#ronald reagen

[political-us]

[lahilden]

[polliantics]

Ronald Reagan's presidency (1981-1989) - Was he a good or bad president?

Legacy:

Reagan remains a hero among conservatives for his economic policies and anti-communism but is criticized by progressives for increasing inequality and social program cuts. His presidency reshaped American politics, and debates about his impact continue today.

Why He Was a Bad President:

Massive Deficit & Debt – His tax cuts and increased military spending led to huge budget deficits, nearly tripling the national debt.

Trickle-Down Economics Issues – While the economy grew, income inequality widened, and critics argue his policies disproportionately benefited the wealthy.

Cuts to Social Programs – His budget reductions in social welfare programs hurt lower-income Americans, particularly in healthcare and education.

Iran-Contra Scandal – His administration secretly sold weapons to Iran and illegally funded Nicaraguan rebels (Contras), leading to a major political scandal.

AIDS Crisis Response – Reagan was criticized for his slow response to the AIDS epidemic, which disproportionately affected the LGBTQ+ community.

War on Drugs & Mass Incarceration

Reagan escalated the War on Drugs, signing the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which imposed harsh mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.

The law disproportionately targeted Black and Latino communities, especially with the 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. This contributed to mass incarceration and long-term social harm.

Union-Busting & Labor Rights

Reagan fired over 11,000 striking air traffic controllers (PATCO) in 1981 and banned them from federal employment. This was a major blow to organized labor and emboldened anti-union policies nationwide.

His administration favored corporations over workers, weakening unions and contributing to stagnant wages.

Ignoring the AIDS Epidemic

The Reagan administration largely ignored the HIV/AIDS crisis for years. Press secretary Larry Speakes even joked about it in early briefings.

Reagan didn’t publicly acknowledge AIDS until 1985—after thousands had died—and didn't take meaningful action until the late 1980s.

Hostility to Civil Rights & Welfare Cuts

He opposed affirmative action and tried to weaken the Voting Rights Act.

His administration slashed funding for social programs like food stamps, mental health services, and public housing, worsening poverty for marginalized communities.

Reagan also tried to gut the Civil Rights Commission and slow down school desegregation efforts.

Support for Authoritarian Regimes & Death Squads

Reagan backed brutal right-wing dictators in Latin America, including:

El Salvador – Supported the military despite its ties to death squads that massacred civilians.

Guatemala – Backed dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, who carried out genocide against Indigenous Mayans.

Nicaragua – Funded the Contras, a rebel group known for human rights abuses, leading to the Iran-Contra scandal.

South Africa – Opposed sanctions against apartheid and vetoed a bill that would have pressured the racist regime.

Deregulation & Weakening Consumer Protections

His deregulation of banking and savings & loans institutions contributed to the Savings and Loan Crisis, which led to a massive government bailout.

Environmental policies were weakened, reducing protections for clean air, clean water, and endangered species.

Workplace safety regulations were rolled back, making conditions worse for workers.

Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies

Beyond his failure on AIDS, Reagan was generally hostile to LGBTQ+ rights.

He opposed gay rights measures and backed laws that banned LGBTQ+ people from adopting children.

His Supreme Court appointees helped uphold Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), which kept anti-sodomy laws in place until they were overturned in 2003.

Myth of the “Welfare Queen” & Racial Dog Whistles

Reagan popularized the racist stereotype of the “welfare queen” to justify cutting social programs, even though the narrative was based on exaggerations and misinformation.

His rhetoric on “states’ rights” and opposition to civil rights protections played into the Southern Strategy, appealing to white voters who opposed racial progress.

Why He Was a Good President:

Economic Growth (Reaganomics) – His tax cuts, deregulation, and free-market policies contributed to strong economic growth in the 1980s, reducing inflation and unemployment after the stagflation of the 1970s.

Cold War Victory – His aggressive stance against the Soviet Union, including military buildup and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), is credited with pressuring the USSR toward collapse.

Patriotism & Optimism – Reagan restored a sense of national pride and confidence after the Vietnam War and Watergate. His speeches and demeanor made many Americans feel hopeful about the country’s future.

Tax Reform – The 1986 Tax Reform Act simplified the tax code, eliminated loopholes, and reduced tax rates, particularly on corporations and individuals.

