Aaron Zuniga-Bennett Essay

In the early mid-eighties, the the S cut priceesn people elected Ronald Reagan as prexy of the get together States of the States. more an(prenominal) people claim that Reagan was one of the greatest presidents of all(prenominal) in all time, while others entrust that the country would see been some(prenominal) better off had Reagan never been elected. Regardless of their political preferences, it is undeniable that Ronald Reagan changed the macrocosm in the 1980s and his decease as president bequeath be forever remembered in the countless books of history. Ronald Reagan ran as a republican and was the absolute spirit of a conservative. He overworked to bring frontward the paragon of conservatism in America and victoriously captured and isolated that tone in the government. As president, Reagan worked to bring the ideal of American exceptionalism back to the country, to get up the economy on the right track, and to end the commie threat that had been present since the end of World war II. For all practical purposes, Ronald Reagan was a president who accomplished more than he set forth to do and did so famously some would say infamously. Nonetheless, Reagan accomplished more in his eight year presidency than most presidents of the 20th Century.He is widely hailed as the man who ended the frigid warfare and will forever be remembered as the man who led to the conservative resurgence in America. He was a man of profound ability and charm and America is better off for having Reagan as the Commander-in-Chief during the latter component part of the 20th Century. Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. His mother, Nelle, was a home dispatchr and his father, Jack, was a traveling salesman (Ronald Reagan). The Reagan family moved lots as Jack searched throughout the state for work and Ronald Reagan grew up in a very paltry family. Despite the hardships his family encountered, Reagan graduated from high school in Dixon, Il linois and earned a football scholarship to pay heed Eureka College (Reagan, American Life 43). After graduating from Eureka, Reagan pursued a career in Hollywood where he starred in over fifty movies and eventually became the president of the mask Actors Guild. As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan worked to remove all suspected Communists from Hollywood all the while encouraging conservative values in the liberal slanted film industry. In 1964, the former actor, RonaldReagan, delivered a nationally televised political speech on behalf of conservative presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.The speech became one of Reagans most fundamental speeches that completely changed his life. In his speech, Reagan presented the country with his ideals of a perfect country, supported by his conservative values. He also spoke virtually how America needs a strong national defense, a reduction of taskes, and the need to get over the Communist threat in the Soviet Union. He also stat ed, We will preserve for our children this, the last best intrust for man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a kelvin eld of darkness (Reagan, Speaking 36). After his speech, Reagan was approached by many influential Republicans who urged him to run for Governor of California. His speech, on behalf of Barry Goldwater became one of his greatest triumphs. Reagan initially ref practise when he was asked to run for governor nevertheless, many influential Republicans got together and create a fundraising group called Friends of Reagan. They raised a great deal of money and in 1966 Reagan defeated the demand Democrat Governor of California (What Would Reagan Do?). At that moment, his political career began and in 1981, Reagan assumed the office as President of the joined States of America.Throughout his presidency, Reagan set America on a lineage to defeat the Communist threat in the Soviet Union, to boost military funding, to cut taxes, and to return opt imism to the American people. Reagan worked relentlessly to accomplish his goals and in the process changed the world. some(prenominal) of his critics view the 1980s as a decade of rigid wealth and avaritia and they praise Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for ending the chilly War. From the beginning of his presidency, Ronald Reagan worked to end the Cold War, not to appease the Soviets. Former presidents had worked to open relations with the Soviet Union. President Nixon had formed via media and Carter worked to appease the Communists. However, Reagan rejected Communism, dtente, and containment, and set us on a course to win not negociate the Cold War (The groovy One).Reagan met several times with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, and together they worked to compromise and create treaties that would eliminate the threat of picayune range nuclear weapons. Many of the meetings with Gorbachev were productive, yet Reagans ideal of foreign policy was not as clearly defined as many of his critics may urinate wished.The Reagan organisation dealt with foreign policy on the manner of Peace through Strength, they worked to isolate any world menace and to direct all immediate attention to that threat. This ideal of foreign policy worked to threaten the Soviet Union and to make them aware that any danger they may pose would be dealt with in a quick and decisive manner. In 1983, Reagan ordered the United States Marines to invade Grenada. A coup dtat was taking place and a revolutionary group was trying to take control of the government to adjust with the Marxist Soviet Union (Reagan, American Life 449).Although the troops were and in Grenada for a short period of time, they did suppress the threat of a Communist uprising and Reagan shocked the world with his tough spot on global threats. During his presidency, Reagan increased