History Will Tell What Reagan’s Policies Did

When Ronald Reagan became president, he was vilified at home and abroad as a “cowboy actor” with no foreign policy experience. The results of his eight years of presidency will confirm him as one of our great presidents (current liberal historians to the contrary).

There is a parallel to President George W. Bush, who shares the same traits and criticisms. Perhaps history will confer the same greatness on President Bush for the foresight to confront radical Muslim terrorists instead of waiting for further strikes.

Gary A. Robb

Los Feliz

I think Americans give Reagan way too much credit for the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was ready to implode under its own weight. What Reagan did “set the stage” for was the neocon movement that propelled an illiterate simpleton fundamentalist like Bush 43 into the White House, with disastrous results for the U.S. and the world for years to come.

Stephany Yablow

North Hollywood

Ronald Reagan will be remembered as a great patriot and optimist who lifted America out of its malaise with his communication skills. However, President Reagan should not be given sole credit for winning the Cold War. History will prove that the Soviet Union would have inevitably collapsed under the weight of its own inefficiency and corruption.

Philip R. Blustein

Beverly Hills

Ronald Reagan was a darling of the conservative right: divorced, out of touch, no grasp of simple economics, taking numerous extended vacations, a bad judge of character and presiding over catastrophic failures of domestic and foreign policy (Iran-contra, the savings and loan debacle, high interest rates, etc.). To imply that he was responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union is to ignore the contributions of 50 years of preceding presidencies. He was instead a fine communicator skilled at pulling the wool over the eyes of the electorate. His presidency is where the phrase “Teflon president” came from.

Bernard Kane

Torrance

The death of President Reagan isn’t only America’s loss but the entire world’s, including people on both sides of the former Iron Curtain. One wonders if people of the former Soviet Union realize what a great champion they have lost.

Robert Bartow

Calabasas

My late father used to brag that he had voted against Reagan four times. I can only brag to my children that I voted against Reagan twice. Life truly isn’t fair.

Leslie N. Herschler

Garden Grove

Because of President Reagan’s belief in what the people of this nation are capable of achieving, it will always be “Morning in America.”

John G. Thompson

Sylmar