Social Security Reform – He worked with Democrats to extend the solvency of Social Security through bipartisan compromise.

[itsbansheebitch]

ronald reagan, ronald mcdonald, what's the difference? both clowns want me dead lmao

[wibble-wobbegong]

Noticed you changed your pfp a while back and just didn’t question that it was a thing of garlic. Its is not, in fact, a thing of garlic

LMAO i fucking wish. i wish i was cool enough to have a thing of garlic as my pfp. unfortunately i look like this

[random-gamer1942]

GEORGE FUCKING BALLING

Source

[tamamita]

Israel repeatedly invaded Lebanon, supporting the Phalanges and committing massacres one after the other to such a point, Ronald Reagen had to step in to tell the Settler state to fuck off, and this stupid zionist fuck can't figure out history before Oct 7.

[pupsmailbox]

STARTING WITH R

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NEUTRAL︰ racer. radio. rain. rainbow. raine. rainer. rainyr. rake. raleigh. ram. ramsey. rank. ransom. raspberry. rat. raven. ray. rayan. raylan. rayleigh. rayne. razor. ready. reagan. reaper. reason. rebel. red. redo. reece. reed. reef. reese. rei. reign. rejoice. relic. remedi. remedy. remi. remington. remy. ren. renegade. reon. replay. reset. revel. revenge. revolve. rey. rhodes. rhys. rhythm. rian. rich. rickets. riddle. ridge. ridley. rift. riley. rio. riot. ripley. risen. risk. rite. river. robin. robyn. rocket. rocky. rodeo. rogue. rome. ronnie. roost. rory. rose. rosemary. rotem. rowan. rowdy. rowen. rowyn. royal. ruby. ruin. runaway. rush. russet. ryan. ryatt. ryder. rye. rylan. ryland. rylen.

[hawaii-official]

@pennyroyald x Ronald Reagen

NU UH

[political-us]

Ronald Reagan discusses tariffs and their affect on the economy

[transamus]

Something I've been thinking about also is how the "left" (see:liberals) on here often falls into the Great Man theory as soon as it becomes useful to have a scapegoat for systemic issues. I promise you if you went back in time and killed any individual horrible person, by & large the timeline would be unaltered in this hypothetical scenario. At best, what you could hope for is igniting the flames of a revolution through that kind of action, but the sole removal of a single individual is fundamentally misunderstanding how these situations arise to begin with.

The worst political leaders in the world are emblematic of larger cultural reactionary movements, often used by many people within those reactionaries to prop up their views, and not the Sole Proprietors of the horrors they inflict. Again, if every single cop or every single soldier decided to not do a fascism, the fascism wouldn't be enforced, so they All bear responsibility for it. Not just their leadership.

The same is true of politics and politicians, including the liberal party that "opposes" them. Opposition isn't and should never have been "politely standing their while your peer argues for oppression" like any liberal in office could easily make more of a tangible difference by (allegedly) just going fucking ape shit.

Like it's all fun & good even to make fun of Ronald Reagen for instance but keep in mind that it did in fact take an entire complicit government to enact his policies. That's, I think, where a lot of liberals think just stopping trump from entering office will make a difference; the government on all levels is fully ready and willing to do these things anyways, as seen by harris's vocal, gleeful, bloodthirsty support for genocide. Not a day passes that I don't see a democratic party ad for some local politician who promises to "secure the border", often filmed with class traitor marginalized people who have chosen, every day, to be border officers.

[robotclownindulgence]

Behind the bastards is a great podcast because sometimes it will tell you about the most vile figures in history and very coherently explain the ways certain systems and influential people have helped these bastards get away with the atrocities they committed and sometimes it will tell you about the shitty old astrologer who allegedly influenced ronald reagen to the point that he built his entire schedule around her predictions

[vinnystaysawake]

Ask Him About Ronald Reagen

[thicc-astronaut]

I had the strangest dream last night that I was keeping Ronald Reagen as a pet. Like he was being forced to walk on all fours and wear a leash. He slept in a cage in the basement lined with newspapers, and he wasn't allowed up on the furniture.

This is stricter than I treat my actual dog in real life (who regularly sleeps in bed next to my mom), and frankly given what his economic policies did to my country, I think it's too good for him.

[krusebruce]

Fuuuuck Ronald reagen