Ronald Reagan would have been 100 years old today. Born in Tampico, IL on Feb. 6, 1911. A native of the Land of Lincoln, but moved to California as a young man to begin his acting career. Say what you want about the Gipper, but at the end of his presidency Mr. Reagan left the United States in better shape than he found it when elected in 1980. He was exactly what America needed after the failed Carter administration. From his first day in office, positive change had come to America, and even the Ayatollah in Iran knew it. (Read Reagan's first Inaugural Address). Indeed it was no coincidence that the hostages in Iran were released some time between "I, Ronald Reagan do solemnly swear..." and "...so help me God".
While Mr. Reagan may not be a "great" president in the same league as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and FDR, he is certainly right up there with the second tier of US chiefs, honorably mentioned (Iran-Contra notwithstanding) along with other strong presidents such as James Monroe, James Polk, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. He certainly did a better job than some of the other recent occupants of the White House, such as one whose last name is a synonym for "small tree" or "shrub". Even if Mr. Reagan may have been suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's during his eight years in office, at least he didn't screw around with a White House intern and allegedly use a cigar for a dildo. Quickly recovering from an assassination attempt also scores brownie points even among gun control advocating liberals. Arguably Mr. Reagan's greatest achievement - although it didn't actually happen until a year or so after he left office - was winding down the Cold War, challenging "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" and ratcheting up US military spending so much that the Soviet Union virtually went bankrupt trying to keep up.
The Reagan legacy is fondly remembered in Patria. The 1980s were a journey from darkness to light, from the stagnation, failed policies and failed hopes of the 41st Congress (1978-1982; Patria's version of the Carter administration) to the full self-sufficiency, stability and prosperity that flourished in Patria in the 43rd Congress at the end of the Reagan administration. And in between were the years of real growth and new frontiers of the 42nd Congress (1982-1986). After Mr. Reagan's passing in June 2004, Congress declared a public day of mourning and remembrance in his honor and Patria Post issued a memorial stamp. To be fair, Patria also did the same after the death of Pierre Elliot Trudeau in 2000.
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