Saturday, June 12, 2004
Following the Reagan tributes while on vacation ...
... and I have to say I didn't follow them in the depth that many others in St Blog's did. A cursory watching of various tributes struck me as respectful and non-partisan.
Ronald Reagan seemed to be a nice man. He was greatly admired by millions, and grudgingly respected by many of those who did not consider him their hero. He was unfortunate to surround himself with a good amount of corruption and incompetence in his administration. (Many, many more felons worked for him than for Clinton, for example.) His political opponents grossly underestimated his personality and savvy. His rabid opposition, especially in the later years of his term, has probably colored the current political landscape in the US. Not for the better, I think. And while many attribute Cold War victory (and a safer world) to his policies, we are left with the legacy of his support for Saddam and bin Laden. Were they needful allies against Communism? I think not.
As for the money question, it's too early to say if we should replace FDR on the dime or Hamilton on the ten dollar note. Personally, I'd like to see Grant disappear from the $50, and I'll easily concede Reagan is an improvement there.
