I suppose that it's a little insensitive to speak ill of a man only a few days after his death. But with the hyperbolic eulogizing of the media at damn near necrophilic levels, I think the insignificance of my comments make them nearly harmless.
In my opinion, Ronald Reagan was always the embodiment of "bad" conservatism. I say "bad" conservatism, because I think that there is a good strain of conservatism, one that resists radical individualism for the sake of community, and is interested in fiscal responsibility. Sadly, this brand of conservatism is rarely practiced anymore, having been nearly destroyed by the wild success and fond remembrance of Reagan's political career. Reaganite conservatism pays lip service to fiscal responsibility, yet it runs mile-high deficits; it claims that the government that governs the best governs the least, yet it increases the scope and power of the government through enormous military expenditure. It is responsible for those odious stereotypes we've all heard: the "welfare queen," the "card carrying liberal," the "anti-American." Worst of all, it seems to base its policies on simple-minded platitudes, binaristic moralising ('yer with us or with the terrorists') and quasi-apocalyptic imagery. All this is served up under a disingenous patina of 'down-to-earth' charisma. Man, the way the old Gipper squinted at you through the TV set and spoke in hushed tones, you'd believe almost anything he'd tell you.
This brand of conservatism is Ronald Reagan's legacy, and we can see its most abhorrent qualities manifested in the politics of the current administration. You know, the one that refuses to raise taxes despite massive deficit spending; the one that is fighting a metaphysical war against evildoers (conveniently located, however, in oil-rich areas of the world); the one that has increased federal powers to frightening levels. The list goes on.
This is hardly a legacy that should be celebrated.
Elsewhere on the web, Eric Alterman has some good material about the Reagan presidency, including this piece from the Nation. Joel Swagman has a nice piece on his blog, too. If you have some more time, read this Salon article.
In my opinion, Ronald Reagan was always the embodiment of "bad" conservatism. I say "bad" conservatism, because I think that there is a good strain of conservatism, one that resists radical individualism for the sake of community, and is interested in fiscal responsibility. Sadly, this brand of conservatism is rarely practiced anymore, having been nearly destroyed by the wild success and fond remembrance of Reagan's political career. Reaganite conservatism pays lip service to fiscal responsibility, yet it runs mile-high deficits; it claims that the government that governs the best governs the least, yet it increases the scope and power of the government through enormous military expenditure. It is responsible for those odious stereotypes we've all heard: the "welfare queen," the "card carrying liberal," the "anti-American." Worst of all, it seems to base its policies on simple-minded platitudes, binaristic moralising ('yer with us or with the terrorists') and quasi-apocalyptic imagery. All this is served up under a disingenous patina of 'down-to-earth' charisma. Man, the way the old Gipper squinted at you through the TV set and spoke in hushed tones, you'd believe almost anything he'd tell you.
This brand of conservatism is Ronald Reagan's legacy, and we can see its most abhorrent qualities manifested in the politics of the current administration. You know, the one that refuses to raise taxes despite massive deficit spending; the one that is fighting a metaphysical war against evildoers (conveniently located, however, in oil-rich areas of the world); the one that has increased federal powers to frightening levels. The list goes on.
This is hardly a legacy that should be celebrated.
Elsewhere on the web, Eric Alterman has some good material about the Reagan presidency, including this piece from the Nation. Joel Swagman has a nice piece on his blog, too. If you have some more time, read this Salon article.