Reagan and today
By Brian Kirwin | Sunday, February 6th, 2011 | Policy
On what would have been his 100th birthday, Ronald Reagan offers many solutions still to the problems we face today. BTW, thanks, Gipper, for appointing the judge who may have brought down Obamacare!
Take a moment and read this, one of his most effective speeches in my opinion.
1980 Republican convention – whole speech here.
Some key points:
Never before in our history have Americans been called upon to face three grave threats to our very existence, any one of which could destroy us. We face a disintegrating economy, a weakened defense and an energy policy based on the sharing of scarcity.
They tell us they have done the most that humanly could be done. They say that the United States has had its day in the sun; that our nation has passed its zenith. They expect you to tell your children that the American people no longer have the will to cope with their problems; that the future will be one of sacrifice and few opportunities.
My fellow citizens, I utterly reject that view.
The American people, the most generous on earth, who created the highest standard of living, are not going to accept the notion that we can only make a better world for others by moving backwards ourselves. Those who believe we can have no business leading the nation.
“Trust me” government asks that we concentrate our hopes and dreams on one man; that we trust him to do what’s best for us. My view of government places trust not in one person or one party, but in those values that transcend persons and parties. The trust is where it belongs–in the people.
As your nominee, I pledge to restore to the federal government the capacity to do the people’s work without dominating their lives. I pledge to you a government that will not only work well, but wisely; its ability to act tempered by prudence and its willingness to do good balanced by the knowledge that government is never more dangerous than when our desire to have it help us blinds us to its great power to harm us.
The head of a government which has utterly refused to live within its means and which has, in the last few days, told us that this year’s deficit will be $60 billion, dares to point the finger of blame at business and labor, both of which have been engaged in a losing struggle just trying to stay even.
High taxes, we are told, are somehow good for us, as if, when government spends our money it isn’t inflationary, but when we spend it, it is.
Those who preside over the worst energy shortage in our history tell us to use less, so that we will run out of oil, gasoline, and natural gas a little more slowly. Conservation is desirable, of course, for we must not waste energy. But conservation is not the sole answer to our energy needs.
America must get to work producing more energy. The Republican program for solving economic problems is based on growth and productivity.
Large amounts of oil and natural gas lay beneath our land and off our shores, untouched because the present administration seems to believe the American people would rather see more regulation, taxes and controls than more energy.
Coal offers great potential. So does nuclear energy produced under rigorous safety standards. It could supply electricity for thousands of industries and millions of jobs and homes. It must not be thwarted by a tiny minority opposed to economic growth which often finds friendly ears in regulatory agencies for its obstructionist campaigns.
Make no mistake. We will not permit the safety of our people or our environment heritage to be jeopardized, but we are going to reaffirm that the economic prosperity of our people is a fundamental part of our environment.
We cannot support our families unless there are jobs; and we cannot have jobs unless people have both money to invest and the faith to invest it.
It is time to put America back to work; to make our cities and towns resound with the confident voices of men and women of all races, nationalities and faiths bringing home to their families a decent paycheck they can cash for honest money.
Who does not feel rising alarm when the question in any discussion of foreign policy is no longer, “Should we do something?”, but “Do we have the capacity to do anything?”
Tonight, let us dedicate ourselves to renewing the American compact. I ask you not simply to “Trust me,” but to trust your values–our values–and to hold me responsible for living up to them. I ask you to trust that American spirit which knows no ethnic, religious, social, political, regional, or economic boundaries; the spirit that burned with zeal in the hearts of millions of immigrants from every corner of the Earth who came here in search of freedom.
Some say that spirit no longer exists. But I have seen it — I have felt it — all across the land; in the big cities, the small towns and in rural America. The American spirit is still there, ready to blaze into life if you and I are willing to do what has to be done; the practical, down-to-earth things that will stimulate our economy, increase productivity and put America back to work.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President.
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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14 Responses to "Reagan and today"
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That speech is what caused this Alabama girl who was raised as a Democrat to vote Republican from that time until today. Thanks Brian.
