Debate over the dime pits Reagan against FDR

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sound bites catered to feed seemingly meaningful aural pap to people in between advertisements for Bengay and Anusol- probably the right niche for the Thoughts of Chairman Ron.

Ah the bias is shining through. Did I hit a nerve? If you just saw sound bites because it is more a condemnation of your intelligence . Have you listened to or read his speeches in Moscow State University, Berlin, 1st and 2nd inaugural... and if you do some digging, you'll see Reagan had a substantial role in writing those speeches, making more changes to the speechwriters text than Clinton (who did it a lot as well).

it's because I love the English language, spoken and written, and the idea that the flatulent huckster for American big business is somehow a modern Demosthenes or Cicero is ludicrous.

Are you asserting that Churchill is a modern Cicero?

I prefer Reagan as a modern Burke, Madison, or FDR in terms of oratory skills.

[Drake Tungsten]

How can anyone question Reagan's oratorical skills? I'm not a big fan of his presidency, but there's no denying that the man had an uncommon gift with words.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Reagan was president for 8 years in what turned out to be the last gasp of the Cold War, was a great orator himself, and created........ so I can see why people consider him just as memorable as FDR.

At any rate, your original post was about the failings of Reagan, not his successes. I was just pointing out that FDR had his fair share of failings as well.

You forgot to mention what reagan created: what is reagan's legacy? Did he create any great program? or undo any great program or social practice? As for being in office for 8 years...so was Wilson, a man who most certainly deserves to be more on money than Reagan (he was on money once, but bills that large are no longer in circulation) As for the end of the cold war, one can give arguements, but no proof, plus the real end came under Bush senior. As for Great Orator, I doubt Reagan's most memorable speeches, being rather topical, will carry forward as leasons of anything.

You can make great arguements for many other men to be on money, president and not( why not MLK on money?) BUt to attempt to place a man on coin beofre he is even dead? There the repug cult of personality has gone too far.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
[

Ah the bias is shining through. Did I hit a nerve? If you just saw sound bites because it is more a condemnation of your intelligence . Have you listened to or read his speeches in Moscow State University, Berlin, 1st and 2nd inaugural... and if you do some digging, you'll see Reagan had a substantial role in writing those speeches, making more changes to the speechwriters text than Clinton (who did it a lot as well).



Are you asserting that Churchill is a modern Cicero?

I prefer Reagan as a modern Burke, Madison, or FDR in terms of oratory skills.

Can't quite see where I compare Churchill with Cicero or Demosthenes, but the Republican right certainly seem to see him in that light- after all they swarm to hang on to the man's literary and political coat tails, having singly failed to come up with anyone of the same abilities themselves. Not surprising given the choices they've made for president.

Yes, I've read Reagan's speeches, and really, they don't compare with good oratory. As for contributing to his scripts- well I should think so! How about actually writing all of them- oh, right, too busy watching his old films. Well, someone had to.

I should hope my bias is showing through- I don't much care for stale fare, and Reagan's collections of received ideas, platitudes and the baldly obvious are like badly photocopied Norman Rockwell prints.

More Anusol dear? Or would you like a vanilla sound bite, only a day old?

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by molly bloom
If someone manages to get across that 2 + 2 = 4 they're simply communicating the perfectly obvious.

Not to Imran, since 2+2 can = 5 for him. Ask loinburger about that whopper.

[Drake Tungsten]

You forgot to mention what reagan created: what is reagan's legacy? Did he create any great program? or undo any great program or social practice?

He did create much of the modern conservative movement.

You can make great arguements for many other men to be on money, president and not( why not MLK on money?) BUt to attempt to place a man on coin beofre he is even dead? There the repug cult of personality has gone too far.

I don't want Reagan to be put on any coins. I was just opposing the FDR cult of personality that seems to whitewash all the bad stuff he did as president. He's no better than Reagan.

[Mr. Harley]

Drake, did Reagan create it, or did he become the symbol for it? Of course symbols often get more attention than the actual creator.

Modern conservatism, in the US, contains the seeds of it's own destruction. Tax cuts (starve the beast - neocon gospel) coupled to large budget deficits will eventually destroy our military. The large deficit/neocon strategy (please note "starve the beast" is their OWN WORDS for the strategy of large deficits/tax cuts that prevent new spending programs) will inevetably eliminate our ability to maintain our place as preeminent military power, something modern conservatives also believe in.

Whether it was Russian after the fall of the Soviet Union, Great Britian at the start of WW2 (they had no gold reserves - the US didn't believe it, and required them to prove it, it's why we swapped bases for old destroyers), the USA after the Civil War, the examples are innumerable. Trust me, if the neocon "starve the beast" deficits aren't brought into line, then when the US economy tanks, our military won't be far behind.

[Drake Tungsten]

Drake, did Reagan create it, or did he become the symbol for it? Of course symbols often get more attention than the actual creator.

Does it really matter? He did do something, which is more than GePap and the other Reagan haters here have given him credit for.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Verto
Let's just forget about dimes and nickels and quarters, and go for a more honorable place for President Reagan.

That sure looks good to me!

[Winston]

Yeah, but they should replace the Mc Kinley inscription beneath Reagan's portrait.

[MrFun]

Some of you guys' slobbering over Reagan is somewhat amusing.

[Winston]

As is your persistent misspelling of his name.

[MrFun]

Wow, that was like, a MAJOR comeback, Wintson.

[MrFun]

I do have a question for Reaganphiles -- would you lick his shoes if he asked you to??

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not to Imran, since 2+2 can = 5 for him. Ask loinburger about that whopper.

Hey Boris, perhaps you should check out THIS thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=103692

Where two people argue that 2 + 2 does not have to equal 4. Perhaps you can refute them because it is SUCH a whopper . Perhaps I was articulate or knowledgable about mathematics (such as Mod 2), but at least one of those posters is.