about the US and Canadian economies and the dire state of the US. He thinks that we should go back to the days of good old Reaganomics. In my opinion, Reaganomics is part of the problem. As I was doing some web surfing, I came across an interesting piece:

 

How Reagan Sowed the Seeds of America's Demise

By R. G. Price - March 30, 2010

 

"It has been over a year now since "The Great Recession" officially began, and yet even a basic understanding of the real causes of America's economic problems has still not emerged in the public. Indeed new movements have emerged touting as solutions to our current economic problems many of the very policy ideas that are actually the causes of our current economic problems. The rallying cry of conservatives across America has been a "return to the policies of Reagan!" The claim of many American conservatives has been that Ronald Reagan faced similar economic conditions when he was elected, and he was able to turn the economy around, so we need to return to the principles he used to reinvigorate the American economy.

 

The reality is that the economic policies of the "Reagan Revolution" have been in effect for the past three decades, and it is these very policies that have caused the economic situation that America finds itself in today."

 

Thoughts?

[Trader Joe]

There's tons of similar stuff out there on the "internets'"

 

Reagan was douche

 

For crying out load, the guy was an actor for god's sake

 

...and a pretty crappy one at that

 

WTF is up with that?

 

His biggest accomplishment was getting that red line down...and redistributing wealth from poor slobs to fat cats

 

Source

[T_Slim]

There's tons of similar stuff out there on the "internets'"

 

Reagan was douche

 

For crying out load, the guy was an actor for god's sake

 

...and a pretty crappy one at that

 

WTF is up with that?

 

His biggest accomplishment was getting that red line down...and redistributing wealth from poor slobs to fat cats

 

Source

 

I try to explain this stuff to my friends, but it's like whistling dixie. They all cry about yo mama, which is fine I think he sucks too, but don't go thinking that the Reaganites are going to make the situation any better.

[DrStool]

There's no question that Reagan is the godfather of this mess. He embedded the rules of the plutocracy as the law of the land, giving free hand to the corporations to rape the public without fear of punishment, or constraints of any kind. He also established the ethos that debt doesn't matter. He also made lying and cheating as a means of governing more popular. It had always been a part of government but Reagan enshrined the end justifies the means as a societal norm. His reign began the destruction of what had been known as the American way of life. Had Carter won, as ineffective as he was, we would not be in the mess we are in today, because he would have set a different moral tone. Lying, cheating, and stealing would not have become the acceptable means to the end.

[capitall]

There's no question that Reagan is the godfather of this mess. He embedded the rules of the plutocracy as the law of the land, giving free hand to the corporations to rape the public without fear of punishment, or constraints of any kind. He also established the ethos that debt doesn't matter. He also made lying and cheating as a means of governing more popular. It had always been a part of government but Reagan enshrined the end justifies the means as a societal norm. His reign began the destruction of what had been known as the American way of life. Had Carter won, as ineffective as he was, we would not be in the mess we are in today, because he would have set a different moral tone. Lying, cheating, and stealing would not have become the acceptable means to the end.

 

Add subconscious propaganda targeting the reptilian area of the brain by creating or intensifying fear and road rage types of emotions, and it even gets worse. Although Tea Partiers seem to be upset about a variety of issues and to want all kinds of different things, they are certainly being successfully used by folks who want to continue with, and intensify, Reagan type policies. E.g. in spite of the fact that many of them say they are upset about the bailouts, the Tea Party's heroes are mostly folks who were inn favor of the bailouts when they occurred, as part of the system of "privatizing all profits and socializing all losses", as our dear departed David used to call such a system.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/18/tea-party-confessional-ru_n_617418.html

[Jorma]

There's no question that Reagan is the godfather of this mess. He embedded the rules of the plutocracy as the law of the land, giving free hand to the corporations to rape the public without fear of punishment, or constraints of any kind. He also established the ethos that debt doesn't matter. He also made lying and cheating as a means of governing more popular. It had always been a part of government but Reagan enshrined the end justifies the means as a societal norm. His reign began the destruction of what had been known as the American way of life. Had Carter won, as ineffective as he was, we would not be in the mess we are in today, because he would have set a different moral tone. Lying, cheating, and stealing would not have become the acceptable means to the end.

 

Separating any or most partisanship I think the tale from the financial and economic perspective is contained in this famous chart.

