I definitely think we should pay attention to Reagan and Reaganism, the political crystalization of the ruling class' counterreform movement, to reverse New Deal and other liberal reforms made in the previous 50 years. We should study them like doctors study dangerous viruses.
Reagan's conservativism was to lead in conserving the economic status quo. Actually, he was a reactionary in the sense above of leading reversal of recent historical reforms, "going back" fifty years.
In terms of what we study, how did "he" rally millions to reject the ideologies of social concern and problem solving that had developed large followings out of social struggles in the 50's and 60's ? How did his personality reflect and transmit so well the changes in mass thinking that the ruling class wanted to make at that time ?
Charles
From: "Doug Henwood"
[People on the left often don't take right-wing thought seriously enough. Yeah, Reagan was an airhead, but he was onto something, something that those who are discouting his importance, or find him the continuation of Jimmy Carter, miss. Sometimes it seems like the left has taken up the pessimism that Reagan excised from Burkean conservatism.]
Wall Street Journal - June 8, 2004
Reaganism American Conservatism
By JOHN MICKLETHWAIT and ADRIAN WOOLDRIDGE