I too am greatful for Ron. I voted for him twice. He spent more money, increased the size of the military and federal work force more than any one prior. He talked cuts but spent like a drunken sailor which I might have been several times during his years in office! You have to believe in something and he sold us an awful lot back then. LOL
I liked, respected and supported him in everyway. Happy 100th Birthday!!! RIP as your job is done.
William, I was in the Air Force during Carter. It was a grief to have such a weak President as our Americans were held hostage. It is no secret why,
“On January 20, 1981, minutes after Carter’s term in office ended, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Iran were released, ending the 444-day Iran hostage crisis.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter
The world knew Reagan would not be weak but strong, at a time when we needed strength. Yes, he built up our military, and we surely did need it.
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Reagan’s sunny optimism was all about looking forward.
There is little doubt that Reagan would have been drily derisive of socialist Obama’s disastrous policies and presidency. “Government is like a baby,” Reagan once quipped. “An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.” Socialist Obama, by contrast, views government as the king and the people as the baby. According to his world order mindset, the people should submit to those in government who know better and whose role is to make decisions and control the purse strings.
It would, however, be best for the Republicans who hope to oust socialist Obama next year if the current 100th birthday celebrations mark the moment that Reagan was finally consigned to the history books.
Tussles over who Reagan was and futile attempts by Republican candidates to define themselves in terms of how they measure up with his legacy are exactly what socialist Obama and his radical extreme left wing wacko loons want.
To do battle with socialists over who Reagan was leads Republicans into a debate over the past when they need to be setting out a vision for the future.
I am very proud to share my birthday with Ronald Reagan.
Happy Birthday Britt!
Hehe, thank you Kathy.
I’m too young to remember much about President Reagan, but I do remember seeing him on TV. To a young child, he was like a comforting grandfather figure. I also remember crying on the day he left office because I didn’t want to see “that nice man on TV go.” Having had an opportunity to read more about him and the great things he accomplished, I now believe my tears were wholly justified. Happy birthday, Mr. Reagan, and thanks for all that you did to ensure that all of us “Reagan babies” can still enjoy the American Dream.
As a truck driver, one of my favorite quotes from Ronald Reagan goes like this:
“When we first built our highways, we paid for them with a gas tax, a highway user fee that charged those of us who benefited most from the system. It was a fair concept then, and it is today.”
Such wisdom…
Kathy Mateer,
I have to chime in on your comment. I was in the Army in Europe during the Carter Administration, as well as on active duty throughout Reagan, Bush 41, and Clinton. Most Americans cannot fathom how close we came to the brink under Jimmy Carter and how Reagan pulled us back. I remember the military pay freezes in 1977-79 that decimated the ranks of some of our most valuable mid-career service members. I remember the equipment shortages, repair parts shortages, and restrictions of fuel and ammunition consumption that made combat unit readiness a joke. Most of all, I remember the lack of confidence that the Commander-in-Chief openly displayed in our military that demoralized professionals from the rank of sergeant to general. Reagan turned that all around. Badly needed equipment fieldings were accelerated. Personnel retention, training, and readiness became a priority. Most of all, Grenada and Panama demonstrated that we had a Commander-in-Chief with trust and confidence in his military forces and who was not afraid to commit them with violence when no other means of diplomacy would suffice. Ronald Reagan was not without his faults, no president is. Iran-Contra immediately comes to mind, although Reagan’s biggest mistake there was to listen to the likes of John Poindexter and Oliver North, two men who disgraced their uniforms and ignored their oaths to uphold the Constitution. So what, John Kennedy had his Bay of Pigs and Dwight Eisenhower had his U-2 shoot-down. In balance Ron Reagan will go down in history as one of the great presidents of the 20th Century.
HisRoc: Your statement, “Most Americans cannot fathom how close we came to the brink under Jimmy Carter and how Reagan pulled us back.” could not be more true. It wasn’t just about money either.
Reagan letting the U.S.military and the world know we would lead by strength changed history in more ways than most can realize. I am sure it saved lives.
HisRoc and Kathy,
I think we’re realizing it.
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