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How an actor . . . changed the world
Washington Times ^ | Monday, June 7, 2004 | By Paul Greenberg

Posted on 06/06/2004 11:22:45 PM PDT by JohnHuang2

Even in his death he strengthened us. The news that his long struggle was finally over gave us permission to celebrate his pivotal role in our history the way we should. With pomp and circumstance and gratitude. Ronald Reagan himself had drifted away from us years ago into a twilight world of dreams and clouds, but his book of life couldn't be closed properly till now. At long last, Nancy's long ordeal has been concluded.
    To appreciate what Ronald Reagan achieved, you'd have to conjure up more than his genial smile and always upbeat presence. You'd have to go back to the drifting, demoralized America of the 1970s, the one that had made its peace with Detente and Decline, the America of stagflation at home and drift abroad, of gas lines and double-digit interest rates, and a general, even un-American defeatism. The challenge had become how to stave off defeat as long as possible, not how to triumph. The spirit of that pre-Reagan America was as unnatural, as ungainly, and as unflattering as its fashions.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: paulgreenberg; ronaldreagan

1 posted on 06/06/2004 11:22:45 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2

Bumping this....because truth shall always defeat the nay sayers...


2 posted on 06/06/2004 11:56:39 PM PDT by JDoutrider (In God We Trust...)
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To: JohnHuang2
No wonder Ronald Reagan drove his biographer, Edmund Morris, to distraction.

I like Steyn's summation better: Morris drove himself insane since he couldn't understand Reagan--even after all the research.

3 posted on 06/07/2004 12:03:00 AM PDT by Ruth A.
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To: Ruth A.
"I like Steyn's summation better"

Agree -- Steyn is the absolute master.

4 posted on 06/07/2004 12:04:10 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
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