The Legacy of Ronald Reagan by the Southern Avenger

[SUpersaiyajinjerkbag]

Dear southern avenger:

Yeah right!

[PsychoSocialChange]

In other words, Bill Clinton actually did things for the country, and Regan was just talk.

[jmjfanss]

@PsychoSocialChange

Sure cunton actually did things for the country, launched a war with kosovo, pushed NAFTA, WTO, GATT down our throats and other things, face it, the two party system stinks.

[jmjfanss]

@jmjfanss

Kosovo was an illegal war of choice.

[PsychoSocialChange]

@jmjfanss No argument there. I wasn't really clear, I don't agree with much of Clinton's ideology, but at least he stuck with his ideology. Regan just said one thing and did another.

[jmjfanss]

@PsychoSocialChange

Yeah and cunton became a traitor just like reagan.

[rokitjon]

@jmjfanss Exactly!And many Americans are so shallow,ignorant and perverse that they liked Clinton cause he was "Cool".Tell them he was a traitor and murderer and they'll tell you "Hey,all the presidents are,but I LIKED Bill!"

Is it any wonder we got a president like Obama??

[pulse2727]

@rokitjon And a draft dodger, peice of shit.

[drumrnva]

Um...doesn't Iran-contra bear even mentioning?

[benitogarciaweblog]

I wish you have reason.

[skowheganme]

And don't forget Reagan response to the 1983 terrorist attack on the Marine Corps' barracks killing over 200 US Marines - the response: retreat and attack Grenada !!

[Paolo7219]

HAHAHAHA. Great video. You don't actually believe ANY of the crud you are spouting, do you?? I'd like to hear your defense of Reagan during the Iran--Contra scandal--just for starters. You can do the 1987 Reagan stock market crash after that. HAHAHAHA.

[rokitjon]

@Paolo7219 You got that right! Hopefully the Southern Avenger just hasn't gotten around to reading the right (true) books yet...and hasn't found the Conspiracy section of YouTube.Right now he's hitting the nail on the head about twice every three tries..which ain't too bad I suppose...for a young guy.

[Paolo7219]

If you call the factual record a conspiracy I suppose you are right. Reagan's guilt in Iran-Contra is well documented. So are the indictments. The Reagan Stock Market crash of 1987 is a solid part of the factual record as well--tied for second biggest in history. So Clinton was corrupt. So what? Clinton at least left the government with a budget surplus. Reagan nearly tripled the national debt--nice fiscal conservative! HAHAHAHA Again all of this is solidly part of the factual record.

[rokitjon]

With both these presidents what we see is only the tip of very nasty icebergs.Clintons "surplus" was actually a matter of cooking the books and then focusing on a very narrow part of the budget.Let's also not forget that Clinton presided over Waco,and the transfer of nuclear technology to China that not only enabled them to build advanced missiles,but also to deliver them on us!Sure Willy is a likable guy - just don't let him near your house,wife,wallet,car,workplac­e,state or nat'l gov't!!

[Paolo7219]

You are missing the point here. What Clinton did in no way lessens the damage Ronald Reagan did as President. Take for example the 189 Marines killed in Beirut under Reagan. This is not to justify or defend Clinton; he did plenty bad things as President. That does not justify anything Reagan did or make what damage Reagan did less wrong--or criminal. Reagan could have and should have been impeached and convicted for Iran--Contra. The Chinese were and are still stealing our secrets regardless.

[rokitjon]

Yes,I think i've lost you...my point is one slits our throats and the other sucks our blood.Which one is worse??

[Paolo7219]

Clearly it was Reagan. Tax cuts for the wealthiest 5 percent, arms for hostages scandals--and the following indictments, resulting in pardons. The list of Reagan's misdeeds can go on: his damage to the environment (James Watt just one example). Then there is the Savings and Loan Scandal--so much for the Free Market. Then there are the Reagan tax INCREASES. Reagan passed the biggest single tax increase in history. Chinese spying? It continues to this day. So why focus on only Clinton and Loral?

