The Reagan Legacy

In understanding the true nature of the Reagan legacy, it is critical to revisit the period immediately preceding his inauguration. While this may initially appear a rather obvious step in the evaluation of any president, it is particularly important in this case. The astounding changes to both the direction and condition of national and world affairs have no comparison in the 20th century outside of 1939-45.

During that period in American history, it was another great leader who steered the ship of state through uncharted waters and landed this nation on the shores of the great promise of the American dream (while simultaneously introducing the possibilities of that dream to the world).

Like Reagan, FDR was a flawed man, who stumbled and made some enormous mistakes, but these were far overshadowed by his victories. It has become fashionable in our politically jaded society to view as a cliché or over simplification many basic truths about American history. This does not make them any less true.

FDR led the United States on a crusade that, quite literally, saved the world. It saved the world from the specter of Nazi and Japanese Fascism while simultaneously elevating the country to the position of premier world power bringing all the societal, ideological, economic, and political, benefits that came with it.

In the 1980’s, Reagan would emerge as the man who would lead the United States on a crusade that would once and for all save the world from the specter of Soviet communism and worldwide Nuclear Armageddon (the legacy of FDR’s victory in WWII) thereby completing the circle. He would allow America to reclaim the lost mantle of premier World Power that was squandered away in the 20 years preceding him. He would lay the foundation for the single largest economic boom in the nations history and, most important, orchestrate the rebirth of the American idealism and optimism which paved the way for our post-war ascendancy in the first place.

Reagan campaigned on two major goals. The first was to revitalize the economy, and the second, to rebuild our military capability and meet Soviet expansion head on to restore our position in world leadership. As we shall see, he succeeded in those goals.

THE ECONOMY:
The economic crisis on the 1970’s was the worst chaos the nation had encountered since FDR and the Great Depression. Interest rates peaked in 1980 at 21%! New home sales were virtually non-existent. Inflation was at 12.5% and unemployment at 7.5%. OPEC’s stranglehold on the US created oil shortages which could never have been imagined 20 years before, and something the economists said could never happen – the nightmare of high inflation at the same time as a stagnant economy - had become a reality.

In tackling this gargantuan task, Reagan assembled a team of businessmen, economists, and financial experts. This was the first example of the overall policy by which he would run the executive branch of the Government. Define the goal, find those most capable of achieving the goal, enlist them, and grant them a mandate to achieve the goal.
In this case, the result was Reagan’s 4 pt program for economic recovery.
First, reduce taxes to spur investment and send immediate relief to those poorest American’s hardest hit by the recession. In 1980, the highest tax bracket was an unbelievable 70%. This was reduced by 25% in 3 years. Simultaneously, he completely eliminated 6 million low income Americans from any federal taxes obligation whatsoever.
The second part of his plan called for deregulation. To cut back on the oppressive regulations imposed by the federal government which where helping to hamstring the already stagnant economy. Reagan cut the Federal Register in half from 87,000 pages every year to 47,000 pages by 1985. This breathed fresh air into the free market forces that would eventually form the backbone of economic recovery.
Next, Reagan slowed the growth of federal spending. This was the toughest of the objectives and admittedly the one in which the president was least successful. He did, however, manage to do a better job cutting the fed bureaucracy and growth more than any previous post WWII president, all while excluding Medicare and Soc Sec. from any cuts at all.
Finally, the Reagan administration worked with Fed Chairman Vokker and later Alan Greenspan to achieve a stable monetary policy which rolled-back inflation from 12.5% to 4%, led to relatively low consumer index prices, and decreased interest rates, all of which became the seed material for the economic boom of the 90’s.

SOCIAL/GOVERNMENT REFORM:
While he championed numerous reforms designed to return power to the individual and the States, Reagan’s primary victory here, like Clinton after him, was welfare reform. Reagan initiated the welfare reform policies that would reach fruition during the Clinton administration. Once again, the legacy of Reagan would be the positive effects his administrations policies would have for the nations future. No Reagan, no welfare reform.

OVERALL FOREIGN POLICY:
In 1980, a cancerous malaise gripped the country. Our position of world leadership was under the greatest threat since it’s inception. Our enemies abroad were proclaiming that democracy had reached its zenith and was doomed and that capitalism was no longer dominant as a world force. They looked at the political upheaval in South America, Africa and Asia, and saw a future with the Soviet Union and socialism as the wave of the future.
In 1980, the military and political situation was appalling. The armed forces had deteriorated during the 1970s to a state almost as pitiful as the Russian military would be in 15 years time. The Air Force had planes that couldn’t fly because of a lack of spare parts. The Navy could not deploy large numbers of vessels due to a lack of trained crews. The all-voluntary citizen soldier military, had become a shadow of it’s former self and was suffering from low morale, discipline problems, and drug abuse. Thus, the first manifestation of the Reagan doctrine would be defined as "peace through strength." Reagan undertook to reverse the current military situation. He increased both the size and technology level of both the strategic and conventional forces. In addition to having the immediate effect of restoring the countries ability to project power, it also had a symbolic and political effect (much like FDR and the “arsenal of democracy”) – the rebuilding of American military strength after such a devastating and prolonged period of Western decline and Soviet expansion served to illustrate the inherent resiliency and superiority of free market capitalism over socialism.

