Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jttmab who wrote (148546)	10/21/2004 4:24:25 PM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Yes, I remember the Reagan years. Reagan would play into the hands of the hardliners in the Kremlin, and make the world a more dangerous place; Reagan would create a Depression, or, baring that, a nation of burger flippers; Reagan would create an oppressive social environment, where minorities would lose tremendous ground. Instead, the Kremlin installed reformers and had a "peace offensive", and eventually the Soviet Union fell apart; we had tremendous economic growth, a brief hiccup in the Bush years, and the resumption of growth, with many well- paying jobs created (the chickens were supposed to come home to roost in the '90s); deficits turned out to be manageable in the long run; blacks and Latinos continued to advance; and even gays won greater acceptance in the mainstream. As Maggie Thatcher would say, "Funny old world".....

To: jttmab who wrote (148546)	10/21/2004 4:28:16 PM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Reagan did not trade arms for hostages, despite the repetition of the mantra. He gave arms to elements of the Iranian government who were considered moderate, hoping that they would use their influence over Hezbollah to free the hostages. This was a mistake, insofar as it still might encourage kidnapping in the long run, but it was not a direct negotiation with kidnappers. I agree that we should not have left Beirut after the truck bomb, but the pressure from Congress to protect the troops from further attack was tremendous, and I am not sure he had much of a choice, politically.