Ronald Reagan- Why was he so special??

Cosmo wrote:

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Davidtrios wrote:

thanks to Ron Paul at the republican debate in Vegas, i learned that Reagan negotiated with terrorists....trading weapons for hostages with IRAN! why is he so special again?
:?

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Negotiated with terrorists in Iran and armed terrorists in Central America... AND...
Under his administration, created and trainned Islamic terrorists, including Bin Laden and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, developed the tactical use of I.D.Es against far superior military armored forces, provided Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons development programs, dumped the mentally ill onto the streets of American citiies by dismanteling the mental health institutions, created the vision of NAFTA, granted amnesty to illegal immigrants and raised taxes.
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Yet, most Conservatives choose to ignore these facts and continue to hold him up as the Patron Saint of Conservatism.

I would like to know where all those mentally ill people are now. Oh, yes - the White House. They finally found a home.

And it's been a long standing tradition in world politics that your friend today is your enemy tomorrow. It's easy to look back and say - look! He dealt with Bin Laden. I guess he should have seen 9/11 coming 20 years earlier. That's revisionist.

And, yes, sometimes you have to deal with bad people to move the ball along. You are being naive if you think Obama's not doing the same thing. We're about to see it in Libya. But, you know what - he did the right thing for the moment. There will be negative outcomes to this. But, it doesn't outweight the positive outcome of a 42 year dictator being gone.

And all this is why Obama is learning how critical it is to protect and partner with Israel. Aside from Britain, they are the only true military allies we have that are a constant. Especially, in that area of the world.

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

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EdsonNascimento wrote:

And all this is why Obama is learning how critical it is to protect and partner with Israel. Aside from Britain, they are the only true military allies we have that are a constant. Especially, in that area of the world.

the only reason israel is "a constant" is because they have their hand out for our $4 billion a year in military aid...take away that funding and we get told where we can stick it...

Even if that was true - we give lots of money to countries that shit on us. So, even following that line of thinking - at least we're getting our money's worth here.

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

i would rather walk away and keep my money and use it here in the homeland...

And that is a particularly foolish and naive stance that many a President has agreed to upon entering office (present one included) that has shaded as they have learned the realities of the world.

If there is a tiger that is willing to fight the wolf 1,000 miles from your house and is willing to stay loyal as long as you stay loyal, would you let it? Or would you let the wolf get to your doorstep?

And that's a terrible analogy because there's a lot more to what Israel provides the US in the Middle East than this.

EdsonNascimento wrote:

And it's been a long standing tradition in world politics that your friend today is your enemy tomorrow. It's easy to look back and say - look! He dealt with Bin Laden. I guess he should have seen 9/11 coming 20 years earlier. That's revisionist.
And, yes, sometimes you have to deal with bad people to move the ball along. You are being naive if you think Obama's not doing the same thing. We're about to see it in Libya. But, you know what - he did the right thing for the moment. There will be negative outcomes to this. But, it doesn't outweight the positive outcome of a 42 year dictator being gone.
And all this is why Obama is learning how critical it is to protect and partner with Israel. Aside from Britain, they are the only true military allies we have that are a constant. Especially, in that area of the world.

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Not revisionist. No one is 'revising' history. When people play the revisionist card... it is just a nice way of saying, 'Making excuses for...'.
If you read through this thread... i noted the fact that we have to place these decisions in the context of the times that existed. I just want to get an understanding on WHY conservatives refuse to acknowledge some of the Reagan decisions that have lead to current conditions... that they (conservatives) disapprove of?
Instead, it is the same old partisan bullshit rhetoric and glancing over or overt lying that comes into play.
Maybe if we learn from our mistakes... namely, that if the enemy of my enemy hates my guts... he is NOT my friend... based on past experiences and outcomes, only a complete idiot would believe otherwise. Ask our friend, Afghanistan... who they will side with if the U.S. decides to take on Pakistan.
Gold Star to those who answered, 'Certainly, not us.'.
And yes... the decisions made by President Obama today will affect future conditions... to which a guy like me will hold him a partly responsible for and not give him a free ride out of accountability.

I was very sad when he died.

I wanted him to suffer a LOT longer for being such a pig.

The way he gleefully basked in the AIDS crisis and went out of his way to do nothing. The way he lied and cheated and sent many men into harm's way because of his addiction to war.

His love of making rich richer and poor poorer.

And of course... running up the national debt to pay for his countless wars, his taking advice he knew was bad because it told him what he wanted to hear...

I'm just glad that we all know all he did. And that his own kids acknowledge he was a rotten person down to his rotten, rotten soul.