There seems to be a growing effort in this country to turn Ronald Reagan into a Conservative (with a capital "C") messiah...
There seems to be a growing effort in this country to turn Ronald Reagan into a Conservative (with a capital "C") messiah. And this, despite much evidence to the contrary.
A conversation with a Reagan cultist may go something like this:
"Ronald Reagan cut taxes and believed in smaller government."
In general, yes. But he also raised taxes and increased the size of the government many times.
"Nuh -uh, that never happened."
Yes it did.
"Nuh-uh, that never happened. He cut taxes and believed in smaller government."
And so on. No matter what evidence is offered, the cultists refuse it. They rarely even bother to challenge it. To them, the evidence isn't doctored or fabricated, it simply doesn't exist.
This, my friends, is the power of belief. It's the reason Nietzsche said convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.
They believe Reagan cut taxes. Therefore he cut taxes. Period.
They believe Reagan reduced the size of government. Therefore, he reduced the size of government. Period.
They believe Reagan was a fundamentalist Christian. Therefore, that whole astrology thing never happened, or was blown out of proportion. I mean, who didn't read their horoscope in the newspaper once or twice during those rebellious teenage years?
This story...one of hope for a hero who embodies everything you believe a hero should...this story ENDURES. The story cannot be "refudiated" by real-world evidence because the story was never based in reality to begin with. It's a story of good versus evil, viewed from a safe perch atop the gleaming white pillar of 1950's values; of Bonzo, Howdy Doody, and the Good Humor Man, with the masculine fortitude of Hugh Beaumont to back it up.
And that story was grafted onto an actor who didn't really live up to it...but hey, who really cares because this guy was all kinds of awesome! Why, if he hadn't said "Tear down this wall" then by gum we'd all be speaking commie!
Or something like that.
So let's take a step back. We've got this mediocre actor who, by nearly all counts was a genuinely nice guy. Reasonably smart, incredibly charismatic, and a much better leader than a certain other mediocre actor who was governor of California.
That's the real story. That's the real Reagan. And yet, we can see the disciples growing, along with the list of Reagan's accomplishments.
Some of these supposed accomplishments are getting truly absurd. For example, some disciples believe Reagan single-handedly destroyed the USSR. It's true, he did it with his bare fists and a bag of jellybeans.
But absurdity is one thing. How long before we take the next step? How long before true believers start espousing Reagan's miracles?
I call it "Teatification": The process by which Conservative zealots declare someone a saint.
Crazy, you say? Yes, but hardly far-fetched. Remember, it's happened before.
But maybe it will be different this time. That's why I chose to quote Nietzsche. Maybe, just maybe, we can watch this process live from our living rooms and see it for what it really is.
In doing so, perhaps we can understand humanity's innate and overwhelming drive to reject the idea that the person we respect, admire, or idolize, is human and has flaws, and why we instead must turn that person into a saint.
Like that time Reagan turned water into wine...