Infectious Optimism

reaganIn the midst of a week of relentless lionization of Ronald Reagan, it was interesting to read another take on the canonical tales of how Reagan single-handedly ended communism in the Soviet Union. The Globe and Mail’s Gorby Had the Lead Role, Not Gipper points out that it was Gorbachev who was taking great strides to reduce the arms buildup while Reagan scoffed that it was all “propaganda.”

…the U.S. administration was reeling. Polls were beginning to show that, of all things unimaginable, a Soviet leader was the greatest force for world peace. An embarrassed Mr. Reagan finally responded in kind.

The “kirktoon” linked above offers biting reverse spin on the week of worship. And the UC Berkeley News Center has an interesting piece on how Reagan used the UCB campus as a political whipping boy. The Free Speech Movement, for example, was one of Berkeley’s great accomplishments – not just for Berkeley but for campuses across America. Students mobilized to make sure that Constitutional rights were more than just empty promises. Reagan saw the movement as the work of spoiled college kids:

Reagan took aim at the university for being irresponsible for failing to punish these dissident students. He said, ‘Get them out of there. Throw them out. They are spoiled and don’t deserve the education they are getting. They don’t have a right to take advantage of our system of education.’

But he was, we are told, infectiously optimistic, so that’s got to count for something. I was young while Reagan was in office, and did not grow up in a very political family. But I remember to this day the absolute scorn my parents held for the man, and how livid they would become talking about his policies. I know my parents were not alone in their hatred of Reagan. But he was, after all, infectiously optimistic.

Music: Ornette Coleman :: Chippie

6 Replies to “Infectious Optimism”

  1. Hey, Hacka! Good to see you’re still at it. I spent a weekend with some old ZDNet folks, including Hargrave, Chris Scott, Jen Golden, and Stefan Zielinski. I bumped into Jim Lynch yesterday. Everyone is well.

    I’m happy to read things that expose Reagan for the fraud he was. Thanks.

  2. Shoulda added another panel to that column about how he ignored the breaking AIDS crises. Think how many of our fellow citizens would still be with us if the Federal gov’t had jumped on that with both feet…

  3. I want to know what Gorby was thinking/feeling whenever someone brought up the “Evil Empire.” How tasteless.

    It always gets my goat that Americans ignore the primary role of internal reformers in the Soviet Union. Reagan was a primary actor, but played second fiddle.

    By celebrating the image of Reagan as conquorer and ignoring the importance of an internal reform movement we endanger our ability to utilize the lessons of the Soviet Unions fall in other regions of the world, like Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

  4. After watching the relentless lionization i have decided to become infectiously optimistic.

    Seems like it might be easier than doing real work in the office.

  5. Tell me if I’m wrong…. did I see Margaret Thatcher drape herself over RR’s casket? Was that a look of abject loneliness and loss I saw on her face? Did I see her lovingly caress the stars-and-stripes draped on His death box, with her eyes rolled skyward, and her mouth agape? Did I confuse deep morning with orgasm? Tell me what I saw? Nice hat.

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