4 ms·

Reagan's entire administration was swamped in corruption and scandals. People really don't remember just how many investigations, charges, and convictions there

Reagan's entire administration was swamped in corruption and scandals. People really don't remember just how many investigations, charges, and convictions there were. People only remember Iran-Contra and the hostage crisis; it was so much worse. Reagan even cheated in a televised debate; someone stole Carter's notes and gave them to Reagan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandals_of_the_Ronald_Reagan_administration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandals_of_the_Ronald_Reagan_... Ronald "Small Government" Reagan ballooned the national debt by 160-180%, depending on who's counting. That's higher than any other president by a massive amount: https://www.data-z.org/library/imglib/National-debt-growth-by-president-2.png https://www.data-z.org/library/imglib/National-debt-growth-b... Then there was his disassembling the national mental healthcare system with no substitute, causing a national crisis - and in a real case of irony - getting shot by a mentally ill person who should have been committed. Then there was him ignoring the AIDS epidemic because it only seemed to affect gay people. Then there was him coming down with Alzheimer's with symptoms cropping up during his first term, according to his own son and video from his debate against Mondale. At some point the country was effectively being run by Nancy Reagan and her astrologist. Hell, there's hot mic footage of her telling him word for word what to say to the press...

Quekid5 2y ago
Ignoring [the AIDS epidemic] is putting it mildly, IMO
thordenmark 2y ago
All that is saying is that back then the Democrats engaged in lawfare. Nothing new.
- mindslight 2y ago
  Sarcasm doesn't come across well in written comments.
4RealFreedom 2y ago
"That's higher than any other president by a massive amount" - Any modern president. Abraham Lincoln had a 2859.40% increase. Martin Van Buren had a 1458.32% increase. We've had quite a few over 200%.
- JKCalhoun 2y ago
  One wonders what was going on during Lincoln's presidency that could have contributed to such a massive increase.
  - refulgentis 2y ago
    Lincoln was president during the US Civil War
    - sceadu 2y ago
      He was being sarcastic
      - refulgentis 2y ago
        I was being sarcastic (well, playing the straight man)
    - EdwardDiego 2y ago
      [dead]
  - johnnyanmac 2y ago
    Something about State's rights. It's a mystery.
JKCalhoun 2y ago
When I was taught the Metric System in elementary school it felt like we were being whisked into the future. I know it may sound like I'm putting too fine a point on it, but by joining the rest of the developed world (and more specifically, the scientific community) it felt like a step along a path to a global community. Reagan tossed the whole thing and we were snapped back to feet, inches, ounces, pounds, Fahrenheit. I have photos from road trips in the late 70's where Federal highway signs, like on mountain passes, have the elevation indicated in Meters. When I used Google street view I see we're back to regressive signage. I know, a minor nit.
- jhallenworld 2y ago
  I tried to track down the reasoning (I mean you would think a right-leaning pro-business president would support the Metric system), this came up: https://themetricmaven.com/terminating-metric-with-extreme-prejudice/ https://themetricmaven.com/terminating-metric-with-extreme-p... He did sign the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 into law. The measure declared that the metric system of measurement to be the preferred measurement system for U.S. trade and commerce. But he also defunded the US Metric Board. I suspect he didn't care about metric enough to fight other conservatives over it.
jhallenworld 2y ago
"Reagan’s education advisor, Roger A. Freeman stated, “We are in danger of producing an educated proletariat. That’s dynamite! We have to be selective on who we allow [to go through higher education].” This belief has shaped higher education to become a privilege of the upper class, with tuition serving as a barrier to those from working-class backgrounds. When Reagan became president, he continued his efforts to dismantle the public education system, targeting federal aid to students. " from: https://newuniversity.org/2023/02/13/ronald-reagans-legacy-the-rise-of-student-loan-debt-in-america/ https://newuniversity.org/2023/02/13/ronald-reagans-legacy-t... I think it was also retribution against college kids deferring the Vietnam war draft. The student deferment was supposed to be a rich-only loophole.. OTOH, Carter pardoned Vietnam war draft dodgers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_4483#:~:text=Jimmy%20Carter%20promised%20during%20his,offer%20amnesty%20to%20deserters%2C%20however https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_4483#:~:text=Jimm.... (I foresee a similar decision needing to be made in Russia soon..)
johnnyanmac 2y ago
yeah, seeing the situation 40-50 years later... maybe history really does rhyme

Quekid5 2y ago

Ignoring [the AIDS epidemic] is putting it mildly, IMO

thordenmark 2y ago

All that is saying is that back then the Democrats engaged in lawfare. Nothing new.

mindslight 2y ago
Sarcasm doesn't come across well in written comments.

4RealFreedom 2y ago

"That's higher than any other president by a massive amount" - Any modern president. Abraham Lincoln had a 2859.40% increase. Martin Van Buren had a 1458.32% increase. We've had quite a few over 200%.

JKCalhoun 2y ago
One wonders what was going on during Lincoln's presidency that could have contributed to such a massive increase.
- refulgentis 2y ago
  Lincoln was president during the US Civil War
  - sceadu 2y ago
    He was being sarcastic
    - refulgentis 2y ago
      I was being sarcastic (well, playing the straight man)
  - EdwardDiego 2y ago
    [dead]
- johnnyanmac 2y ago
  Something about State's rights. It's a mystery.

JKCalhoun 2y ago

When I was taught the Metric System in elementary school it felt like we were being whisked into the future. I know it may sound like I'm putting too fine a point on it, but by joining the rest of the developed world (and more specifically, the scientific community) it felt like a step along a path to a global community. Reagan tossed the whole thing and we were snapped back to feet, inches, ounces, pounds, Fahrenheit. I have photos from road trips in the late 70's where Federal highway signs, like on mountain passes, have the elevation indicated in Meters. When I used Google street view I see we're back to regressive signage. I know, a minor nit.

jhallenworld 2y ago
I tried to track down the reasoning (I mean you would think a right-leaning pro-business president would support the Metric system), this came up: https://themetricmaven.com/terminating-metric-with-extreme-prejudice/ https://themetricmaven.com/terminating-metric-with-extreme-p... He did sign the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 into law. The measure declared that the metric system of measurement to be the preferred measurement system for U.S. trade and commerce. But he also defunded the US Metric Board. I suspect he didn't care about metric enough to fight other conservatives over it.

jhallenworld 2y ago

"Reagan’s education advisor, Roger A. Freeman stated, “We are in danger of producing an educated proletariat. That’s dynamite! We have to be selective on who we allow [to go through higher education].” This belief has shaped higher education to become a privilege of the upper class, with tuition serving as a barrier to those from working-class backgrounds. When Reagan became president, he continued his efforts to dismantle the public education system, targeting federal aid to students. " from: https://newuniversity.org/2023/02/13/ronald-reagans-legacy-the-rise-of-student-loan-debt-in-america/ https://newuniversity.org/2023/02/13/ronald-reagans-legacy-t... I think it was also retribution against college kids deferring the Vietnam war draft. The student deferment was supposed to be a rich-only loophole.. OTOH, Carter pardoned Vietnam war draft dodgers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_4483#:~:text=Jimmy%20Carter%20promised%20during%20his,offer%20amnesty%20to%20deserters%2C%20however https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_4483#:~:text=Jimm.... (I foresee a similar decision needing to be made in Russia soon..)

johnnyanmac 2y ago

yeah, seeing the situation 40-50 years later... maybe history really does rhyme