Reagan actually raised taxes eleven times. According to Reagan historian Douglas Brinkley, "Ronald Reagan was never afraid to raise taxes. He knew that it was necessary at times. And so there's a false mythology out there about Reagan as this conservative president who came in and just cut taxes and trimmed federal spending in a dramatic way. It didn't happen that way. It's false." And lets not forget Black Monday, October 19, 1987.
Reagan was never really anti abortion. In 1967 as Governor of California he signed a bill that loosened the state’s abortion laws that opened the doors of many abortion clinics. Once he thought he was ready for prime time, Reagan advocated for a constitutional amendment that would have prohibited all abortions except to save the life of the mother. However once he moved in at Pennsylvania Avenue, he never seriously pursued any of his campaign rhetoric. He was for it before he was against it.
While he was Governor of California Reagan was friendly toward the Equal Rights Amendment extending a helping hand to groups like the National Organization for Women in order to help the ERA get ratified. Then Reagan denounced the ERA shortly before his 1976 run for President. Latter he did fulfill a campaign pledge of putting a woman on the Supreme Court. But why the flip-flop on the ERA?
Old Ronnie opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Like all good NeoCons and Libertarians he played it off as states rights. Reagan and his like would have you believe that the southern confederacy had states rights to own other human-beings. In 1966 he stated, "if an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, it is his right to do so." Ronald was from an era when a dog whistle was not required to convey your contempt for minorities.
Reagan cut the renewable energy R&D budget 85% after he took office and eliminated the wind investment tax credit in 1986. This was pretty much the death of most of the US wind industry. He gutted Carter’s entire multi-billion dollar clean energy and energy efficiency effort. He opposed and then rolled back fuel economy standards. Reagan turned all such commonsense strategies into “liberal” policies that must be opposed by any true conservative. You see, he did more than just take Carter's solar panels off the roof of the White House. He cut the deep and long ruts of Middle Eastern Oil dependence we are high centered on today. But it is never to late to find alternatives to oil and other nonrenewable resources.
"Approximately 80 percent of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources."---Ronald Wilson Reagan, September 10, 1980
1980: As the Carter administration negotiates with Iran to surrender the U.S. hostages. Supporters of presidential candidate Ronald Reagan cut a secret deal with the Islamic Republic: promising that the Reagan administration will allow Israel to ship arms to Iran if Iran continues to hold the hostages during the coming presidential campaign to cripple Carter's campaign for re-election. Believe it or not Israel did support Iran in the Iran-Iraq war.
1981: The Reagan administration secretly encourages Israel and other allies, such as South Korea and Turkey, to ship hundreds of millions of U.S.-made arms to Iran despite a ban on the shipment of U.S.-made weapons.
1982. Despite objections from congress, Reagan removes Iraq from its list of known terrorist countries.
1982. Hughes Aircraft ships 60 Defender helicopters to Iraq.
1982-1988. Defense Intelligence Agency provides detailed information for Iraq on Iranian deployments, tactical planning for battles, plans for air strikes and bomb damage assessments.
1983. A National Security Directive states that the U.S would do "whatever was necessary and legal" to prevent Iraq from losing its war with Iran.
1983. Iraq, with the blessing and official approval of the US government, purchased computer controlled machine tools, computers, scientific instruments, special alloy steel and aluminum, chemicals, and other industrial goods for Iraq's missile, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs
1983. The Reagan Administration begins secretly allowing Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt to transfer United States weapons, including Howitzers, Huey helicopters, and bombs to Iraq. These shipments violated the Arms Export Control Act.
1983: U.S. sends troops to Lebanon as part of a multinational "peace-keeping" operation but in reality to protect U.S. interests, including Israel's occupation forces. U.S. troops are withdrawn after a suicide bomber destroys a U.S. Marine barracks.
1983. George Schultz, the Secretary of State, is given intelligence reports showing that Iraqi troops are daily using chemical weapons against the Iranians.
1983. Donald Rumsfeld then a civilian meets with Saddam Hussein to assure him of US friendship and materials support.
1984. CIA begins giving Iraq intelligence necessary to calibrate its mustard gas attacks on Iranian troops.
1983: CIA helps murder Gen. Ahmed Dlimi a prominent Moroccan Army commander who seeks to overthrow the pro-U.S. Moroccan monarchy.
1985: The U.S. secretly ships weapons to Iran. The weapons are exchanged for U.S. hostages in Lebanon. The secret plot collapses when it is publicly revealed on November 3rd 1986, by the Lebanese magazine, Al-Shiraa.
1986. The United States with Great Britain block all Security Council resolutions condemning Iraq's use of chemical weapons, and on March 21 the US becomes the only country refusing to sign a Security Council statement condemning Iraq's use of these weapons.
1986. The US Department of Commerce licenses 70 biological exports to Iraq between May of 1985 and 1989, including at least 21 batches of lethal strains of anthrax.
1986. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons grade botulin poison to Iraq.
1987 Reagan bows to the findings of the Tower Commission admitting the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for hostages. Oliver North uses the profits from the sale to fund an illegal war in Nicaragua.
1987. The Iraqi Air Force begins using chemical agents against Kurdish resistance forces in northern Iraq.
1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of chemicals used in manufacture of mustard gas.
1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons grade anthrax and botulinum to Iraq.
Ronald Wilson Reagan created the world we have today. From the terminally ill Middle Class to the "war for oil" in 1991 to the Attacks of September 11, 2001. I can not find a single item from his legacy that was positive.
"All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk."---Ronald Wilson Reagan to the Burlington Free Press February 15, 1980
What a Frigging Dim Bulb. Only George Walker Bush has been worse for the country.
1987 Reagan bows to the findings of the Tower Commission admitting the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for hostages. Oliver North uses the profits from the sale to fund an illegal war in Nicaragua.
1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of chemicals used in manufacture of mustard gas.
1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons grade anthrax and botulinum to Iraq.
Ronald Wilson Reagan created the world we have today. From the terminally ill Middle Class to the "war for oil" in 1991 to the Attacks of September 11, 2001. I can not find a single item from his legacy that was positive.
"All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk."---Ronald Wilson Reagan to the Burlington Free Press February 15, 1980
What a Frigging Dim Bulb. Only George Walker Bush has been worse for the country.
