Republicans are pathetic! they keep invoking the memory of Reagan, time and time again. Does no one remember the Reagan years? well. I do and I did not see the great savior that they see. He was the one that helped create the two Americas that we now live in.
In the beginning at the Reagan Library, at one of the first of the debates of this presidential election cycle, almost to a man, the then candidates invoked the spirit of Reagan in every other breath. This was an obvious apparent attempt on their part to get the notice of the conservative majority. It was like an old fashion séance, everyone was calling the spirit up to inhabit there body. Then the ghost went back into the nether world for awhile and then when you thought it was safe to watch the political process unfold--BAM!--that darn pesky ghost is back!
Once again the three, now two, remaining republican candidates are once again trying to roll the stone from in front of the conservative cave and resurrect Reagan. One was a foot soldier for Reagan, the other was just an admirer of Reagan, but what does this bring to the election?
Most of the conservs want to talk about Reagan-omics. But just what is it? The Reagan Revolution contained three parts: 1) reduction in government regulation of commerce and industry, 2) aggressive budget cuts, 3) aggressive tax cuts. I ask how did all that work out for the average working Joe?
First I will start with the last point, tax cuts. These were not for the middle class or the poor, they instead were mostly for the corporations, with the reasoning being that it would stimulate investment and that the results of that would "trickle down" to the workers. Trickle Down economics is one of the best sell jobs any politician has given the people. The theory is that all the benefits of corporate investment would somehow trickle down to the workers; by cutting taxes it would increase government revenues. Think about what I just said, less tax income would increase governmental revenue. Has that sunk in yet? This is an absurdity that the people bought hook, line and sinker.
It was named "voodoo economics" It has been 28 years since that bovine fecal matter was sold to the public and the benefits have yet to trickle down to the workers of the US. But yet they, the Conservs, continue to spout the crap about tax cuts will generate jobs and prosperity. It will create prosperity, but only if you are in the top 10% of the population. It will not create jobs. And yet, this economic plan is still used as a selling point of Conserv ideas. It has proven to be a failure and a lie, but yet the people still see it as a saving program of the economy. That scares me.
What did Reagan-omics actually do for the economy in the US? Reagan spent more, increased the deficit more, in the finally tally, increased taxes more on the working class, started two wars without the ok of Congress. So why do the Conservs keep invoking the specter of Reagan?
The USSR is the only answer! Conservs and most Americans feel that he was responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union. Actually, he was not the cause, in a CIA report in 1974, I believe, they said that the USSR would be gone by 1985. Reaganites just want to have a hero. He was no hero, he was however a very good communicator and salesman, which leads to the old saying, "there is a sucker born every minute". In the case of the US, there were millions of them.
So, does everyone now have a throbbing headache? If so the best treatment is to vote Democratic and call me in the morning.