[rokitjon]

Who's ONLY focusing on Clinton?Certainly Reagan ramped up the big crippling of our nation.A Great traitor was this man.But Clinton took Treason to a whole new level - giving the Chinese the ability to reduce us to a cinder! I suppose you could call that the ultimate budget cut though!

[Paolo7219]

I'm not defending Bill or Hillary Clinton. I don't like either of them. Yes, they were corrupt. I don't know why Obama picked Hilary for Sec. State--she's worse then Bill imho. Clinton/Gore pushed through NAFTA. Ross Perot has been proven right about that. Reagan dumped a huge payroll tax on the middle class--while giving tax cuts to the wealthy. What I don't like about Reagan is he presented himself as being for the average American. He most certainly wasn't. Reagan was corporate owned.

[rokitjon]

Reagan also set a precedent for presidential nonaccountability with IranContra,partly by playing incompetent.Bush displayed this finely honed skill throughout his second term and actually had Americans thinking he was really incompetent AND stupid.That was an Oscar winning performance!

[jmjfanss]

@rokitjon

and let's not forget, he and his neo-cons are responsible for getting rid of the glass stegall act and let's not forget he rammed the telecommunications act of 1996/97 down our throats.

[jmjfanss]

@rokitjon

and let's not forget, the illegal war on Kosovo and other wars he launched.

[rokitjon]

@jmjfanss Oh,now you really pressed a hot button with me!We keep hearing Support Our Troops.Hey I was in the military - I served General Electric,Snap-On tools,and DuPont among others.No citizen benefited from my service,in fact,their lot in life got worse and they lost more of their freedoms.I'll support our troops when they topple the Fascist Dictatorship - in Washington D.C.!Till then they're a bunch of dupes serving liars and murderers,like I was!Info was not available then,but it is now.

[bravesfanforever31]

Reagan legacy caused deeper divisions between rich and poor, black and white

[SUpersaiyajinjerkbag]

Yeah, Jefferson wouldn't qualify for even a dog catcher these days the man was only an expert architect, archaeologist, author, politician, horticulturalist, lawyer, and inventor.

What a fucking dipshit!

[CorpralWasian]

you missed the whole point entirely. he isn't saying the most quilified are the best, it's the ones who spit the best game that are elected, which is true with most modern day politics. he wasn't calling jefferson a know nothing, just didn't have the charisma to bull shit his way into the politics of today and to that i agree.

[bigfilmhat]

He isn't saying that Jefferson was unqualified for the Presidency or that Jefferson wasn't a good President. He's saying that a quiet person couldn't win a modern election with around the clock media blitzes, clever sound bites and staged managed elections. And he is sadly correct.

[voteDRNO]

I think u r missing the piont. SA was not saying he disliked TJ he was saying he could not get elected in this day and age and he is correct.

[hhubble]

Reaganomics legacy finally ran it's course with lehman brothers, Bear Sterns, Fannie May, Freddi e Mac. AIG. That's his legacy, from his number bush Sr. to W. Bush.

I don't judge a man just on the face he puts up. But his deeds and actions as well. Words are not enough for the "great communicator" his policies and his people have fun this country into the ground. Giving false hope to the idiotic masses, while they are being robbed blind from these people, they kiss their asses and smile.

[duckndan44]

are you implying that reaganomics was the direct cause of predatory lending in the 21st century? or that his unwillingness raise taxes on these companies allowed them to go bankrupt...

[SmallTownMalaise]

The Southern Avenger is a smart, funny motherfucker.

But he's also a natural-born contrarian so some of what he says should be taken with a "pinch" of salt large enough to kill a full-grown elephant.

[Awwscrewit]

True enough.  His Clinton/Reagan comparison shows that very well.

[fsteez]

Iran-Contra doesn't seem honest and/or great to me. Why was no one from Reagan's administration brought to justice for that?

[tomrdee]

It should be noted that Reagan could not do all that he wanted because of a Democratic congress.

