Reagan Slips the Surly Bonds

"These were golden years - when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best." - Ronald Reagan's hope for his presidency from his Second Inaugural Address.

Ronald Reagan, an American hero, has just died. The reason he was an American hero is that Ronald Reagan believed that the phrase "American hero" is redundant. Ronald Reagan believed in America and the American people even when they were less than sure of themselves and American elites were despondent.

While others saw a sunset of American leadership and power, Ronald Reagan saw an eternal American dawn. Even when he realized his Alzheimer's Disease would mark the "sunset of ..[his] life." He knew "that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

While others saw an America in economic decline, mired with low employment, double-digit inflation, and historically high interest rates; Reagan saw an enormous, latent American economic strength that just needed to be released.

While others saw a mean spirited America suffering from a malaise of self-doubt, Reagan saw "a shining city on a hill" as a beacon to others in the world.

While others believed that America had lost the ideological argument and even welcomed the inexorable spread of Communism especially in South and Central America, Reagan saw the potential for democratic countries free from domination.

While others believed that we would have to accommodate ourselves to a world half-slave half-free and needed to employ deceitful euphemisms lest the Communists should "bury us," Ronald Reagan was unafraid to call the "evil empire" by name.

While some saw a permanent wall separating East and West, Reagan stood boldly beneath Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and demanded, "Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

Many people have forgotten precisely how much Democrats, the Left, and some in the Hollywood viciously vilified Reagan. He was portrayed, in the words of Clark Clifford, as an "amiable dunce," whose determined opposition to the Soviet Union increased the risk of nuclear war. Indeed, the movie, The Day After (1983) suggested that Reagan's policies might lead to nuclear destruction, much like the present day The Day After Tomorrow portrays environmental Armageddon.

When Reagan came into office he was ridiculed as a "cowboy" in the European press. When Reagan asked to deploy intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe to counter similar deployments by the Soviets, there were large angry protests, especially in Europe to stop the deployment. We know now that Europeans, especially the Germans ultimately, decided to allow the missile deployment, the Soviets balked, and ultimately all intermediate missiles were removed from Europe. Allied resolve ultimately reduced the nuclear threat in Europe. The Left and the European streets were wrong.

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