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It should be acknowledged that this strategy ultimately ended up with the Taliban and our 20+ year occupation of Afghanistan and various massacres throughout ce

It should be acknowledged that this strategy ultimately ended up with the Taliban and our 20+ year occupation of Afghanistan and various massacres throughout central america. > The presidency of Ronald Reagan in the United States was marked by multiple scandals, resulting in the investigation, indictment, or conviction of over 138 administration officials Which was (still is?) The most for any president.

zpeti 6y ago
And the freeing of half of Europe from tyranny. The reduction in threat of nuclear annihilation of the world. The opening up of huge amounts of the world to free trade and prosperity.
- ianleeclark 6y ago
  I'm not really interested in defending one regime or another, but let's try not to have death squads raping nuns this time.
- arethuza 6y ago
  I think it's fair to say that the role of US policies, and Reagan's policies in particular, on the fall of the Soviet Union is a matter of some debate.
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    Fahd often doesn't get the credit I think he ought: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24740207 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24740207
- christkv 6y ago
  And the rest of Europe avoiding an invasion from the Soviet Union due to NATO and us security guarantees.
- preommr 6y ago
  It's easy to say in hindsight, but Reagan's attitude could easily have escalated the cold war and caused a nuclear attack. The entire debacle during the cold war was less strong and smart political leaders and more pure luck. We now know that there were people that, if they had followed protocol, would have taken that extra step to nuclear deployment. The only reason they didn't is sheer, dumb luck. If the lessons we learn from history are to deify the actions of men like Reagan, then I truly hope that we have more of that luck in our future.
  - marvin 6y ago
    Your points on nuclear brinkmanship are good. It's an absolutely horrible prospect. But what do you suggest as an alternative? Standing by and doing nothing is certainly not my preferred option. If the premise is that the export of tyranny must be stopped, what should be done? Reducing the problem to its absurd conclusion: ceding liberties because the risk of war is too great, is not an acceptable choice. Hopefully today's reality will not be that extreme, but that's ultimately where we'll end up.
- 542354234235 6y ago
  > The reduction in threat of nuclear annihilation of the world He also walked away from what would have been the most monumental nuclear reductions agreement, including the elimination of all ICBMs and possibly all strategic nuclear weapons in both countries, because he refused to give up the pipe dream of the Star Wars program. [1] > the freeing of half of Europe from tyranny. While Reagan’s foreign policy did play a part, the fall of the USSR was more a culmination of decades of economic stagnation, decades of costly arms race military spending, and an incredibly costly and unpopular war in Afghanistan (that sounds familiar). Also Mikhail Gorbachev and his radical policy shifts with Glasnost and Perestroika played a massive part in setting the stage for the collapse. It could also be argued that Bush Sr’s policy shift to a lighter touch in Europe to allow for the revolutions to proceed organically, as opposed to Reagan pushing them with American support, allowed Gorbachev to avoid coups and stay in power to oversee a peaceful collapse, rather than a violent last spasm that many hardliners wanted. Reagan absolutely had a part to play, but he was by no means the architect of the end of the USSR. [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/ronald-reagans-disarmament-dream/422244/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/ronald-...
jiuahweruihawi 6y ago
I mean, it also led to the fall of a tyrannical regime that murdered tens of millions and was every bit as sadistic and evil as Nazi Germany. So there's that.
- coldtea 6y ago
  Did it led to that? Because the "tyrannical regime" was progressively more open since the 60s, and it fell all by itself actually...
  - jiuahweruihawi 6y ago
    Well whether or not Reagan's strategy of "we win, they lose" was the cause, what's beyond dispute is that America won and the Soviets lost. To which I say, thank fucking God.

zpeti 6y ago

And the freeing of half of Europe from tyranny. The reduction in threat of nuclear annihilation of the world. The opening up of huge amounts of the world to free trade and prosperity.

ianleeclark 6y ago
I'm not really interested in defending one regime or another, but let's try not to have death squads raping nuns this time.
arethuza 6y ago
I think it's fair to say that the role of US policies, and Reagan's policies in particular, on the fall of the Soviet Union is a matter of some debate.
- 082349872349872 6y ago
  Fahd often doesn't get the credit I think he ought: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24740207 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24740207
christkv 6y ago
And the rest of Europe avoiding an invasion from the Soviet Union due to NATO and us security guarantees.
preommr 6y ago
It's easy to say in hindsight, but Reagan's attitude could easily have escalated the cold war and caused a nuclear attack. The entire debacle during the cold war was less strong and smart political leaders and more pure luck. We now know that there were people that, if they had followed protocol, would have taken that extra step to nuclear deployment. The only reason they didn't is sheer, dumb luck. If the lessons we learn from history are to deify the actions of men like Reagan, then I truly hope that we have more of that luck in our future.
- marvin 6y ago
  Your points on nuclear brinkmanship are good. It's an absolutely horrible prospect. But what do you suggest as an alternative? Standing by and doing nothing is certainly not my preferred option. If the premise is that the export of tyranny must be stopped, what should be done? Reducing the problem to its absurd conclusion: ceding liberties because the risk of war is too great, is not an acceptable choice. Hopefully today's reality will not be that extreme, but that's ultimately where we'll end up.
542354234235 6y ago
> The reduction in threat of nuclear annihilation of the world He also walked away from what would have been the most monumental nuclear reductions agreement, including the elimination of all ICBMs and possibly all strategic nuclear weapons in both countries, because he refused to give up the pipe dream of the Star Wars program. [1] > the freeing of half of Europe from tyranny. While Reagan’s foreign policy did play a part, the fall of the USSR was more a culmination of decades of economic stagnation, decades of costly arms race military spending, and an incredibly costly and unpopular war in Afghanistan (that sounds familiar). Also Mikhail Gorbachev and his radical policy shifts with Glasnost and Perestroika played a massive part in setting the stage for the collapse. It could also be argued that Bush Sr’s policy shift to a lighter touch in Europe to allow for the revolutions to proceed organically, as opposed to Reagan pushing them with American support, allowed Gorbachev to avoid coups and stay in power to oversee a peaceful collapse, rather than a violent last spasm that many hardliners wanted. Reagan absolutely had a part to play, but he was by no means the architect of the end of the USSR. [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/ronald-reagans-disarmament-dream/422244/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/ronald-...

jiuahweruihawi 6y ago

I mean, it also led to the fall of a tyrannical regime that murdered tens of millions and was every bit as sadistic and evil as Nazi Germany. So there's that.

coldtea 6y ago
Did it led to that? Because the "tyrannical regime" was progressively more open since the 60s, and it fell all by itself actually...
- jiuahweruihawi 6y ago
  Well whether or not Reagan's strategy of "we win, they lose" was the cause, what's beyond dispute is that America won and the Soviets lost. To which I say, thank fucking God.