Politics As Usual

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
I've been waiting for this all week. The true feelings finally come out. You've been biting your tounge all week, so as to appear respectful, but it's just getting the best of you isn't?

No. I agree with a lot of what's said. But see Charles Krauthammer's column today, in which he attacked Democrats for praising Reagan's optimism -- it seemed to me an inappropriate and false note, but I have respect for the man. At the same time, I don't have a lot of time for the ritual of saying only nice things about the dead when the dead are public figures, especially when one doesn't need to look very far to see people trying to leverage that ritual for political advantage. But we've had some interesting discussions about Reagan this week, and I haven't been pulling my punches.

For what it's worth, I am a bit bothered by the coverage as well. That is to say that I've had my fill of the lionization. The presidency speaks for itself. There is no reason to push it down the nation's throat.

It's just gone on too long. I don't know who's idea it was to hold the funeral seven days after he died, but it was too long if you ask me.

As to the article, I read it as suggesting that the cold war was really won because some east germans slipped throught fence and Reagan was just on the sidelines. Folks like Walesa, who were on the wrong side of the fence, obviously disagree with that characterization.

A lot of people can share a lot of credit, and Walesa and Reagan are two of them. I think we in this country tend to overstate our own role and do not sufficiently appreciate what went on elsewhere.