History 101

Let's talk about the real Ronald Reagan.

by Deborah Bolling

Now that the man who instigated the largest divide in modern history between America's rich and poor — and made being a white racist A-OK again — is finally dead and buried, perhaps our phony friends in the media can put the kibosh on the Ronald Reagan revisionist-history campaign. For a solid week, we heard all the bullshit: The 40th president was a gallant, affable, warm, fuzzy "Great Communicator" and a wonderful American who ended the Cold War. But, let's set the record straight: The policies of Reagan's gubernatorial and presidential administrations were destructive and divisive. According to my records, the man was a total moron. Here are 10 lowlights from his tenure, in no particular order:

Iran-Contra Affair: Although Iraq was our ally during the Iran-Iraq War, the U.S. armed both sides. Reagan feigned complete ignorance when secret, illegal arms sales were made to Iranians, who had offered to help negotiate the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon. Sales also helped fund the Contra rebels in Nicaragua who were trying to overthrow the leftist Sandinista government (after a 43-year dictatorial rule by the U.S.-supported Somoza family).
Saddam Hussein: Now described as an "evil madman," throughout the eight-year conflict between Iraq and Iran, Saddam was fully endorsed by the Reagan administration. More than a million people were killed as Saddam unapologetically used poison gas (the infamous WMD) on Iranians, Iraqis and Kurds while the U.S. government looked the other way. A 1983 photo from Baghdad shows Saddam and Donald Rumsfeld — then-special envoy to Reagan, now secretary of defense to George W. — smiling and shaking hands.
"Constructive Engagement" in Apartheid South Africa: Reagan sanctioned the sale of arms and other military equipment to South Africa — often through Israel — even though the United Nations had imposed embargoes against the country that would not allow its majority black population to vote in "democratic" elections.
AIDS: The first reported AIDS cases were documented in 1981, but Reagan, who embraced conservative Christian "family values" and reviled gays and lesbians, never mentioned the epidemic publicly until 1987 — two years after the death of fellow actor Rock Hudson. By then, more than 50,000 people worldwide had already died (nearly 30,000 in the U.S.) and the Centers for Disease Control was reporting that 1.5 million Americans had already been infected.
Welfare Queen: On his rampage to cut federal spending for the poor, Reagan cited a Chicago-based, African-American "welfare queen" who he accused of having 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 Social Security cards and more than $150,000 in tax-free income — plus at least one glitzy Cadillac. Intrepid reporters proved that she never existed.
Air Traffic Controllers: In 1981, when 13,000 union members went on strike demanding higher wages and better working conditions, Reagan — once president of the Screen Actors Guild — had most of them fired. That decision began the power shift in union negotiations from labor to management. Those fired were never allowed to reapply for their jobs, but 17 years later, Washington, D.C.'s National Airport was renamed Reagan Washington National Airport. (FYI: Dulles International Airport in D.C. is also named after a beloved Republican, former Eisenhower Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.)
University of California, Berkeley: In 1969, Gov. Reagan ordered 2,200 National Guard troops to break up a student strike at a community park created by Berkeley students, but then bulldozed by the university. Hundreds of young people were injured; one was blinded and another killed.
Ketchup Is a Vegetable: In continued efforts to cut spending for the poor, the Reagan administration labeled ketchup a vegetable to satisfy nutritional requirements in school lunch programs.
Government Spending and Tax Cuts: Although Reagan promised to cut federal spending, in 1986 the government spent $990 billion, 68 percent more than the Carter administration. While taxes went down for America's wealthy, they rose for everyone else. By 1984, under the leadership of fiscally conservative Republicans, a $200 billion deficit had accrued. George W. promises to set a new record.
George W. Bushites: At least a dozen former players in the Reagan administration are now players in the Bush II administration: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, John Poindexter, John Negroponte, Richard Armitage, Otto Reich and James Baker.

The truth hurts.

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