« Ronald Reagan and why I never want to hear another word about his dead ass | Main | Raise your glass to the hard working people, let's drink to the salt of the earth »
y'know it ain't right, when it's all wrong
by mg at 12:26 AM on June 09, 2004
I was only twelve years old when he left office, so my greatest connection with Ronald Reagan is from watching Michael J. Fox on afternoon reruns of Family Ties. Still, watching even the most cursory of news about his passing this weekend, and it is blatantly obvious why the man was loved, even by his staunchest political loved him.
He was a quick-witted, charming, and passionate man, who in large part is responsible for revitalizing the spirit of the United States. After Kennedy’s assassination, the country was faced with a string of presidents who were at best indifferent, universally incompetent, and at worse patently deceitful. Inflation was rampant, Iran was holding hostages, and gas was scarcer than in a Beano factory.
There were talks of the decline of the Holy Roman Empire, and the end of the American Way of Life. The country really was pretty down on itself, but you don’t have to take my word on that. All you have to do to know its true is look at pictures of your parents from the seventies. Would a sane, happy person have dressed that way? No, I dare say not.
And then here comes Ronnie a smart, charismatic, and funny guy, who made people feel good about themselves again. Oh, sure, he was in a movie with a chimp, but is that any really worse an item on a resume than trading away Sammy Sosa? No, I dare say not.
Ronald Reagan, and his unending enthusiasm and wit (right after he was shot, it is reported, he told Nancy “I should have ducked.” How cool is that?), made people feel good about themselves again. What is more important, he made them feel proud to be Americans. More even than any of his political machinations (which can be debated ‘till the cows come home), it was this change in national-mindset that Ronald Reagan should, and will, be remembered for.
It is his enthusiasm, love of country, and optimism that seems absolutely absent from the current political landscape. Ronald Reagan is famous for assuring America that “the best is yet to come.” Every political speech I see, every policy paper I read, whether by Bush, Kerry, or any of other guys on either side of the aisle, seem to be saying “the worse is here right now, and you should be scared witless.”
I’m sorry, but I don’t think life is so bad, and I don’t want to live scared, and though that sort of rhymed, I’m not going to change it. I really want to be political. I want to get behind a candidate, help register voters, hand out bumper stickers, wear buttons, and hang out at campaign headquarters. But, there isn’t a politician out there that inspires me to do that. The only thing politicians inspire me to do is buy bottled water and canned goods, and hide under my bed.
So, what I really want to say is, we miss you Mr. President. There can’t be another like you, but here’s hoping there will be. And soon.
comments (11)
Yesterday I was almost going to visit the mortuary in Santa Monica where he was being... er, held? But then they moved him to Santa Barbara. Chance missed.
by jean at June 9, 2004 3:04 AM
Despite the (satirical) title to my post I totally agree with you. The guy was indeed the master of the witty one-liner among other talents. He once said of the ballooning federal deficit, "I think it is big enough to take care of iself."
by anna at June 9, 2004 7:45 AM
I think it was more like, "Sorry honey, I forgot to duck." He did have some good come backs. And I liked his general optimistism. But I remember he also had some oblivious moments that made a lot of people feel uncomfortable, like when he said, "Trees cause more pollution than automobiles."
by chris at June 9, 2004 12:59 PM
I am really surprised at all of the anti-Regan hate that has been going around the internet this week. Can’t we have a funeral without all the bitching? It’s like when Fred Phelps pickets a gay guy’s funeral. A little respect please.
This was the worst place I found:
http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/001976.html#001976
It was disappointing, sine the posts there are usually intelligent and interesting. Now it’s become a soapbox for angry homos.
by MrBlank at June 9, 2004 4:07 PM
It is sad, but do we have to stop delivering mail for a day? I mean, really....
by LJ at June 9, 2004 5:51 PM
You know, I agree. I'm annoyed enough as it is that they don't deliver mail on Sunday (and why the hell not?). Are they not going to deliver mail on Friday, the national day of morning, or whatnot?
Also, as much as people shouldn't be fawning over the guy, they also shouldn't take the opprtunity of his death, and the Reagan-mania that has ensued, to talk smack about him. He is dead but it shouldn't be an excuse to flog, or fawn, over the body.
Hi LJ.
by mg at June 9, 2004 6:03 PM
Well, you guys should check out washintonpost.com today. There must be 4-5 columns dissing the man. It's like they've held back as long as they could and now the ancient venom has reached critical mass. Assholes.
by anna at June 9, 2004 6:49 PM
Generally speaking it's bad to speak ill of the dead. So notice that when, say, Nixon kicked it, people tried to be as polite as possible and even called him a "great statesman."
But what's been going on for Reagan is an all-out lovefest, and people have been saying things about him that are flatly untrue, that completely contradict the things the man actually did in office. Ronald Reagan was not a great president. He wasn't even a good president. He took from the poor to give to the rich, something that the current jerk is STILL doing even though it didn't work in the 80's either. He cancelled student load programs for poor students to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest of the wealthy. People are saying what a big booster he was for the American dream, but he didn't believe in that dream at all - he just talked about it. He proved that Americans care more about image and packaging than substance and actions, and THAT is his legacy.
I'm not happy to see a human being die, but the Neo-Conservative movement, that den of liars and cheaters that Reagan helped spawn, is obsessed with making him into a hero, and he wasn't. He was a double-dealing, back-stabbing huxter, and he doesn't deserve all of this praise.
by adam at June 10, 2004 9:43 AM
I think it is unfair to say he took from the poor to give to the rich. I think it wasn't a concious effort to hurt people, but an attempt to make the experiment of supply-side economics work. While I can be less sure about our current president, I can say that I believe Reagan cared about this country and its citizens and didn't want anyone to be poor or to go without. He had an idea about an economic policy that worked less well than he expected, but I don't think it was some malicious thing. Also, the economy was already in downward spiral as of 1981, so to blame the early 80s economic mini-crisis on Reaganomics is hardly fair.
And, not to correct anyone's spelling, but I think you meant "huckster."
by mg at June 10, 2004 10:00 AM
Hey LJ! You're back. We missed you, man. You and John Starks. The Knicks suck so bad without you guys. Can you come out of retirement? Please?!?!
by Eviltom at June 10, 2004 11:31 AM
I think he meant "huxtable."
by Linz at June 10, 2004 12:27 PM