 

 

 

The steepening angle of assent in the debt/GDP ratio is obviously coincident with

the Reagan administration. I will only go so far as to say the rejection of limits, which Carter dared suggest we accept, was in the end successfully achieved, until now, primarily with debt. This had zero to do with Reagan's intent in a certain sense but in another, in that the first Reagan inaugural was called the Night of the Minks by Calvin Trillion, had much to do with his intents. He was just unable, like most, to see that his nostalgia for a simpler time was the stuff of fairy tales. That the successful individuals he associated with, partnered with and championed were in fact members of powerful institutionalized elites.

 

At any rate Reagan represented the general aspirations and prejudices of a pretty solid majority of US citizens. In their own minds at any rate. I do not assign to him much of a causal influence on economic history so much as think of him as playing out a role in history. History placed the perfect man in the role of champion of the individual. A role assigned him by our elites.

[DrStool]

He was champion of the oligarchic handlers who picked him from obscurity to further their aims, nothing more nothing less.

 

A dimwitted tool of the purest kind of evil.

[capitall]

Here is my answer to various criticisms of liberals on the weekend board, including Shorty's response below to PD's previous criticism of liberals:

 

they can't even plug a hole

 

other than ***reamdacted***

 

not that there's

 

Liberals have created a lot of the best political programs that ever were put into place in the U.S. If the current administration were liberal, it might be far better than it is. As for Ivy League politicians, GWB was one of those, and he certainly wasn't liberal-- nor was he much different in his policies than the current administration. The current administration has its flaws; it's certainly no worse than the one before it; and it certainly isn't liberal.

[shorty]

Ronald Reagan quotations:

 

If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.

 

I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.

 

Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.

 

We have the duty to protect the life of an unborn child.

 

Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.

 

Man is not free unless government is limited.

 

The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

 

Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.

 

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

 

Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.

 

How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

[capitall]

There's no question that Reagan is the godfather of this mess. He embedded the rules of the plutocracy as the law of the land, giving free hand to the corporations to rape the public without fear of punishment, or constraints of any kind. He also established the ethos that debt doesn't matter. He also made lying and cheating as a means of governing more popular. It had always been a part of government but Reagan enshrined the end justifies the means as a societal norm. His reign began the destruction of what had been known as the American way of life. Had Carter won, as ineffective as he was, we would not be in the mess we are in today, because he would have set a different moral tone. Lying, cheating, and stealing would not have become the acceptable means to the end.

 

Yes, Reagan did all these things. But, as Shorty points out above, he had good speech writers.

[shorty]

The current administration has its flaws; it's certainly no worse than the one before it; and it certainly isn't liberal.

Rankings of most liberal Senators, guess who was #1 out of 100?

[shorty]

Yes, Reagan did all these things. But, as Shorty points out above, he had good speech writers.

so you think the quotes are good?

yer ain't sucha bad fellar after all

why don't ya come on over this afternon, me and my gal havin' a thang

then headin' down the Slap 'N' Tickle, she don't mind none

[DrStool]

Ronald Reagan quotations:

 

If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.

 

I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.

 

Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.

 

We have the duty to protect the life of an unborn child.

 

Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.

 

Man is not free unless government is limited.

 

The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

 

Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.

 

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

 

Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.

 

How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

 

Thank you Peggy Noonan.

[capitall]

This is really gross stuff. It sure looks/sounds like U R saying Shorty, that, despite the fact that we have had a friendly relationship in the past, you desire to murder me because my political views (which overlap in some areas with yours) are not all exactly the same as yours.

 

I think I may take a vacation from discussing anything political. No one ever changes their mind. And nothing constructive seems to come out of such discussions-- only hatred, rage, hurt feelings, murderous feelings etc. We don't need any more of that. What we need for the problems to be solved in our country and the world is for people to work together toward common goals, and to respect one another. More hatred will not help anything.

[shorty]

This is really gross stuff. It sure looks/sounds like U R saying Shorty, that, despite the fact that we have had a friendly relationship in the past, you desire to murder me because my political views (which overlap in some areas with yours) are not all exactly the same as yours.

 

I think I may take a vacation from discussing anything political. No one ever changes their mind. And nothing constructive seems to come out of such discussions-- only hatred, rage, hurt feelings, murderous feelings etc. We don't need any more of that. What we need for the problems to be solved in our country and the world is for people to work together toward common goals, and to respect one another. More hatred will not help anything.

uh, no

 

I war jokin' about my Bible-clingin' friends in the trailer park

 

the guy havin' some simple cheap fun jumpin' in the mud is me, not you

 

the sexy lady waht took her turn before me's my gal

 

guess you didn't git it