Bill Clinton could not do what he wanted because of a Republican congress.

That made the Clinton era more conservitive than the Reagan era. The real power was in congress.

[luvs2teach00]

I agree, but Clinton's sucess as president didn't come from Republicans it came for Dems/Republicans

[jmjfanss]

@tomrdee

Except that the congress is defintely not conservative, they are Neo-Cons and RINOs aka republicans in name only.

[jmjfanss]

@jmjfanss

and let's not forget, the cuntons were also involved in the Iran Contra scandal, plus they are not true democrats, they are members of the democratic leadership council aka DLC.

and also members of the council on foreign relations which is destroying american sovereignty as we know it.

[jmjfanss]

@tomrdee

Clinton was not a true conserative at all.

[confreak12345]

Martin Luther King Jr. was never a president :P

[wutru]

This was a great video.

[leguan1]

Know who you listen to...

This guy credits Saddam Hussein as Abe Lincoln of Our Time.

I am not kidding...

[uglyguido]

You're an idiot. He even calls Lincoln a lier on this video. Seems like you didn't even listen to this.

[willyrobinson]

our time? you mean our forebears time.

he was a tyrant, if you're into that deal with it.

[SlaughteRico]

i do miss ronald reagan because he let all that good coke come through so i could be able to sell it too people like you thanks Mr reagan may demonds dance on your grave

[tencz57]

Clinton a well known drug dealer . Signed in NAFTA and allowed China into the WTO.

Reagan deregulated Banks, look at the mess now .Banks own you ! Also deregulated Trucking . Illegal Mexicans drive alot of them now for very low pay. From Reagan & Bush41 to Clinton America has been raped by the Elites . The people have lost their freedoms , quickly under the Patriot act . American are stupid

[rosieisahippo]

Aw come on man, they're all commUNists (liberals)

[rosieisahippo]

their NEW WORLD ORDER is coming

you've all been duped

everything has been an elaborate ruse

a slow ball through time...

[mikejim007]

Actually, Barry Goldwater hated Reagan and everything he did. He was interviewed many times and he was just plain disgusted with Reagan's policies.

[BrickLaneBetty]

calling LBJ 'welfare King' is just as robotic as labeling Clinton a great democrat or MLK a paragon of virtue. Read about Sargent Shriver's war on poverty programs and how successful they were until the ridiculously pointless Vietnam War which Reagan the religious right McCarthyite backed sucked much the focus away. People in this country are lazy now-Reagan and Clinton saw to a breads and circuses leadership, that feeds a war machine while not taking care of it's own. We r the "Anti-Denmark."

[BrickLaneBetty]

Maybe for conservatism but not for anyone poor to middle class. Reagan ushered in bling culture, greed, madonna and nouveau riche by killing graduated income tax, family planning to third world and generally encouraging deregulation and sending our jobs all overseas to sweat shops which Clinton sealed the deal on. I suggest you really read up on your history in this area if you want to make a point beyond 'how media is going to hype a leader in the future' and how people will swallow it.

[fpm229]

Reagan was a pretty good actor (only after he became a politician). He fooled me into voting for him twice. "Trickle down theory", my ass. And then he proceeded to stab me in the back with his "Government Pension Offset" provision. Yup -- he stole a large portion of my Social Security (after having paid into it in good faith for 20+ yrs.), simply because I retired from the federal government. Thank you very much Mr. President.

[pooptalkerlive]

i agree with everything fpm said

[emotionalfriend143]

lets review

Reagan's "obvious shortcomings", "flawed adminstration", & "political inadequacies" shouldn't keep us from saying his name with Washington & Jefferson, because of his "sincerity"?

it shouldn't matter that Clinton did a "technically" better job as president (to paraphrase your words), since he was a "flawed individual"?

that's the sort of well-thought-out logic that got us four years of bad-decider but good christian GW.

How do you like the federal spending now?

