Libertarian Party Monday Message:
Dear Friend of Liberty,
As the 2010 election approaches, a lot of Republican politicians are trying to posture as government-cutters, and they often hold up Ronald Reagan as an example.
But although Reagan often talked about supporting smaller government, most Libertarians know that in practice he did exactly the opposite. For example:
- Reagan boosted import tariffs and trade restrictions.
- Reagan cut marginal income tax rates, but he also raised Social Security taxes.
- Reagan increased farm subsidies.
- Reagan sent the federal debt through the roof.
- Federal spending under Reagan grew from $678 billion to $1.14 trillion.
- Reagan set the record for the highest average spending as a percent of GDP over his administration. (Obama may beat him.)
Many people are complaining right now about unemployment under Barack Obama. In the first 18 months of Obama’s presidency, unemployment has increased from 7.7 percent to 9.5 percent.
Did you know that during the first 18 months of Reagan’s presidency, unemployment increased from 7.5 percent to 9.8 percent? That’s even worse, but I don’t hear a lot of Republicans mentioning it.
Many Republican politicians, operatives and talk show hosts like to talk positively about Reagan and try to portray him as delivering smaller government. They don’t say that about George W. Bush. I presume that’s to try and convince voters that Bush was bad in some ways, and we should all try to be more like Reagan.
Some polls show Reagan is reasonably well-respected these days. I think the positive reactions are often based on misconceptions, and that brings up an interesting point: how should Libertarians deal with the Ronald Reagan myth?
To address that question, we put up a new poll today. Please share your opinion.
Sincerely,
Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee
P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets and civil liberties. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.
Don’t bring it up, to avoid offending his fans.
9%
It’s not a myth. Reagan really did shrink government.
8%
Libertarians should point out that Reagan grew government.
64%
Blame government growth in the 1980s on everyone except Reagan.
4%
Other
16%
Total votes: 2036
Word!
re 23. This has been percolating beneath the surface for some time. I was at the Seattle Hempfest this past weekend working a booth for our team and got a whiff of it then. š
Might help if our candidates jumped on it. Bring all the troops home and end these stupid wars. Quit buttin in to other people’s bidness.
Bonus
@ 2:15
Immortal Technique was sampling Eminem on that song.
wikipedia: 2004ā2005: Encore
Main article: Encore (Eminem album)
The Media Research Center claims that on December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was “looking into” allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States.[47] The lyrics in question: “Fuck money/I don’t rap for dead presidents/I’d rather see the president dead/It’s never been said, but I set precedents …” The song in question, “We As Americans”, wound up on a bonus CD accompanying the album.[48]
And since you mentioned it…
Paulie
@ #11
It was not Eminem. It was from Immortal Technique on their song Bin Ladin. About 9-11 being an inside job.
Eminem did sing the very last verse of the song though.
and the way that folks with a Lib stripe or two are put to sleep by the on going infinite debating society! One needs to look no further than Saint Louis County’s Tom Knapp.
[Last seen running down Natural Bridge Road, hands in the air, yelling ‘Unclean, unclean’ ……..]
# 16. “. . . when in office “.
Local level is about filling pot holes, quieting done noisy dogs, and making sure people mow their lawns. Ok, so if one moves up the “food chain” to the State Assembly, we DON’T have one person elected at present, carrying the LP brand. So how do we know they too will keep “their word”? Not one in the entire USA– pathetic. And only a handful in the past 39 years, with only a few of them carrying the LP brand.
I think government should do nothingā¦
āJames Buchanan Libertarianā
Reagan had some brilliant Libertarian leaning speech writers and people loved him for that. In most respects Reagan did not live up to promise of his speeches. Libertarians, however, are noted for keeping their word when in office. Elect us for real change.
Thane,
Hero worship is as old as the hills, and it’s not restricted to US presidents. Througout human history, certain figures have been put forth as role models, starting with Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed, and they’re offered revered as “perfect.”
Nowadays, the cycle seems to be build up the myth and then tear it down…heroes quickly become goats.
