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June 3, 2004
What is Ronald Reagan's legacy?
Ronald Reagan — movie star, California governor and President of the United States from 1981-1989 — passed away on Saturday at the age of 93. His death has sparked a flurry of commentary about his legacy as President. Admirers point to the positive developments that happened during Reagan's time in office: the hastened collapse of the Soviet Union; an economic turnaround from the stagflation of the 1970s; and above all the rise of widespread optimism in the U.S. for the first time since the Vietnam War. Critics are equally opinionated: the spiraling deficits under Reagan's watch; the fact that the U.S. government actually increased in size during the 1980s; and underhanded foreign-policy moves such as the Iran-contra scandal, supporting dictatorial regimes in Latin America, and the funding of anti-Soviet Islamic militants who later became the core of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. What do you think? How will history remember Ronald Reagan?
 Send us your thoughts  Ronald Reagan's legacy will be his love of God, Country and family. He made us all proud to be Americans. Deborah White Fairfield, Calif.
With the debate on which currency to place Reagan's face, I suggest the food stamp.
President Reagan ended America's downward spiral toward socialism. Because of him, the radical ideology of the leftist, intellectual elite of this country has been dismissed as nonsense by the majority of the American people. That is his legacy.
A legacy of tens of thousands dead in Central America. What's so great about that?
Reagan wasn't a Phi Beta Kappa or overly compassionate, but he was an extraordinary leader of people. He is proof that if a leader is truly great, we, as Americans, don't have to all agree with him/her to unify and follow him/her. His personality amazingly allowed him to pursue policies that would have scared the daylights out of a lot of Americans had it been another person advocating them. Sixteen years since he left office, Reagan's shadow of leadership greatness makes our current Reagan-wannabe president pale in comparison.
He gave us back our pride in being Americans. Whether that was his gift or his legacy, it was the most important thing he did and he started doing it at the Republican Convention and it only got stronger.
Reagan's legacy in Lebanon will forever be the aid of slaughter. Thanks to his backing and his arms, Amin Gemayel and his phalangists were able to carry out a slaughter of massive proportions. Sabra, Shatila, etc. They can also be laid at his door.
His most important accomplishment was ending the 78-82 depression with his tax cut. The tax cut reduced inflation from 15% to 1% in 3 years and cut unemployment by almost 60% at the same time. It laid the foundation for the next 20 years of prosperity.
Reagan was a godsend after the abysmal Carter administration, which wrecked the economy and allowed radical Islam to flourish. Reagan improved our economy and brought down despotic regimes, including the Soviet Union.
His legacy may well be his opposition the Soviet Union. But, his true legacy is his near bankrupting the United States government with his domestic economic policies.
Opinions are like nose hairs: just about everyone has them. Ronald Reagan was a man who loved this country and did what he thought was best for it — which is what any of the rest of us would do also. A great American is one who is willing to fight in the democratic way for what they believe is best for America and Reagan did just that. Thanks, Ronnie!
I grew up in the Reagan 80s. As one author puts it, he managed to cheerfully put together the religious right, hawks, and libertarian tax cutters — the core groups of Republicans. I consider myself in the third group. I disagreed with Reagan on some social policies, to be sure. But of this I have no doubt: he believed in America. I don't say "greatest ever", because different times produce different leaders. However, he is with JFK, FDR, Lincoln and Washington as Presidents who believed in America as what it is: a country that must set the example, because it is one of the few who can, and the only one who is willing.
Thanks, Cowboy Ron, for making the world the dangerous place it is today! Without you we wouldn't have an al-Qaeda, or countless unaccounted nukes in the former Soviet Union states built during the circus-like atmosphere of the Cold War arms race. Thank you so much!
Popularity should not be confused with greatness. Reagan was a popular president, not a great one. He was attractive, an excellent speaker, pleasant, and obedient. His legacy to the state of California was the initiation of policies that took the California education system from one of the nation's best to one of the worst. His "greatest" contribution on the national level was the beginning of the rapid slide of organized labor, when he fired all the air traffic controllers. Negotiation might have provided a better solution. Popular, yes; great, no way!
I am a 27-year veteran of federal service and I am told Friday's day of mourning is to be a holiday. Finally, Reaganomics trickles down to my level.
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Dec. 25, 2006
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