Reagan's Died

Forgot he was still alive.....

Whoops.

Nice one

I thought he went <poof> after pressing the wrong button in that Genesis video.

Hey- "Spitting Image" anyone?

L-T-D,
He was never alive! ,it was just a life sized mock up by Spitting image.
oldie.

Oldie

Thanks for blowing the memory.

.......and here's me thinking he was Clint Eastwood's Dad !

He was instrumental in the burial of the cold war. Already forgotten that? Who has the alzheimer here?

JohanR

The Republicans would like to think he was instrumental in finishing the Cold War, via the break up of the Soviet Union. I strongly suspect that this happened for domestic reasons and not because the White House told them to do it. Don't forget some of his other achievements, like scrapping the New Deal.

I let out an almighty sigh of relief when he stepped down, that we managed to get through that particular dark age without America setting off nukes again. Thatcher to go now. I hope she doesn't go too quickly - if anyone deserved to suffer.....

Cheers

Harry

JohanR,
It was actually Kennedy that was responsible for the start of the downfall of the Soviet Republic by forcing them into a arms race that they could not afford and thus starting the almost bankrupcy of the Soviet States a long time before the Spitting image Puppet.
oldie.

I'll second HTK on Fatcha!

Tony

And may he rest in peace.

I think two things explain Reagan's popularity. First, he truly was an amazing communicator--he had the ability to really make people feel and believe what he was saying.

Second, Reagan really believed in his policy positions and tried to implement them--there was very little "government by poll" while he was in office. Put another way, what you saw was what you got. And I'd have to say that resonated very powerfully in the US. While I totally disagree with at least some of his positions, I never doubted that HE really believed in them. The US has not had a President like that since.

Best,

Bob

Mr Mushroom,
Regarding your first comments, in my opinion you are correct in your assumpsions,I was just over simplifying things for the sake of the discussion and JohanR's comments
oldie.

Maybe as time passes by he will be looked upon as a great president - his policies may not have been to everyone's liking but surely he was instrumental in, amongst many things, restoring a feel good factor to the US.

Mike

Yes, he made people in the US feel good - as he set off an increasingly large gap between the econimic status of the rich and the middle classes - while causing the richest nation in world history to begin to ignore the poor.

Yes, he was a great communicator, but he used his talents in the service of the few.

Regards.

Phil

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mr. Mushroom:
...Or put another way, Capitalism killed the USSR.

---

The Arms Race and Capitalism contributed to the downfall of the USSR but the main cause was an overlarge, overexpensive government and a slow-moving, inefficient and costly bureaucracy.

Just like the EEC.

Steve Margolis
defy convention - make music

In fact, I wrote "burial of the cold war". Not "the downfall of the Soviet empire". In the early 1980:s Reagan was one of few who believed that Soviets economy was going down the drain (CIA thought it growed with 3% each year) and with a little outside "help" it might go down even quicker.

But that's not what I meant.

What I meant was the he and Gorby actually started talking to each other and found out that the other guy wasn't that bad. That was what started all the events that lead to us now not having any Iron Wall anymore.

The wall fell in 1989, Soviet in 1991.

JohanR

That's self falttery inj the extreme IMO. Regan had a vision that he alone could facilitate the dismantling of the USSR....

I've got a brigde here to sell you.

Cheers

Harry

Quote:-

Thatcher to go now. I hope she doesn't go too quickly - if anyone deserved to suffer.....
____________________________________________________________

I totally disagree!

Thatcher did far more for this country than any recent pm.

The thatcher years did much to restore this nation's pride and make Britain Great again. Sadly her work has been degraded by recent PM's and has turned us into a third rate country. This country needs strong leadership rather than this wishy washy crowd we have now!


Regards


NB

As you can see from this short link he helped some parts of the economy but his much vaunted "trickle down" economics imho was not as good as early hype would have you believe.

Roy

NB
Steelworkers,Mineworkers,Engineering workers,Printworkers, nurses, automobile workers Aero-engineering workers,Fire men it's now very difficult to purchase anything that is actually made in this Country, yes Thatcher did a wonderful job. mind you she would have given her right arm to have managed to get through some of the changes that Blair has.
oldie.

quote:

---

Originally posted by NB:
The thatcher years did much to restore this nation's pride and make Britain Great again. Sadly her work has been degraded by recent PM's and has turned us into a third rate country. This country needs strong leadership rather than this wishy washy crowd we have now!

---

Oh dear. Here we go again.

Do you live in southern England, by any chance?

Davie

I'm reminded of a Reagan joke here, which I hope won't be seen in poor taste in the circumstances.

Ronald Reagan goes to the doctors for a check up.

Afterwards the doctor says:
"Well, Mr Reagan, I'm terribly sorry to have to tell you that you have cancer and you have alzheimers."

Reagan thinks for a moment, smiles and replies:
"well, at least I don't have cancer."

I'm watching some of the Reagan funeral procession on TV. And I find myself moved.

He was, I think, the last real leader the US has had. Like him or not, and I confess I lean to the "like" side, he actually had a vision of the direction the US should go, and was able to move the country a surprising distance towards it. I see no one in US politics with both a vision for the country and the courage (and skill) to articulate it.

His shortcomings notwithstanding, when he left office the US was a better nation than when he took his first inaugural oath.

Best,

Bob

As a ten-year-old I found Reagan's speeches rather scary and I thought he was pushing us closer to global nuclear war (yes I worried about the prospect of nuclear war at the age of 10.)

However, as time passed I grew to like the guy as he was honest, forthright, had the integrity as well as vision that is sorely lacking in the likes of Blair and Bush.

He didn't single-handedly bring about the end of the Cold War but he did manage to prick the conscience of another very honorable leader - Gorbachov.

quote:

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This country needs strong leadership rather than this wishy washy crowd we have now!

---

B.Liar is dictatorial enough thanks, although I agree he lacks real charisma and presence in order not to have to rely on his cronies and henchmen to do his dirty deeds.

Agreed that Major was weak, but Liar doesn't listen and he bullies anyone in the Party who contradicts him.



Regards,

Steve.

quote:

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Originally posted by Bob Edwards:
He was, I think, the last real leader the US has had.

---

Bob:

I lean very much to the "dislike" side. This, of course, isn't the week to expound on that. He was a president, and as such is due some respect.

My point is that there WAS another fine leader, whose governmental legacy will be more respected as time passes, who didn't lie about WMDs, tax cuts for the rich, environmemntal rape and military preparedness. He lied about blow jobs. Step forward and take a bow, William Jefferson "Peace & Prosperity" Clinton.

Regards,
Davie

Lying about your personal affairs is far better than lying about affairs of state.

Clinton was a true statesman of which America should be proud.



Regards,

Steve.