People's History: Ronald Reagan (Chap 21)
Smiling Faces, The Undisputed TruthBorn in the USA, Bruce Springsteen (Reagan's 1984 theme song)
Money, Pink Floyd
Money (That's What I Want), The Flying Lizards
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Summary The Reagan years took money from the poor, unleashed the businessmen, made people sure that nukes were coming, hankered to foment a war, and ravaged the environment. Chapter The Reagan years: a time of smaller government, big business, lower taxes, with the argument of "trickle down" from rich to poor, conservative judicial system, social programs cut (don't give a penny to the indolent!), the battering of unions, and the military shattering the budget. Cold War over, but the national consensus was continued fear, irrational but nurtured by the paranoia in the house of Reagan -- "Star Wars" (SDI), designed to douse our fears of monsters; and the Trident sub, no use to anyone except in wars that might produce the end of humankind. The whole environment was threatened, too, as Reagan's anti-government agenda turned to voluntary industry compliance. We rejected an ecology convention. Under Reagan, unemployment rose, the deficit went up. Society now chose to compensate the money men instead of those producing goods. And hurriedly, amidst the throes of struggle for the poor, came triumph for the rich, free enterprise engendering a fever pitch of greed. And on the global stage we ventured out: Grenada, saving students who without a doubt were safe; and Libya, to fight the 'terrorist' Khadafy; Nicaragua, where the populist and Marxist Sandinistas had to fight against the US-funded 'contras' when our leaders sensed a 'communist' affair. And all of these were based on policies of paranoia: we embraced the "call of freedom," voices sounding sure and shrill while snuffing other countries' independent will. |