Reagan Forever
by Ryan Coates
Issue 131 - May 5, 2009

The conservative movement in America would be very different today had Ronald Reagan failed to become President in the 1980 election. Reagan won a landslide, aided by the political base created by Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona in the south. Reagan was fortunate to face hapless Democratic opposition in the form of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale and this allowed for Reagan's platform of social and fiscal conservatism to be victorious.

His first actions in office were largely concerned with rescuing the nation from the economic crisis that had plagued the country for the preceding few years. In order to combat this ongoing depression, Reagan signed into law the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, having maneuvered it through a Democratic House led by a person opposed to it, Tip O'Neill. This act slashed taxes, encouraging industry and growth, which in turn provided jobs and began to overturn the Democratic depression to which the nation had been burdened.

Reagan was in essence a fiscal conservative, but he did not allow the constraints of the budget to prevent him in his pursuit of Cold War victory. Yes, Reagan did run up huge deficits, but this allowed for the expansion of defense whilst having minimal effect upon the recovering economy. In this sense, Reagan's balance between foreign and economic policy was first class, if largely based upon common sense, something which had been sparse during the Jimmy Carter years. All the while, he continued to carry out his promise of limiting government by cutting nondefense discretionary spending by almost ten percent over his four years.

Reagan was fiercely conservative on issues such as abortion, even publishing a book entitled "Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation" in 1983, in which he consolidated the argument for pro-lifers for generations to come. Reagan had clearly learned to regret the signing of the Therapeutic Abortion Act during his tenure as Governor of California, which led to his committed appointments of Scalia and Kennedy to the Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn Roe v Wade.

His foreign policy was at first interpreted by many as setting the US on a nuclear crash course with the Soviet Union, as he gave Defense Secretary Weinberger the task of equipping the US military to epic proportions. Reagan also recognised something of a personal dream, by instigating the Strategic Defense Initiative, which aimed to create a mobile missile shield that would forever protect the lives of US citizens. While liberals may dismiss this as nothing more than a dream, it was Bill Clinton who converted SDI into the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization with little fanfare. The extensive research that was duly conducted gave Reagan a valuable bargaining chip with the Soviets during negotiations.

The US proceeded to comfortably prevail over the Soviet Union in a miniature arms race, presenting Reagan with the chance to fulfil a campaign promise of 'Peace through Strength'. The military had increased rapidly during the early eighties, but Reagan nevertheless entered historic negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev, which saw the nuclear arsenals of both superpowers significantly reduce in number. However, Reagan maintained the upper hand in retaining SDI, a project which continues today under yet another alias, the Missile Defense Agency.

Reagan is now rightly feted among conservatives for his actions as President. Whenever possible he ensured that conservative values were adhered to and wherever possible he got the best for the American people. The greatest Presidents not only succeed in economic rescue and military victory, but also spawn a new philosophy of government, as Jefferson did with Republicanism and Roosevelt did with the New Deal. The eighties were a period of renewed vigour in the economy, renewed safety in the world and renewed politics in the shape of American conservatism.

Reagan gave purpose, Reagan gave inspiration and Reagan gave optimism. The brand of common sense conservatism he invoked remains as strong as ever and will for the foreseeable future. Reagan had in his own words said of his time as President 'We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger; we made the city freer; and we left her in good hands.' Reagan had restored the respect. Here's to 'Ron The Right'.

Ryan Coates