Hero or Traitor? The Reagan Legacy

The Reagan myth and attendant history revision is again in the news. After Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama seemed to praise Reagan

“I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America… because the country was ready for it… people were already feeling… we want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.”

During the debate, Obama clarified his statement, noting that “Ronald Reagan was a transformative political figure because he was able to get Democrats to vote against their economic interests to form a majority to push through their agenda – an agenda that I objected to.”

The debate about Reagan’s “greatness” was further rekindled by NY Times editorialist Paul Krugman, here, and bloggers here and here.

Amazing. We seem to have forgotten some rather glaring aspects of the man. Ronald Reagan sold weapons to our sworn enemy, the Ayatollah Khomeini, who had already declared us “the great Satan” and had kidnapped our embassy staff.

A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not. Ronald Reagan March 4, 1987

The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States as “levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort.” This offense is punishable by death.

Then, Reagan used the Ayatollah’s money to illegally support an insurgency against the elected government of Nicaragua. Congress had passed a law specifically forbidding that funding. Remember?

Ronald Reagan is, plain and simple, a confessed traitor to the United States. Well? Am I wrong? He directly and knowingly gave aid to the enemy. And, after signing the Boland amendment (forbidding funding of the Contras), he knowingly and willfully violated it. He seemed to consider the President, as Bush does, to be above the law. Bush has asserted in dozens of “signing statements” that he is not bound by the law he is signing.

As for his reputation for “minimizing government, tax cutting and strong defense,” Reagan proved to the GOP that Americans will mortgage their kids’ future to artificially and briefly pump up the economy, and will open up their wallets for “security” out of fear of a perceived threat (from the Soviets). He also showed how you can massively increase government spending and still appear to be for “small government.” This appears now to be the Republican way. Since 1950 every president has reduced the national debt as a percentage of GDP. Except Reagan, Bush Sr. and Junior (according to the White House ’s own figures). HERE

We all love heroes. But are we so desperate that we have to make pretend heroes out of a merely uncommon criminal like Reagan?