national defense spending by 35 percent and began make nuclear weapons at an unprecedented rate (Ronald Rea gan). In 1986, one American serviceman was killed in a bombing in Berlin that injured 63 other members of the American military. It became evident within hours that the terrorist attack had been mean and carried out by Muammar Qadhafi, the leader of Libya. Reagan was quick to order an air raid on key backdrop targets in Libya. The strike was a success and many important buildings were destroyed. Reagan addressed the nation shortly after(prenominal) the air raid and made several comments that were illustrative of his firm stance against terrorist actions.He said, When our citizens are mistreat or attacked anywhere in this world we will respond so long as Im in this Oval Office, and to terrorist leaders around the world he said, He Qadhafi counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong (Reagan, Speaking 288). With that speech, Reagan imposed his views upon the world and he let the country admit that he would not succumb to any foreign national threat. For all practical purpos es, nearly all of the military actions of the 1980s were directed in some manner towards the Soviet Union. The preemptive attacks on Grenada and Libya were utilize as threats against the Soviet Union and were meant to be symbolic of the fact that America would not hesitate to act.Reagan used his strong military presence as a threat against the Soviets and many of Reagans naysayers still believe he used force in a manner contradictory to the astute power of the President of the United States. However, the Reagan politics used their military ability to inflict guardianship into all Communist threats worldwide. The politicalphilosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli, speaks of powerful leaders, he writes, it is much safer to be feared than loved (Machiavelli 66). Therefore, regardless of what criticizers may say, it would seem that Reagans use of military force throughout the world was effective and that Gorbachev feared his American equivalent. Reagan used his superiority to his advantage wh en he met with Gorbachev to discuss the reduction of nuclear missiles.During the 1980s, Reagan increased the defense spending more than any president had through before it was a part of his Peace through Strength foreign policy. During this time, the production of nuclear missiles surged and the United States found itself in a mini-arms race with the Soviet Union. In principle, the Reagan Administration outspent the Soviets in defense and nuclear weapon production. In an effort to compete, the Soviets bankrupted themselves and had no choice but to dismiss their Marxist values. Between the years of 1985 and 1988, Reagan met with General Secretary Gorbachev four times in Switzerland, Iceland, Washington D.C., and Moscow (Reagan, American Life 545). The meetings in the midst of the two world leaders were dramatic and Reagan walked out of the meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland after Gorbachev failed compromise.The tensions were high during all of the meetings and many people feared that any mistake could lead to an immediate nuclear Armageddon. Fortunately, no nuclear weapons were launched and the Reagan Administration triumphed over the Soviet Union. In 1987, Reagan visited East Berlin and spoke at the Brandenburg Gate. During his speech, he called for an end to Communism and a strengthening of individual liberty. His speech as the Brandenburg Gate is often viewed as one of the most successful speeches of his presidency. While speaking to a crowd of thousands, Reagan said to the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mr. Gorbachev, tear downhearted this wall (Reagan, Speaking 352). Two years later, the Soviet Union agreed to tear down the Berlin contend and within the year, Communist nations around Europe began to crumble. Many Democrats in Congress and the mainstream media admired Gorbachev for bringing ataraxis to European countries they praised Gorbachev for surrendering and for keeping the warmongering Ronald Reagan from leading the country on the road to a nu clear war.Many Americans who opposed the Reagan Administration were more than happy to give the credit to the Soviet Union they believed Reagan wastoo overpowering and heartless to have been so successful. Nevertheless, conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh writes, The end of the Cold War and the defeat of Communism in the Soviet Union was a clear victory for American values, for the American way of life, for the republican, democratic, free-marked ideals of the United States of America (Limbaugh Ought to Be 230). Therefore, it would seem that Reagan played a major role in bringing an end to the 40 year Cold War. Regardless of the beliefs and values one holds, Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War and suppressed the Communist threat worldwide. He changed the world Although his greatest success may have been bringing closure to the Cold War, Reagan also accomplished a great deal in the United States of America.When he left office in 1989, the economy was breaking records and benefit ting from the longest period of peacetime prosperity without box or depression (Ronald Reagan). People were making money in America and thanks to Reagans tax cuts they were able to keep more of what they earned. The Reagan Administration began an economic policy that became identified as Reaganomics or trickle-down economics. Reaganomics was the belief that tax cuts for the bass, optic class, and poor would work to stimulate the economy. If the rich had more money, they would create more businesses and opportunity, the middle class would then be able to become business owners, and higher the poor. It is a social hierarchy of job creation and the nation