As we watch the actions of president Obama in addressing the challenges of governing I will share part of the Oct 27, 1964 speech by Ronald Reagan.
“You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or right, but I would like to suggest that there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down–up to a man’s age-old dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order–or down to the ant heap totalitarianism, and regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.
In this vote-harvesting time, they use terms like the “Great Society,” or as we were told a few days ago by the President, we must accept a “greater government activity in the affairs of the people.” But they have been a little more explicit in the past and among themselves–and all of the things that I now will quote have appeared in print. These are not Republican accusations. For example, they have voices that say “the cold war will end through acceptance of a not undemocratic socialism.” Another voice says that the profit motive has become outmoded, it must be replaced by the incentives of the welfare state; or our traditional system of individual freedom is incapable of solving the complex problems of the 20th century. Senator Fullbright has said at Stanford University that the Constitution is outmoded. He referred to the president as our moral teacher and our leader, and he said he is hobbled in his task by the restrictions in power imposed on him by this antiquated document. He must be freed so that he can do for us what he knows is best. And Senator Clark of Pennsylvania, another articulate spokesman, defines liberalism as “meeting the material needs of the masses through the full power of centralized government.” Well, I for one resent it when a representative of the people refers to you and me–the free man and woman of this country–as “the masses.” This is a term we haven’t applied to ourselves in America. But beyond that, “the full power of centralized government”–this was the very thing the Founding Fathers sought to minimize. They knew that governments don’t control things. A government can’t control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.
Larry, sadly it may be too late for reason and accountability, our schools have failed us, and the “People” have become mindless lemmings, ignorant of the responsibility involved in maintaining Freedom and Liberty. More and more they want more for nothing, want to take from those who produce and look to government to provide for them. The spirit of rugged individualism that made this country great, is being choked to death by both sides, and those who want to fight for individual rights respect for the Constitution and personal responsibility are demonized as “Greedy” “Uncaring” “Evil” “Racist” and “Selfish”.
This current expansion, if successful in its implementation will most likely be the end of our Country as we know it. We as individuals will have lost the right to eat and live as we please, we will no longer be able to conduct business, and prosper or fail on our own merits. We now have the GOVERNMENT on the Boards of GM and AIG! What the Hell do these politicians know about Banking, insurance or making cars????? We have government agents who don’t pay their taxes, collecting them! The Fed’s force money on the Bank, and then tell them how to run their business! We as a country must hope the masses wake up and tear off the painful band-aid of government and embrace freedom, in order to restore prosperity to this great land. Let GM Fail! Let AIG fail! They will be replaced!
Soon we will see the following
10% Unemployment nationwide
Government Guidelines for the Cars GM and Chrysler can build
10% Rate of inflation
Increased taxes on the “Rich” or people making 100 grand
“Free” Healthcare to rival Canandas- and in order to cover the “Free” Health care we will have even more higher taxes! And limits on people who can get coverage if they have eaten McDonalds, and are considered “Obese” or Smoke, or ride a motorcycle, or drink a beer or wine…
Reduced or eliminated Social Security payments for those who have saved $ and have a pension or large 401K plans, because they don’t “Need” it
Yup we have made our Socialist Beds, and now we will have to lay in them….I hope we can wake up in the next 2 years and stop going after those who produce, and let those who don’t fail.
Larry,
“president” Obama? You meant to say, “President” Obama, right?
Nowhere near 10% inflation. Why not admit your world model is wrong, wrong, and wrong. Repent!
ovamit doesnt deserve a “P” he is a little p
Thank you for digging this deep into our archives! I hope you didn’t break a nail!
There’s a new book out by Will Bunch; “Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts Our Future.”
Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter:
His 1981 tax cut was followed quickly by tax hikes that you rarely hear about, and Reagan’s real lasting achievement on that front was slashing marginal rates for the wealthy-even as rising payroll taxes socked the middle class. His promise to shrink government was uttered so many times that many acolytes believe it really happened, but in fact Reagan expanded the federal payroll, added a new cabinet post, and created a huge debt that ultimately tripped up his handpicked successor, George H.W. Bush. What he did shrink was government regulation and oversight-linked to a series of unfortunate events from the savings-and-loan crisis of the late 1980’s to the sub-prime mortgage crisis of the late 2000’s.”
Sean.
I do respect whomever is serving as president of our country. At times I have capitalized the word “president” yet have seen it written by mainstream media in both upper and lower case.
No disrespect on my part.
anonster.
Feel free to read whomever you wish. That’s a right we still enjoy, at least for now with this administration.
And now you blame former president Ronald Reagan for “the sub-prime mortgage crisis of the late 2000’s.”
Get real if you wish to participate in a valid debate!
“Valid debate”? Larry, isn’t your favorite game “let’s blame Carter and Clinton” for all of America’s ills?
To deny that Reagan’s policies laid the foundation for the mess we are in today is at best, ingenuous. There is a great article on Reagan’s policies by Dr. Ravi Batra, professor of economics at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, entitled “Reagan: The Great American Socialist” highlighting how Reagan transferred wealth from the poor and middle class to the wealthy. Under Reagan there was a huge increase in the payroll tax (social security) that he promptly looted to finance his deficit, he implemented the tax on unemployment benefits and raised taxes on cigarettes and gasoline, all while slashing tax rates for the wealthiest Americans. Reagan was NO champion of “freedom”, unless of course you were one of the elite.
anonster.
Do we have a selective list of authors that present the message we want others to accept? Should I respond accordingly?
