debunking the reagan myth
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Quote:
From Publishers Weekly
In an attempt to challenge the legend that has sprung up around Ronald Reagan's presidency over the past decade, Bunch, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, argues that the Reagan myth is dangerous because, unlike other American presidents held up as heroes, like Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson, reverence for Reagan did not emerge organically. Rather, the GOP hatched the Reagan myth, feeding it to the news media for purposes that were essentially partisan in nature... pulling off a maneuver that was unprecedented in American history. The result has been a simplified reconstruction of Reagan, far from universally popular president to the man who ended the Cold War and spurred unprecedented economic growth. Bunch contends Reagan was responsible for neither, at least not single handedly. Instead, he claims that the 40th president's real achievement lay in his ability to compromise, an element of his leadership conservatives have ignored since he left office. Neither Bunch's arguments nor his prose are powerful enough to do more than slightly tarnish Reagan's halo, but his book capably puts into perspective an imperfect but fascinating administration.
there are so many myths about reagan it borders on the absurd, and i'm really looking forward to reading this book.
for example, despite the revisionism that has taken place over the last few years, he was not strong on defense and he did not cut taxes. in fact:
*reagan raised taxes...multiple times.
*reagan did not respond forcefully when the marine barracks in lebanon were blown up....oh sorry, he invaded a grenada.
* he not only talked to the iranians...he sold them weapons...illegally.
and these days grover norquist is crisscrossing the country on his 'reagan legacy project' trying to get schools and libraries named after reagan....it's like something out of 1984.
Amazon.com: Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts Our Future: Will Bunch: Kindle Store
