Snapshot of the Reagan legacy (live, place, water)

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by RememberMee

... invasion of Grenada in 1983... 19 American dead, mostly due to friendly fire and accidents.

Another interesting note, from one who has both been in "friendly fire" and dished it out: nothing "friendly" about it

BTW: As a Vietnam vet, I can attest to the reality that "friendly fire", accidents, and murder (yes, murder within our own troops) accounted for more deaths in our illustrious military history than most any of the general public would be able to believe.

[RogueMom]

As a young person, I voted for Reagan twice - he was cool, he looked Presidential, and he had that quick wit, charisma, and terrific sense of humor.

I now realize the a lot of the problems we are dealing with today started with him. He was a rouged-up pawn for big business and special interest groups. President of the United States - it was the greatest role he ever played.

[BlackShoe]

Amazing how the lefties come out of the woodwork when Reagan and the USSR is mentioned in the same sentence. Reagan detested the Soviet Union, and made no secret of it, and his administration played a major part in its demise. The far left, todays so called progressives, have never forgiven him for doing that.

[.highnlite]

that statement is not supported by the facts, you can believe what you want, but some of us live in the fact based universe.

[Gentoo]

Reagan detested the Soviet Union yes. Reagan made some impressive speeches about it and told Gorbachev to tear down that wall.

However, the USSR was on it's way out anyway and would have collapse as the way that nation was set up wasn't really feasible in the long run. It was the type of nation that was made up of republics. Those almost always fail eventually. It's almost as if they're federations and confederations at the same time. Reagan really can't take the credit for a flawed system...wait...nevermind

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

Another interesting note, from one who has both been in "friendly fire" and dished it out: nothing "friendly" about it

BTW: As a Vietnam vet, I can attest to the reality that "friendly fire", accidents, and murder (yes, murder within our own troops) accounted for more deaths in our illustrious military history than most any of the general public would be able to believe.

Incoming doesn't discriminate. Remember that when the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not your friend and if you can't remember which way the Claymore is pointing, it's pointing at you.

Words to live by!

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

... Reagan made some impressive speeches about it and told Gorbachev to tear down that wall. ...

Yep ... and it's well past high time intelligent students of history "tear down the Reagan myth" ... before it does any more harm to our great country.

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by BlackShoe

Reagan detested the Soviet Union, and made no secret of it, and his administration played a major part in its demise.

When I taught ESL back in the 90's, the proposition that Reagan somehow brought about the demise of the USSR or the fall of the Berlin Wall is something that Russian students always treated with laughable incredulity. It's probably a good example of the lionization phenomenon -- a bit of oral folklore that gets passed along by lionizers who are eager to propagate tales of heroic achievement, but fails the sniff test when held up to the light and examined critically.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

When I taught ESL back in the 90's, the proposition that Reagan somehow brought about the demise of the USSR or the fall of the Berlin Wall is something that Russian students always treated with laughable incredulity. It's probably a good example of the lionization phenomenon -- a bit of oral folklore that gets passed along by lionizers who are eager to propagate tales of heroic achievement, but fails the sniff test when held up to the light and examined critically.

Yes ... lol ... reminds me of the recent Super-Bowl commercial that has been rated so highly: the little kid dressed up as Darth-Vader, trying his darnest to exert magical super-powers on various whatevers around him ... then goes outside and stands in front of his father's Honda and waves his hands at the car hood ... whereupon the engine starts up! -- but, alas, poor Darth never knows that it's his father at the kitchen window with the remote starting the car.

Reagan, "may the force be with you!" -- uh, not

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

Reagan, "may the force be with you!" -- uh, not

His politics aside, for good or for ill, he was a hell of a nice guy. I served as his military escort and provided a military security detail/honor guard for him at one event and he was very down-to-earth, pleasant and grateful. We had a nice chat.