Americans believe in sunshine. We don’t like bad news. And
we want a president who makes us feel good.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย And so America
is in a period of glowing mourning over the death of that happiest of
presidents, Ronald Reagan. Reading the tributes, looking at his adoring Nancy,
our sadness has been wrapped in warmth. And smiles.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Hardly a
word has been said about the damage inflicted on this nation during the Reagan
presidency. But we are all citizens, and citizenship carries great
responsibility. Americans’ citizenship must be an educated one, with a
willingness to face painful facts. Our patriotism must not be mindless.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The Reagan
record is painful. There was the dangerous loopiness
of a president pushing for a Star Wars missile shield, confusing movie fiction
with reality, broaching the subject of an invasion from Mars with the leader of
the Soviet Union.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย More
serious was an economic policy that created enormous deficits, fostered high
unemployment, raised taxes on low and middle-income Americans and cut them the
wealthy. Reagan drove up defense spending and launched attacks on vital social
programs, on the environment, on organized labor. He had no compunction about
talking about “welfare queens.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย His foreign
policy included supporting brutal governments in Iraq
(yes, Saddam Hussein), Guatemala,
and El Salvador.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย And then
there was Iran-Contra, a scandal in which Reagan administration officials set
up a secret branch of government, sold arms to Iran — which violated federal
law and infuriated allies — and used the proceeds to aid rebels in Nicaragua,
which also violated federal law. And when word of these illegalities began to
leak out, administration officials lied to Congress and destroyed documents.
And Ronald Reagan played dumb.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This was
not small stuff. It was, as numerous commentators have noted, a frontal attack
on the Constitution. Reagan administration believed they had the right to do
whatever they liked, laws or no laws, Congress or no Congress.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย And through
it all, much of America
smiled.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Once again,
we have a president and an administration who believe they have the right to do
whatever they like. It is a scary time, and as the nation marks the death of
Ronald Reagan, the Reagan record should be reminding us of what happens when
the White House is in the hands of ideological, arrogant people.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Instead,
through it all, America
is smiling through its tears.
This article appears in Jun 16-22, 2004.
