[Vision2020] Reagan: A Critical Assessment
Tbertruss@aol.com
Tbertruss@aol.com
Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:37:19 EDT
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All:
A short list, with much left out, of questionable Reagan era policies,
failures and major scandals, drawn from memory:
Hundreds of US Troops killed in Beirut for no tangible result.
Senseless invasion of Granada, as a diversion for the foreign policy failure
of the deaths of US troops in Beirut.
Support for the apartheid South African government. Reagan condemned Nelson
Mandela.
The Iran/Contra scandal, an egregious violation of our constitutional system,
which makes Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal look like high schoolers caught
necking in the janitors closet compared to a brothel in Thailand.
The Savings and Loan scandal, a direct result of Reagan's push to
deregulation government
oversight of corporate and banking abuse under the guise of letting the free
market system work without the big bad government getting in the way, and
abuse they did, with a vengeance, handing out bad loans by the billions,
laundering the money, and sending the bill to the taxpayers.
Breaking the air traffic controllers union and further deregulation of the
airlines. If we had had a well funded and alert airline security system in
place with links to the FBI and CIA concerning international terrorism, would 9/11
have happened? The claim by the Bush administration that no one suspected
commercial airplanes could be used as bombs is a big lie! The push to
deregulate the airlines can be linked to 9/11 as a national security failure. Under
the ideology of supporting the unregulated free market system we were leaving
the national security of the US to 8 dollar an hour private sector security
screeners in airports who could not even speak English.
Support for Indonesia in its near genocide against the people of East Timor.
Support for Islamic Extremists in Afghanistan against the Soviets. Reagan
hailed Islamic extremists as freedom fighters, and funded, trained and supplied
with weapons the same groups that would become the Taliban.
Support for death squads and right wing totalitarianism in central America
leading to the torture and murder of thousands of civilians.
Support for Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
Waste of taxpayers money on Star Wars, which the Bush administration has
attempted to continue. Funny you don't hear much about National Missile Defense
from the Bush administration after 9/11.
Dismantling of safety nets for the poor, handicapped and disadvantaged under
the banner of stopping abuse and waste of government resources and taxes,
while allowing corporate abuse and waste of taxpayers money to expand in the
military and banking sectors.
Ted Moffett
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All:<BR>
<BR>
A short list, with much left out, of questionable Reagan era policies, failu=
res and major scandals, drawn from memory:<BR>
<BR>
Hundreds of US Troops killed in Beirut for no tangible result.<BR>
<BR>
Senseless invasion of Granada, as a diversion for the foreign policy failure=
of the deaths of US troops in Beirut.<BR>
<BR>
Support for the apartheid South African government. Reagan condemned N=
elson Mandela.<BR>
<BR>
The Iran/Contra scandal, an egregious violation of our constitutional system=
, which makes Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal look like high schoolers cau=
ght necking in the janitors closet compared to a brothel in Thailand.<BR>
<BR>
The Savings and Loan scandal, a direct result of Reagan's push to deregulati=
on government <BR>
oversight of corporate and banking abuse under the guise of letting the free=
market system work without the big bad government getting in the way, and a=
buse they did, with a vengeance, handing out bad loans by the billions, laun=
dering the money, and sending the bill to the taxpayers.<BR>
<BR>
Breaking the air traffic controllers union and further deregulation of the a=
irlines. If we had had a well funded and alert airline security system=
in place with links to the FBI and CIA concerning international terrorism,=20=
would 9/11 have happened? The claim by the Bush administration that no=
one suspected commercial airplanes could be used as bombs is a big lie!&nbs=
p; The push to deregulate the airlines can be linked to 9/11 as a national s=
ecurity failure. Under the ideology of supporting the unregulated free=
market system we were leaving the national security of the US to 8 dollar a=
n hour private sector security screeners in airports who could not even spea=
k English.<BR>
<BR>
Support for Indonesia in its near genocide against the people of East Timor.=
<BR>
<BR>
Support for Islamic Extremists in Afghanistan against the Soviets. Rea=
gan hailed Islamic extremists as freedom fighters, and funded, trained and s=
upplied with weapons the same groups that would become the Taliban. <BR>
<BR>
Support for death squads and right wing totalitarianism in central America l=
eading to the torture and murder of thousands of civilians.<BR>
<BR>
Support for Saddam Hussein in Iraq.<BR>
<BR>
Waste of taxpayers money on Star Wars, which the Bush administration has att=
empted to continue. Funny you don't hear much about National Missile D=
efense from the Bush administration after 9/11.<BR>
<BR>
Dismantling of safety nets for the poor, handicapped and disadvantaged under=
the banner of stopping abuse and waste of government resources and taxes, w=
hile allowing corporate abuse and waste of taxpayers money to expand in the=20=
military and banking sectors.<BR>
<BR>
Ted Moffett<BR>
<BR>
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