With the death of Reagan, and the Clinton book hype, I started
thinking about what these two "SUCCESSFUL" presidents REALLY did for
America and Americans.
And, my conclusion is: ALMOST NOTHING!
It is truly amazing how with eight years each in the White House so
little of lasting consequence was accomplished.
Indeed, a cynic might say of the purpose of government in Washington
is the collect taxes, take bribes, and distribute the money to
cronies!
NOT THE STUFF OF EXCITING HISTORY! ALAS, NO WASHINGTONS OR LINCOLNS
IN OUR GENERATION IT SEEMS. SO FAR......
Consider:
With Reagan, the so-called "big events" were the firing of the air
traffic controlers; telling Gorby to tear down his wall; a big
defense spending splurge; and the end of the "cold war," which was
already about 40 years obsolete!
Surely, during the Reagan years, the Soviets were NEVER a serious
threat to Europe. No one out side of the military-industrial complex
was really expecting a massive invasion of Europe; that old notion
was remote probably since the late 1950's.
Why then was the cold war prolonged unnecessarily?
Well, because it provided the stability of a bi-polar world.
And, of course, EVERYONE wanted an "excuse" to keep Germany in chains
UNTIL WE WERE REALLY, REALLY SURE----THEY WOULDN'T "DO IT AGAIN!"
RIGHT?
THE NEED TO HOBBLE GERMANY FOR A GENERATION, AND THE NEED FOR THE
STABILITY OF A BI-POLAR GEOPOLITICS, WERE THE REAL REASONS FOR THE
COLD WAR.
NOT THE "INVASTION OF EUROPE" OR "GLOBAL COMMUNISM." THOSE WERE JUST
THE EXCUSES FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION.
Alas, by the time of Reagan, the cold war was ready to die of old
age; many people had really forgotten what it was all about by then.
IS THIS TOO SIMPLISTIC A VIEW THAT NEEDS MORE NUANCE?
Perhaps but I don't really think so. Sometimes the simple answers are
the best ones.
Need more proof? Well, look at the mess we are in NOW!
With an unstable uni/multi-polar geopolitics the is boiling with
nationalism and racism and medievel religious fundamentalism! And
with NGO terror groups abounding. Enter the Age of Osama!
AHH,... FOR THE GOOD OLE DAYS OF THE COLD WAR! TOO BAD REAGAN "WON!"
With Clinton, it was Family Leave (wow), NAFTA, and ending welfare
entitlements. Then, of course, Monica, The Dress, The Perjury, The
Impeachment and Ken Starr.
NOT MUCH THERE ARE HISTORICAL INTEREST.
BUT THE NEW KERRY ADMINISTRATION COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS PERIOD OF
HISTORICAL INACTIVITY.
AMERICANS ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS TO CHEAP LABOR!
AMERICANS ARE LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE COVERAGE, IN A WORLD WHERE
NEARLY EVERYONE HAS SOME COVERAGE!
FREE TRADE HAS CAUSED MASSIVE STRUCTURAL DEFICITS AND ANOMALIES, THAT
BENEFIT ONLY "GLOBAL CAPITAL" TO THE DISADVANTAGE OF "AMERICAN
CAPITAL!"
A NEW AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMICS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY IS NECESSARY, IF
WE ARE TO AVOID THE COMING DEFICIT CATASTROPHE! NOTHING SHORT OF
A "NEW KEYNES" IS CALLED FOR!
MR KERRY'S LIFE STORY COULD BE THE MOST INTERESTING ONE SINCE FDR!
BECAUSE UNLIKE THE SLEEPING REAGAN AND THE PLAYFUL CLINTON AND THE
INCOMPETENT BUSHES I & II:
DOING NOTHING WILL NOT BE AN OPTION FOR THE KERRY ADMINISTRATION.