Let’s being with some minor details:
The Reagan Presidency:
Did You Know…
-20 million new jobs were created during the Reagan presidency (U.S. Statistical Abstract)
-Of these 20 million new jobs:
-The average hourly wage was $10/hr.
-46.1% were over $28,048/yr, and another 46.2% were from
$7,012-$28,048/yr, while only 6% were under $7,012/yr.
-During the Carter administration (1977-80), of the new jobs created, 41,77% were under $7,012, 68.2% were in the $7,012- $28,048/yr bracket, and 9.9% of the pre-existing jobs in the $28,048 and up bracket were actually lost (Joint Economic
Committee, based on data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor)
-During Reagan’s presidency he decreased the tax rate of the richest quintile from 70% in 1981 to 31% in 1988 (Joint Economic Committee, 1990)
-In 1981, the beginning of Reagan’s presidency, the top 5% of wage earners paid 35% of federal income taxes, while the bottom 50% paid 8%. By 1988, the end of Reagan’s presidency, the top
5% paid 46% of the federal taxes, while the bottom 50% paid 6% (Joint Economic Committee, 1990)
-Inflation went down during Reagan’s time in office. In 1980 the CPI (Consumer Price Index) was 13.5, and in 1984 it dropped to 4.3, and eventually to 4.1 by 1988. (Economic Report of the
President, January, 1993)
-Middle class families earning between $20,000-$50,000/year had a 28% growth in net worth during Reagan’s time in office (National Review, April 18, 1994)
-The government brought in increased amounts of tax revenue from the highest economic quintile during the Reagan Years (55.7 bill. In 1980, 55.9 in 1985, 58.1 in 1989), while the lowest quintile (2.0, 1.9, 1.6) and the middle quintile (13.4, 13.1, 12.6) both gave increasingly less during those same years (Congressional Budget Office)
-The U.S. Congress outspent Ronald Reagan’s proposed budget every year he was in office, save 1984 (Budget Message of the President, FY’s 81 to 89)
-The national deficit was approx. 2.6% of the U.S. GNP when Reagan entered office, and only 2.8% of the GNP when he left (Congressional Budget Office)
-The Stock Market rose from 777 to 3,000 points during Reagan’s presidency, even after the crash of 1987. (Almanac of U.S. History)
anonster. Did you take note that the top 5% of wage earners paid more taxes at the end of his presidency. Increased from 35% to 46%.
Do you also recognize that while he was in office the Democratic party had the numbers and he did not have line item veto power.
And lastly. “Ronald Reagan left office with a 64% approval rating one of the higher approval ratings of departing presidents.”
Larry, To debate with him is pointless, he is the leader of the Hate America / Blame America Crowd
Larry, you have positioned Reagan as a champion of “freedom” based on his economic policies, I contend that much of this is myth and have tried to provide some alternative material for readers of the “juice”. Further, as you have provided a mishmash of facts(?) and sources, I don’t have time to address them all. A few quick and easy ones are:
1. jobs; according to the labor department, Reagan’s job creation number is 16 million, for an average of 2 million jobs per year in office. It is interesting to note that Carter’s average was 2.6 million, G.H.W. Bush’s was 675,000, Clinton’s was 2.9 million and G.W. Bush had an anemic 375,000.
2. taxes; income taxes did indeed go down for lower and middle class wage earners, but PAYROLL TAXES went UP, the result being that the bottom 40% of wage earners PAID MORE in federal taxes in 1988 than they did in 1980.
And, oh yes, the wealthy paid “more” in their “percentage” of the federal tax bill in 1988, but only because they had a LARGER SHARE of the INCOME PIE. Reagan successfully ushered in an era where the economic gains in this country went to the wealthy investor class at the expense of workers. Thanks to Reagan, the middle class in this country is being replaced by the working poor.
3. Without going into more specifics (I do have a life), the consensus seems to be that by most measures (other than those of right-wing think tanks) the country has done better economically under Democrats than Republicans. Forbes ranks Reagan 4th after Clinton, LBJ and Kennedy for economic performance since 1945.
I would also like to add that for all the debt Reagan left, we have very little to show for it, Reagan’s tax cuts caused America to stop investing in our infrastructure, since the 1980’s, our roads, our bridges, our hospitals and other infrastructure have all been left to crumble. The “good of the country” was replaced by the
Reagan era motto “greed is good”, and we are reaping what Reagan’s policies sowed.
Bigmarkod-I know it is fashionable among thoughtless, ignorant parrots of right-wing ideology to cast aspersions on the patriotism of those who disagree with them, but I would not have guessed, that not WORSHIPPING Ronald Reagan would make me an “AMERICA HATER”. You are despicable waste of time.
Sticks and stones
anonster. Apparently you like the concept of big brother taking care of all your needs.
And how dare you throw LDJ into the mix when your side blames Bush 43 for 4,000 servicemen and women who died in the most recent conflict.
How many died on the watch of JFK & LBJ and LBJ’s his right hand man Gen William Westmoreland in Vietnam? Perhaps 58,159 and another 303,635 wounded.
This post was about a speech by Ronald Reagan who, without firing a single ABM, defeated the USSR Evil Empire.
How many former Soviet Union republic citizens enjoy freedom today due in part to the work of our 40th president.
Larry, I thought this post was about economics and “freedom” from taxation. Sorry, that Forbes rated Clinton, LBJ and JFK higher than RR, ouch, that must hurt.
I wouldn’t be so quick to boast about Reagan’s record on foreign affairs, running a shadow government (Iran/contra) is pretty serious stuff.
To answer your question; none. The “tear down this wall” crap is part of the right-wing myth machine.
did Reagan actions reflect reality