on Reagan's death

[anotheranon]

Considering that this is the only thing on local radio, and the funeral is going to be here this weekend, ya knew I was going to say something ;)

Yes, Reagan was president during my formative years, but that's exactly why my opinions of him aren't very strong - he first took office when I was around 7 and too young to be aware, and left when I was 15 and too worried about school and boys and the latest Cure album to care.

It was destined that I was never going to hear anything good about him; all of my family that were of voting age in the 1980's were dedicated Democrats.

In retrospect, I'm not too thrilled with his policies - Nancy's "Just Say No" which inaugurated the current "head in the sand" approach to illegal drug education, and his lethal inaction in the early years of the AIDS crisis are galling even 20 years on. It's also been suggested in some quarters that his Alzheimer's affected while he was still in office (can't find a working link to save my life) - so while maybe he was telling the truth about not knowing anything about IranContra, wouldn't it have been better if he resigned?

My sum opinion is that I'm glad I get Friday off, but won't be watching any of the coverage. And I find it subtly ironic that his funeral is during DC's GBLTQ Pride week ;)

Comments

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm ... my moment of irony was hearing on the radio this morning that Brian Mulroney, the Canadian prime minister who was removed from office through a vote of non-confidence (contributing factor: too much kowtowing to Reagan ***grin*** during free trade negotiations), is the only high-profile Canadian who will be attending the funeral (he's delivering a eulogy) The current P.M. has no plans to go ... not surprising when he's got an imminent federal election (June 28, 2004) to worry about.

[tommdroid.livejournal.com]

I do remember Reagan, I were alot more active in politics when I were a teenager and still had ideals. pretty much he was considered the capitalism's right hand, his video for his last election campaigne was said to be more costly than Michael Jacksson's video for "Thriller"...and that was alot back then.

over here alot were about US vs. USSR and the Perestrojka. Michail Gorbatjov was the hero and Glasnost was the saviour. Reagan was the cowboy in the West who tried to look like a hero, the one that gets to ride off into the sunset.

perhaps it is the Bush-effect, this that Reagan now is the president of all times. at least he looked like a cowboy riding off into the sunset.