[6stringgunslinger]

Personally I feel Gore did win in 2000 but the powers that are really in control stole from him. I have come to believe that our vote really does't count, It's there to keep the public pacified.

[tomrdee]

I remember, Reagan didn't cut spending because he had to deal with a Democratic congress and a left leaning media that warned he would throw the poor into the streets.

Clinton had to deal with a Republican congress that opposed everything he did. That is why he could not do the things he wanted.

It would have been better if Gore won in 2000.

That way a conservitive Republican congress would have stayed in power to oppose him, unlike the way they gave everything to Bush.

[mikegrove123]

To be honest Ronald Reagan would be disgusted with the republican main candidates. Just because you say "Ronald Reagan" a million times, people buy into their policies completely opposite to RR. Romney, McCain, Huckabee you are all are political whores.

[thejobloshow]

Interesting point of view. It always seemed strange that George H. W. Bush was never considered as successful as Reagan and was so easily defeated by Clinton. I personally think we were lucky to have those three presidents and in that order.

[wilfredsnipple]

Many people will say Reagan was racist. I guess he was about as much of a racist as Abraham Lincoln was an abolitionist.

[southernavenger]

LOL@ John Anderson reference. Paul and Anderson are apples and oranges.

The Ron Paul Revolution will extend beyond 2008, mark my word. But only time will truly tell.

And as for the power of myth (what you call "fairy tales") any significant event or figure has a mythology that surrounds them. Everything from the Holocaust to Kurt Cobain, has an image and a purpose outside of the actual event or person. In other words a myth doesn't necessarily represent a falsehood but a metaphysical idea.

[axisboldas]

Ron Paul has made small government cool again.

[steve0281]

It is my fear that if Dr. Paul were ever to ascend to the Presidency that The Powers That Be will move to neutralize him one way or another. Witness Robert Kennedy. Something is going on and it is not pretty.

[DeAnte85]

"A Time For Choosing" alone is enough to justify a "Reagan Myth" in my view.

[RedShirtArmy]

Southern Avenger, I used to subscribe to the Reagan Myth as well. But Reagan really did little to advance liberty in America, to shrink government or expand States' Rights. He gets credit for defeating Communism, but this is extremely generous and I think unwarrented. Reagan was indeed far better than some others. But he was no one to build a great political myth around like Jefferson or Washington or Calhoun.

[southernavenger]

Redshirt, I understand your dilemma and have wrestled with it myself, but in the end when "limited government" comes to mind, for Americans Reagan's name and image will always come to mind. This is a useful myth, however imperfect. I have been making the same argument for Ron Paul, that the strength of his limited government message represents a victory, even in electoral defeat. No matter who becomes the next president, it is Paul who will be remembered in years to come - he has already won.

[BrickLaneBetty]

Ron Paul and Reagan should not be used in the same sentence. Ron Paul at least wants to leave abortion up to the states, Reagan would have beeen happy if everyone women was a baby machine and coat hangers were optional. I would never vote for Paul because of Roe Vs Wade but he is reality based populist in the tradition of Mary E Lease and ethical whereas Reagan might as well be the American incarnation of South Africa's Malan government. another man Reagan lauded in his time-Reagan was ghetto.

[MyTotalRemedy]

@southernavenger

Be bold. Do not have a soft spot for Reagan, if you're a real conservative. He expanded government, increased spending, gave amnesty, was a neocon. I don't see why people give into this myth.

Do not be suckered in by him.

Reagan, Bush, McCain. Don't be fooled by these people.

[MyTotalRemedy]

@southernavenger

The truth needs to be spoken.

[mongoose704]

@RedShirtArmy One man can't do it himself.

Bless Ron Paul but he would be as unsuccessful as Reagan. Attitudes take year to change and the attitudes of americans need to change before any meaningful change takes place, especially in a government of, for and by the people.

[greenback001]

how far have we gone over the edge when the GOP is pushing for McCain and Romney for the ticket. I get depressed every time I think of it. I try not to think of it.

[stodles]

Regain Reagan!