Ronald Reagan’s death couldn’t have come at a better time - for the Shrub, that is. Gone from the news is the story of George Tenet’s resignation, the clusterfuck that is Iraq, and continuing coverage of the investigation into the treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib.
While I feel for the family of Reagan the man, I don’t have a single good thing to say about Reagan the President. None of the things his admirers hold up as proof of his excellence made my life better in any way 24 years ago when he took office, and I see no current benefits of his “legacy” (which includes Bush’s posturing in a laughable attempt to emulate Ronnie) today either.
Reagan’s leadership gave us Yuppies, the War on Drugs, the Moral Majority and the PMRC. I, for one, cannot heap praise upon someone who started America down the path of “righteousness” as defined by bigoted, uptight right-wing bible-thumpers; who ignored the AIDS epidemic because it was a “gay disease” and who allowed Aspartame to be rushed to market despite serious questions as to its safety.
Forgive me for not falling all over myself to sing his praises, as I am unable to turn a blind eye to the man’s political agenda, which I consider to be the beginning of my country’s taking a hard right and a turn for the worse. Everyone else is doing a fine job of that, thanks very much.
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