Perhaps we can REALLY unplug from THE MATRIX, or pull out of INCEPTION totem, and wake up from the nightmare. We can view “heroes” as teachable moments, people presented with choices (sometimes seemingly complex choices), and we learn by proxy what works and not, what’s virtuous and not.
Thane Eichenauer // Aug 23, 2010:
“There are two American presidents who are widely held up as admirable figures. Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan
———– most people are not ready to be unplugged from their dead president worship system no matter the amount of proof that can be offered.”
[Lake: thank you, thank you, thank you ………]
That is exactly how it will always be played. Reagan will always score through comparison rationale. He will never score alone.
The language game of combining terms is lawn darts. Reagan had ideas that resemble L. What does that mean?
Libertarians are for no government or for limited government. If the president or congress spend money they don’t have, does it matter that they had L ideas?
Reagan gave us the Katie Beckett waiver as a cost cutting measure, just like the certificate of need. On paper great ideas. Like L ideas.
But what do you apply in real life?
Nice to see Wes put out a message that doesn’t paint the Libertarians as WAR-style ‘GOP Light’ Reagan lovers. Well played, sir.
most people are not ready to be unplugged from their dead president worship system no matter the amount of proof that can be offered.
I don’t rap for dead
presidents
I’d rather see the president
dead
It’s never been
said
before
but I set precedents
-Eminem
There are two American presidents who are widely held up as admirable figures. Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. For those of my friends who are sincerely looking for the truth (and are ready to be unplugged from the Matrix) I am happy to debate and educate. For the remaining 98% of my friends I stick with informing them about principles applied to the present day instead of attempting to prove X or Y was a fraud and a cad and a war criminal.
To paraphrase Morpheus, most people are not ready to be unplugged from their dead president worship system no matter the amount of proof that can be offered.
Only slightly sillier than “Clinton Libertarian” or…eh…I dunno, Gerald Ford Green?
So, to call oneself a “Reagan Libertarian” is not a good thing?
When contrasted with just about any president since before FDR Reagan’s rhetoric was refreshing. His actions in office were a disappointment and the old talking point about having to work with Tip O’Neill and a solidly Democratic House as the reason for not trying to walk the walk as well as talk the talk just doesn’t get it. Because the public perception of him is still good it is not a wise idea for the LP to trash him. They don’t have to make him a hero (as Root does in his book) but no need to provoke ill feelings just for the hell of it.
RC 5, the problem with that is that it is only true on some issues. On most social issues and foreign policy/military spending, Reagan was forthrightly a big government guy all along.
I’d have a choice something like:
Reagan had many L attitudes, but he also had several contradictory views. Had his policies lived up to his L rhetoric, he could have been a transformative, positive president.
When Ronald Reagan ran for President in 1980, he did not promise to cut government spending.
Well, he sure had a lot of people thinking he did, at a minimum.
He promised to cut the rate of increase of government spending, and it is possible he succeeded at that.
Not even.
When Ronald Reagan ran for President in 1980, he did not promise to cut government spending. He promised to cut the rate of increase of government spending, and it is possible he succeeded at that.
Unlike the two Bushes that succeeded him, he did not get America into a major war in the Middle East. He in fact brought the troops home from Lebanon, after sending them there, when there was the first attack on them.
On the down side, President Reagan did order military aid for Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq, then fighting against Iran. I never heard George H.W. Bush express a disagreement with this policy, even after ordering troops to the Middle East to boot Hussein out of Kuwait.
Early results:
How should Libertarians deal with the myth that Ronald Reagan reduced government?
Don’t bring it up, to avoid offending his fans.
10% (20 votes)
It’s not a myth. Reagan really did shrink government.
7% (14 votes)
Libertarians should point out that Reagan grew government.
63% (130 votes)
Blame government growth in the 1980s on everyone except Reagan.
4% (9 votes)
Other
16% (33 votes)
Total votes: 206
HazMat handling for Reagan, definitely.