Grover G. Norquist: Did Reagan Win the Cold War?
[Grover G. Norquist is the president of Americans for Tax Reform.]
Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1976 and 1980 challenging the establishment's views on domestic economic policy and foreign policy vis-à-vis the Soviet Empire.
Reagan first defeated and then largely absorbed the Republican establishment on both domestic and foreign policy. Howard Baker, once a contender for the 1980 Republican nomination did vote for the Reagan income tax rate reductions, while calling them a "riverboat gamble." George Bush called supply side economics "voodoo economics" but then in 1988 signed a pledge to protect the lower rates. Bob Dole voted for the lower tax rates while bitterly criticizing supply side economics only to endorse marginal tax rate reduction when he ran for president in 1996.
On foreign policy Reagan's "peace through strength" has become the party's mantra and "détente" is now viewed as another of Richard Nixon's character flaws. Reaganism, the party's history explains, defeated and dismantled the Soviet Empire after fifty years of bipartisan dangerous failure.
The center-right finds Reagan's successes easy to explain. Low taxes and less regulation create jobs and growth. A strong military, recognition of the evil and threat of Communism and support for anti-communist rebels in Afghanistan, Angola and the resistance in Poland aided by the failure of socialism as an economic system led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire. What is not to understand and applaud?
The establishment left has had a more difficult time explaining how Reagan succeeded in his two stated goals-turning the economy around from Carter's stagflation -- both high unemployment and inflation-and destroying the Soviet Union -- with such wrongheaded policies.
The establishment left has also had to back away from its favorite caricature of Reagan the "amiable dunce" who was "sleepwalking through history" and who had read fewer books than Illinois Democrat Senator Paul Simon had written. The final stake was thrust into the heart of this narrative with the publication of Martin and Annelise Anderson and Kiron K. Skinner's book in 2004, A Life in Letters that published hundreds of radio editorials written in his own hand, self-edited and clearly showing a first rate and well read mind. Reagan the product of clever speechwriters, the actor reading the ideas and words of others was gone.
The bitter enders of the revisionist Left wisely skipped over the economic history of the 1980s and 1990s (deciding to avoid embarrassing conversations about GDP, employment, inflation, growth rates) and on foreign policy credited Michael Gorbachev with agreeably ending the cold war and dismantling the Soviet Union on purpose. Reagan was just standing there when the nice Soviet Leader fixed the world.
James Mann's new book The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan is a cross between the Andersons' revelation of Reagan's unexpected and hitherto hidden, wisdom and the theory that Gorbachev reformed the Soviet Union out of existence absent external pressures-certainly not due to any right-wing, military build up, red baiting pressures from the cowboy Reagan.
Reagan's wisdom, per Mann, is found in recognizing Gorbachev's historic role and not getting in the way. A rather backhanded insult to the man's life work.
Mann divides his book into four parts that can be enjoyed or at least visited separately: first, a comparison of Nixon and Reagan's views of communism and the Soviet Union; second, the little focused upon role of Suzanne Massie as an informal conduit between Reagan and the Soviet Leadership in the mid-1980s; third, the story of the June 1987 "tear down this wall" speech, and fourth, the "easing of the Cold War Tensions during Reagan's final two years in office."
It is all interesting reading and appears accurate and well sourced. But it is a little like reading a history of Napolean's life after the retreat from Moscow. It skips over some of the good bits.
The Soviet Union didn't fall. It was pushed. Gorbachev didn't end the Cold War any more than Mussolini ended the Second World War. He was a casualty and one fatally wounded in retreat...
Read entire article at Foreign Policy
Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1976 and 1980 challenging the establishment's views on domestic economic policy and foreign policy vis-à-vis the Soviet Empire.
Reagan first defeated and then largely absorbed the Republican establishment on both domestic and foreign policy. Howard Baker, once a contender for the 1980 Republican nomination did vote for the Reagan income tax rate reductions, while calling them a "riverboat gamble." George Bush called supply side economics "voodoo economics" but then in 1988 signed a pledge to protect the lower rates. Bob Dole voted for the lower tax rates while bitterly criticizing supply side economics only to endorse marginal tax rate reduction when he ran for president in 1996.
On foreign policy Reagan's "peace through strength" has become the party's mantra and "détente" is now viewed as another of Richard Nixon's character flaws. Reaganism, the party's history explains, defeated and dismantled the Soviet Empire after fifty years of bipartisan dangerous failure.
The center-right finds Reagan's successes easy to explain. Low taxes and less regulation create jobs and growth. A strong military, recognition of the evil and threat of Communism and support for anti-communist rebels in Afghanistan, Angola and the resistance in Poland aided by the failure of socialism as an economic system led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire. What is not to understand and applaud?
The establishment left has had a more difficult time explaining how Reagan succeeded in his two stated goals-turning the economy around from Carter's stagflation -- both high unemployment and inflation-and destroying the Soviet Union -- with such wrongheaded policies.
The establishment left has also had to back away from its favorite caricature of Reagan the "amiable dunce" who was "sleepwalking through history" and who had read fewer books than Illinois Democrat Senator Paul Simon had written. The final stake was thrust into the heart of this narrative with the publication of Martin and Annelise Anderson and Kiron K. Skinner's book in 2004, A Life in Letters that published hundreds of radio editorials written in his own hand, self-edited and clearly showing a first rate and well read mind. Reagan the product of clever speechwriters, the actor reading the ideas and words of others was gone.
The bitter enders of the revisionist Left wisely skipped over the economic history of the 1980s and 1990s (deciding to avoid embarrassing conversations about GDP, employment, inflation, growth rates) and on foreign policy credited Michael Gorbachev with agreeably ending the cold war and dismantling the Soviet Union on purpose. Reagan was just standing there when the nice Soviet Leader fixed the world.
James Mann's new book The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan is a cross between the Andersons' revelation of Reagan's unexpected and hitherto hidden, wisdom and the theory that Gorbachev reformed the Soviet Union out of existence absent external pressures-certainly not due to any right-wing, military build up, red baiting pressures from the cowboy Reagan.
Reagan's wisdom, per Mann, is found in recognizing Gorbachev's historic role and not getting in the way. A rather backhanded insult to the man's life work.
Mann divides his book into four parts that can be enjoyed or at least visited separately: first, a comparison of Nixon and Reagan's views of communism and the Soviet Union; second, the little focused upon role of Suzanne Massie as an informal conduit between Reagan and the Soviet Leadership in the mid-1980s; third, the story of the June 1987 "tear down this wall" speech, and fourth, the "easing of the Cold War Tensions during Reagan's final two years in office."
It is all interesting reading and appears accurate and well sourced. But it is a little like reading a history of Napolean's life after the retreat from Moscow. It skips over some of the good bits.
The Soviet Union didn't fall. It was pushed. Gorbachev didn't end the Cold War any more than Mussolini ended the Second World War. He was a casualty and one fatally wounded in retreat...