experienced 96 months of peacetime economic egression (Limbaugh, Told You So 122). In 1990, George H.W. scrub disbanded the policy of Reaganomics and the 96 months of economic growth ended almost immediately. Many historians, to this day, view the 1980s as a decade of greed where the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. They also discredit the policy of Reaganomics because they do not believe the rich paid their fair share of taxes.However, economic figures are illustrative of how much the rich truly pay in taxes. It seems that the top 1% of income earners pay nearly 40% of all federal income taxes in the United States (What Would Reagan Do?). Therefore, even if the 1980s were deemed as a decade of greed, it would seem that greed is good. Reagan worked to reduce onerous taxes in order to return the wealth to its rightful owners, the workers. The Reagan Administration did not mountain out money rather, they let people keep more of what they had already earned. In return, consumerism rose and the money wasimmediately deposited back into the national economy. Therefore, it would seem that the tax cuts and policy of Reaganomics worked very well in the 1980s the economic growth experienced in that decade has yet to be matched. Regardless of ones political affiliation, it is undeniable that tax cuts work an d the economic policy of the Regan Administration should be implemented into our carcass now, during the present economic crisis. The implementation of tax cuts, both on income and corporations, provided working class Americans with the incentive to work and to achieve.No longer were people afraid of earning the tax cuts prevented hard working Americans from being punished with toilsome and total taxation. This era of economic growth restored a feeling of optimism in America, especially after the calamitys of the Carter Administration and the record setting unemployment rate of the late 1970s. Ronald Reagans policies, both foreign and domestic, made people elevated to be Americans once again. During the 1980s, Americans were not being villainized and condemned, they were being praised. Reagan restored the feeling of confidence in America and brought forth a generation of strong, nationalistic Americans. Ronald Reagan was a success as President of the United States, not only beca use of his charisma and communication skills, nor simply because of his policies. Ronald Reagan was a success because the American people loved him. In 1984, during his escape for a second term, the electorate illustrated their reverie for him and he won in the largest landslide victory ever recorded.He was unanimously re-elected in 49 of the 50 states (What Would Reagan Do?). His unprecedented victory astonished the world and many of his political detractors wondered how he could be so popular. Once again, the political philosopher Machiavelli offers insight into how a person should be a successful leader. Machiavelli wrote in 1513, he should inspire his citizens to follow their pursuits quietly, in trade and in horticulture and in every other pursuit of men, so that one person does not fear to lard his possessions for fear that they be taken away from him, and another to open up a trade for fear of taxes (Machiavelli 91). In essence, Reagan accomplished all of these aforementio ned goals during his presidency. His policy of a strong national defense worked to make people feel comfortable and unafraid of a Communist attack, and his policy of Reaganomics allowed people to become entrepreneurs without a fear of being taxed out ofbusiness.For all practical purposes, Reagan epitomized the values of a good leader as prescribed by Niccolo Machiavelli he restored the power and the faith to the people while simultaneously ruling under(a) the facade of being a decisive and fearful leader when handling foreign threats. In the end, it is plain that Ronald Reagan accomplished a great deal during his court. His most important accomplishments stem from restoring optimism in Americans, the total growth of economic prosperity, and bringing an end to the Cold War. Many of his political opponents still work to destroy the successes of his administration and they blame him for being too demanding and too dangerous. They thought his actions during the 1980s were detrimental to the growth and prosperity of America. On January 11, 1989, during his farewell address to the nation, he said, My friends We did it. We werent just marking time. We made a difference. We made the urban center stronger.We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not questioning, not bad at all (Reagan, Speaking 418). The Reagan Administration was one of growth and success. During his presidency, he changed America, let alone the world, for the better. He had done what no president before him could, he set the nation on a course for unprecedented economic growth, and he led to the downfall of Communism and the Cold War. His opponents viewed him as a failure however, his policies greatly impacted the world. If Ronald Reagan were alive today, he would still be the last best hope for this country. citeCoulter, Ann. What Would Reagan Do?. http//anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=77. 21 September 2005. Web. 4 April 2014. Limbaugh, Rush. See, I Told Yo u So. New York Pocket Star Books, 1993. Limbaugh, Rush. The Great One. National Review 28 June 2004 36. Academic OneFile. Web. 7. April 2014. Limbaugh, Rush. The Way Things Ought to Be. New York Pocket Books, 1992. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Chicago The University of Chicago Press, 1998. Reagan, Ronald. An American Life. New York Simon and Schuster, 1990. Reagan, Ronald. Speaking My Mind. New York Simon and Schuster, 1989 Ronald Reagan. http//www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ronaldreagan. Web. 7 April 2014.