Your lopsided pro-Reagan editorial page content last week was disrespectful to the thousands of people in Snohomish County who did not vote for him in the ’80s – many of whom would still not today.
The following are some of Reagan’s “accomplishments” that most commentators and cartoonists ignored or glossed over: He harshly cut many programs that benefited the poor and working class while at the same time pushing to lower taxes for the well off. This “trickle-down” policy significantly widened the gap between rich and poor, created massive deficits, and produced an economic expansion built on borrowed money – which collapsed on his one-term successor’s watch.
He and his superstitious wife launched an unprecedented fierce and Orwellian anti-drug crusade that ultimately resulted in the U.S. becoming the world’s biggest incarcerator. This policy cost tens of billions of dollars, eroded constitutional protections, ruined countless lives, and still didn’t achieve its unrealistic goal of a “drug-free America.”
He supported brutal regimes and groups around the world (including Saddam Hussein’s) – but particularly in Latin America, in the name of “freedom.” He appointed pro-industry foxes like James Watt to guard the EPA, Department of Interior and others, with predictable results. He neglected to mount an early, vigorous federal response to the AIDS epidemic – a policy that surely cost many lives.
These are a few of the outrages and hypocrisies that come to mind (and I didn’t even go into Iran-Contra or the lingering suspicions that he made a deal with the Iranians in 1980 to ensure the defeat of Carter). Polls during Reagan’s presidency repeatedly showed his personality triumphing over disapproval of many of his policies, and this was evident again last week in The Herald and elsewhere. As the president himself was fond of saying: There you go again.
Jack McClellan
Arlington
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