I think you're smart enough to see through the gov't propaganda.
BTW, if you don't believe that Reagan spent considerably more on domestic social issues than any of his predecessors, then you are the one that isn't seeing through government propaganda.
Reagan HAD to accelerate domestic spending because it was the only way that Congress would pass his tax cuts--he had to throw them a bone. If you want further evidence, I suggest you consult the Economic Report of the President. It comes out every even numbered year. In the 2002 the most relevant table is table B-80, Federal Receipts and Outlays. Total government outlays in 1980, the last of the Carter years, $590 billion, of which $131 billion was on defense. In 1988, the last of the Reagan years, total government spending was $1,065 billion, of which $290 billion was on defense.
The math is rather simple--yes, Reagan spent more money on defense, but he spent a ton more money on everything else, too. Whether that was good or bad could be a subject of debate, but the fact of the matter is that the traditional belief that Reagan ran deficits only to fight the Cold War is absurd. |
