Ronald Reagan dead at 93




from wired.com:

Reagan, who died Saturday at 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease, was a genial optimist and maestro of a simple -- critics said too simple -- creed promising lower taxes, less government, a powerful national defense and unabashed patriotism.

As president, however, Reagan was in fact a paradox.

He railed against federal spending but followed policies -- twinning a vast military buildup with tax cuts -- that more than doubled the total national debt and left succeeding presidents and Congresses to deal with the consequences.

He abhorred bargaining with hostage-takers and called for an arms boycott against states accused of fomenting terrorism. But he also sold arms to Iran in a clandestine operation that mushroomed into the gravest scandal of his presidency.

I'm sure his life will be widely lauded.

I only hope that with his passing, the vast conservative onslaught he championed will finally begin to wane.

George W. Bush will probably be held up for comparison. The similarities are too frequent to be dismissed: Massive governmental spending linked with massive tax cuts for the already wealthy, a figurehead president largely manipulated by his handlers, an administration claiming the moral high ground while digging tunnels beneath it with illegal, and often unconstitutional, self serving actions.

Perhaps with these comparisons, Americans will finally realize the importance of choosing their leaders wisely, the importance of participating in a participatory democracy.

The King is dead; long live the King...

Posted: Sat - June 5, 2004 at 07:14 PM          

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