Quote:
Originally Posted by Pogo
The notion that Reagan was for less gov't is a fraud. The centerpiece of the Reagan presidency was his Keynesian military expenditures. That's BIG gov't, not less gov't.  |
The Reagan administration did put a lot of emphasis and money on the military, but the purpose was hardly a Keynesian economic purpose. Reagan believed that the Soviet Union was an empire of evil and that the USA in particular and the Free World in general needed a strong military defence against the military threat of communist regimes.
In hindsight it is clear that Reagan was right. The greater armament spending forced the Soviet Union to spend more on its military. This was an important factor to make the Soviet Union bancrupt, thus forcing it to leave the influence in the Warsaw Pact states and eventually to be dissolved entirely. The result was democracy in most of Central and Eastern Europe.
Gorbachew got the Nobel Peace prize for his role to make these events peaceful. Reagan would have deserved it better.