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After the "thumping" they took in the recent election, most Republicans are preaching a return to "conservatism". But not just any conservatism, they plan on returning to Reagan "conservatism". Just what does that mean?
Since the Republican idea of "compassionate conservatism" was soundly rejected in this past election, they now see the light. But even a chicken with a brain the size of a marble has the sense to get out of the rain. Finally, the Republicans understand that they need to put a new suit on their disgraced and rejected ideas. They need a new product to sell to the American people.
Just what would a return to Reagan "conservatism" mean to the average American voter? There are some of us that remember the Reagan years differently from those that rode to power on his "ideas". After all, he was the "Great Communicator" to his admirers. He was something else to those that suffered under his "ideas".
Ronald Reagan was probably the first "conservative" to use social issues, such as abortion, to divide the American people. It was not the Barry Goldwater-type of conservatism, where the government, more or less, kept its nose out of its citizens' private lives. Reagan's conservatism looked for political advantage thru "wedge" issues.
But, it was not just the social issues that defined the Reagan "conservatism". It was their deep-founded belief that they could cut taxes as much as they possible could, with no consequences involved. It was Reagan that created many homeless people by simply raising the IQ level for definition of mentally retarded people, whereby many were put out of institutions and out on the street. It was Reagan that put a tax on unemployment benefits.
It was the Reagan "conservatism" that created the first monstrous budget deficits. In fact, the majority of the national debt can be laid at the feet of this conservatism from Ronald Reagan thru George W Bush. However, none can top the big spending and tax giveaways of the "compassionate conservatives".
So now, the Republicans wish to return to the good old days of Reagan "conservatism". They were good politically for the Republicans but they were terrible days for America. Even though they brag about the return of pride in their nation, they forget such incidents as the explosion in the Beirut Marine barracks that killed more than 240 Marines. They forget the criminality of the Iran-Contra affair and giving weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein and making deals with the Ayatollahs in Iran. And their support of the "Contras" in Nicaraqua and Central America, that killed many innocent people.
So, they want us to return to that Golden Age of "conservatism". The sad truth is that the Reagan conservatism was the father of the compassionate conservatism of George W Bush. They have given away our treasure to the wealthy and put us in debt up to our eyeballs...and they want us to return to those glory days?
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