THE COLD WAR:
The salient point to Reagan’s foreign policy dealt directly with the Soviet expansionist threat.

Unlike the earlier doctrines of Truman, Eisenhower, and Carter, which were designed to simply “contain” Soviet communism (and which had all been largely failures), The ”Reagan Doctrine” was predicated upon a rollback of communism worldwide. Indeed, as success in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Poland and Angola would prove, it was the first credible and successful rollback of the Soviets in the entire histories of the two nations.
The methodology of the Reagan Doctrine contained two key points.
The first was military economics. Reagan knew precisely that the resources of the U.S. could not be matched by those of the U.S.S.R. He also knew that faced with allowing the United States to overtake and surpass them, the Soviets would have no choice but to escalate military spending to match the U.S.
In effect, Reagan invited the U.S.S.R to commit economic suicide, and they were only too happy to oblige.
The Reagan administration embarked on an arms build up so diverse in its elements and massive in its scale, that the Russians were simply stupefied and poured Trillions of rubles down the drain in an attempt to try and keep up. Key elements of the Reagan build up were;

Development of the MX “Peacekeeper” ICBM program

Deployment of the Pershing II missile to forward sites in Europe

Production of the B-1 bomber

A mandate to the Navy to create a 600 ship fleet centered around massive carrier task forces (for power projection anywhere in the world) and a fleet of undetectable ballistic missile submarines (to ensure US strategic dominance).

And lastly, the coup-de-grace, the final nail in the coffin - The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The greatest ruse in military history since the Trojan Horse. It did not matter that many knew it could not be done – the Soviets were convinced it could, and squandered what little financial resources they had left in a vain attempt to deal with its potential reality.

The second point in the Reagan Doctrine was political – like Nixon and Kissinger, Reagan understood the value of “Linkage” as the Kissinger foreign policy was called. Unlike them he also understood its limitations as practiced by the Nixon administration. Whereas Kissinger/Nixon linkage was designed to limit or end Soviet and Chinese support in Indochina (and elsewhere) through detente, political maneuvering and the withholding of favors and aid to the enemy, Reagan’s version of linkage was to increase support to the political and military enemies of the Soviets. Thus, like Truman and the "Marshall Plan" before him, The Reagan Doctrine was supported by the “Haig/Shultz Plan” –

The strengthening of the US-UK alliance

The support of Lech Walsea and the Solidarity movement in Poland

The adroit handling and support of Pope John Paul II.

An increase in the overt and covert support of West Germany (especially Communist encircled West Berlin).

An increase in overseas troop deployments coupled with increasing NATO’s ability to face the WARSAW PACT through renewed monetary and political support as well as an increase in NATO maneuvers.

All of these are prime examples of the massive, active, and aggressive, political and public opinion war the Reagan administration waged against Soviet Communism.

The final result of all of this was victory in the Cold War. Like FDR, Reagan would not be in office to see the enemy finally defeated, but that defeat was as assured as the Nazi/Nippon defeat in 1945. The Soviet Union and the suppressive expansionist policies which defined its existence, ceased to be – and with nary a shot being fired.
By the end of his administration, more nations in the world were free than in any other time in the recorded history of civilization.

THE MIDDLE EAST:

In this area, Reagan does not shine as well as in others. He did not enjoy the successes of Nixon or Carter, but neither did he fail as abysmally as Clinton. Certainly, there were failures – the abortive handling of the Lebanese civil war and double-dealing with Israel, and the quasi-illegal Iran-Contra, but these are offset by key successes.
First off, Reagan single handedly ended the most embarrassing episode in American history by brokering the release of the Iranian Hostages. Though often derided for the Arms-for-hostages deal, it was not only expedient, but was also the only face saving answer (most people forget that Carter came to the same conclusion and was attempting almost the very same thing vis-à-vis releasing Iran’s frozen assets and normalizing relations – which though similar, would have been a much worse deal for the US).
Reagan quickly and completely neutralized the Libyan threat through his none-to-subtle, yet deft handling of Dictator Momar Quadaffi. The raids that were intended to Kill the general were unsuccessful, but they served as a succinct wake-up call which had the desired effect, as Quadaffi was effectively eviscerated and has been virtually silent since.

CONCLUSIONS:

An analysis of Ronald Reagan’s presidency can result in many conclusions. In some areas he failed, in others had moderate success at best, and in still other areas he transcended not only good policy, but bordered on the illegal or corrupt

Taken as a whole however, he must be viewed as one of the greatest leaders this nation has ever produced. From the economic, social, and political dust of the 70’s, Reagan rebuilt the United States into the dominant power in the World. From an energy-starved nation drowning in inflation and unemployment, he built the foundation for the greatest period of economic growth in US history. From a demoralized and decrepit military he created the greatest armed power man has ever seen. From a government wallowing in impotence and contempt, he re-established the ascendancy of the Constitutional balance of powers. He re-affirmed the power of the individual to seek prosperity and re-kindled the American spirit. Finally, in the fall of the Soviet Union, he orchestrated the final and almost bloodless defeat of the greatest long-term threat to safety and freedom the world has ever known.