I see your point (and very much appreciate your other comments on this subject). However, all of this gets down -- to some degree at least -- to the age old question of whether history makes great men (sic) or great man (sic) make history. Reagan was not a great man and he didn't make great history.
The New Dems certainly could have "praised the man" instead of his policies. There is a difference. I remember arguing with my father about RR's budget cuts of social welfare (my father the pensioner). I showed him the numbers, RR was bad for my father's well-being. It didn't matter -- it was Morning in American for my veteran father of WWII. The debate got so heated that a neighbor call the police due to the domestic distrubance!
What bothers me so much is whitewashing Reagan into history by what is supposed to be the political opposition. RR did make the country feel better about itself. Political opposition should point out feeling good about the country has multi-possibilities and wary of the Reagan (and Bush) variant.
Much of the mean comments today on list has made me laugh. But I don't want to laugh about RR (or Bush) -- laughing at RR (and Bush) helped/help these henchmen of history.
Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> wrote: After reading this, I am truly embarrassed and ashamed I ever called myself a Democrat. I never will again.
Peter
WS: Why? The argument in that piece boils down to "Reagan was brought to history on the wave of larger political forces rather than his own accomplishments." Which is essentially true and puts a new meaning to the word "louse" - he was a louse who entered history on the hair of other people - both those whom he attacked and those who behind the scene were making decisions which he communicated to the American people.
That seems quite an appropriate commentary on the death of a political opponent. Spitting invectives would be uncivilized, albeit perfectly in line with the gutter conservatism that Reagan "revolution" brought to the fore.
Wojtek
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