The presidency of Ronald Wilson Reagan has been a disaster for libertarianism in the United States, and might yet prove to be catastrophic for the human race[...]Every ideological revolution has to worry about selling out upon achieving Power, on surrendering principle to the lure of pragmatism, respectability, Establishment acclaim and the mushhead "vital centre" of the country’s polity. All Reaganites liked to refer to their accession to power as a "revolution." But in order for such a revolution to succeed in its goals it must be tough and vigilant, it must have indoctrinated its members – its "cadres" – in resisting the blandishments of the pragmatic. The Reagan Revolution, in contrast, sold out before it even began. The tip-off came at the Republican convention of 1980 when Reagan surrendered to the Liberal Republican enemy after having defeated them decisively for the nomination. It was not just making the defeated George Bush Vice-President; that much of a concession to party unity is traditional in American politics and usually means little. For Reagan also summarily got rid of almost all of his hardcore ideological advisers, and let back in to run the campaign, and then his Administration, the very pragmatists and Trilateral Commission adherents he had previously fought strongly against.
At another point, he wrote:
Eight years, eight dreary, miserable, mind-numbing years, the years of the Age of Reagan, are at long last coming to an end. These years have surely left an ominous legacy for the future: we shall undoubtedly suffer from the after-shocks of Reaganism for years to come. But at least Himself will not be there, and without the man Reagan, without what has been called his "charisma," Reaganism cannot nearly be the same.[...]
The way Reagan-Greenspan saved Social Security is a superb paradigm of Reagan's historical function in all areas of his realm; he acted to bail out statism and to co-opt and defuse any libertarian or quasi-libertarian opposition. The method worked brilliantly, for Social Security and other programs.
Anyone who knew Murray, would know that he would be excited and full of energy on news, today, that Reagan had been exposed once again as on the side of political power.Watergate was destroying amongst the masses the view of the presidency as an office for great good.. Murray wrote:
the Watergate crisis (my particular favorite) destroyed the trust of the American masses in the Presidency. For the first time in over a hundred years, the concept of impeachment of the President became, first thinkable, and then a living and glorious process.[...]libertarianism was on a roll in the 1970s. And then Something Happened.
What happened was Ronald Wilson Blithering Reagan.And now we have news, as more Nixon tapes are released, that Reagan called Nixon in the middle of Watergate, to show his continued support for Nixon
After Nixon had given a speech announcing the resignation of his aides H. .R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, who played key roles in the Watergate scandal, Reagan called and told Nixon, "You can count on us, we're still behind you out here, and I want you to know you are in our prayers...This to shall pass."
Yes, Reagan called to give support to the authoritarian Nixon, who cut the final link between gold and the dollar, who instituted price controls, launched no knock police procedures domestically and bombings in Cambodia. Here's the tape, more proof that Murray was right all along, that Reagan was nothing but a player in the inside circle and far from the fighter for liberty that he pretended to be.
Not surprisingly, George H. W. Bush also called to give support to Nixon. "I really was proud of you and by golly, I know it was tough," Bush said. "To me it came through clearly and forcefully and conveyed the depth of feeling you must have had agonizing over John and Bob..."
The power hungry stick together. Murray would have been excited that a bit of that was exposed today.
"Red" Ronnie was a fraud from the beginning. He was a socialist one-worlder masquerading as a conservative. Alan Stang wrote some great stuff about him as did the JBS. Even after he left the United World Federalists, he said he still believed in world peace through world law. He claimed to be against abortion but funded Planned Parenthood. He claimed to be against the income tax but added 5000 IRS agents. I believe he pushed through what at the time was the biggest tax increase in the history of the world. He claimed to be against communism, but was in bed with Gorbachev and wore a lapel pin of crossed Soviet and American flags. Could Jimmy Carter have gotten away with that? I think Gary North may have some good info on him, too, esp when he was Governor of California. A phony from the beginning that fooled too many people and put the conservatives to sleep. When people like Sarah Palin refer to themselves as a "Reagan Republican," is she telling us she's a fraud, too?
ReplyDeleteLOL. "Poppy" Bush, w/ his intel ties, most likely was aware of the plot of the CIA to bring down Nixon, thanks to Nixon's dogged insistence on knowing what happened to JFK (he didn't want to die in office, of course).
ReplyDeleteThere are a ton of reasons to dislike Nixon's moves in office, but to think JFK was a massive cover-up is to disregard the tons of Watergate cover up stuff as well. Bush & Reagan were just being nice imo.
For more on this, I highly recommend Russ Baker's book on the Bush family, "Family of Secrets".
I agree with you and Murray Rothbard that Reagan was a sell-out. However, these politicians only think in terms of their next elections, and so Reagan's phone call to Nixon was probably a strategic move in order to get Nixon's support in the 1976 race.
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