Posted by Bill Nazzaro on October 24, 2003 at 12:37:10:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Is it true.... posted by Joe Baker on October 24, 2003 at 11:37:51:
Joe,
The only issue I have with Reagan was that he did not fund government, so we are paying a huge debt, with interest. He did raise taxes twice (or three times, and of course the next two presidents also raised taxes before we could balance the budget) including the largest tax increase in US history (bigger than Clinton's '93 increase). But that was due to him cutting taxes so greatly early in his presidency. Reagan is the first president I can remember (I was six in 1981) so I will not dispute that he did great things for the country. As far as European communism, the USSR was in a shambles by the time Reagan took office. Communism does not work, and could not compete as a superpower (China has become more capitalistic since it has tried to become the second world superpower). Reagan continued the US policy of containment and fighting expansion that every president since Truman has. One good thing was helping Afghanistan fight the USSR. One bad thing was not rebuilding Afghanistan after they kicked out the Russians. That allowed the Taliban to take over the country, and islamic extremists to take hold there.
I'm not sure what you mean by your last line. What freedoms don't you have?
And if we didn't have the 40 hour work week, I bet you and I would be members of unions fighting for it. Slave wages, dangerous working conditions, and no leisure time (i.e. working 10 hour days, 6 days a week) are not something I would tolerate for me and my children and neither would you. The strong middle class is what made this country great. I wouldn't roll back any of the protections our forefathers have earned that made this country what it is today. Social Security, unemployment insurance, fair work laws, the minimum wage, child labor laws. My paternal great-grandfather and my maternal grand-father worked hard in unions to create a quality of life that I am able to take for granted. I don't want anyone's kids to have to do that again.