How Reagan fucked us explained

[Chew Toy McCoy]

A Personal Apology to Young Americans for Failing to Stop Ronald Reagan

"When Reagan was elected there wasn't a single billionaire in America; now they're appearing like popcorn, while all around us homelessness spreads like a relentless fungus, destroying the lives of millions of Americans—particularly millennials."

www.commondreams.org

Long but good read. Lots of good “back then…but now” comparisons made.

 

[SuperMatt]

A Personal Apology to Young Americans for Failing to Stop Ronald Reagan

"When Reagan was elected there wasn't a single billionaire in America; now they're appearing like popcorn, while all around us homelessness spreads like a relentless fungus, destroying the lives of millions of Americans—particularly millennials."

www.commondreams.org

Long but good read. Lots of good “back then…but now” comparisons made.

Here’s a related radio story, about the Hormel strike of 1985. A town where business owners and workers lived in harmony until the company tried to cut all the workers’ pay by 20% and also cut benefits.

Cram Your SPAM | The Experiment | WNYC Studios

How SPAM built a town—and tore it apart

www.wnycstudios.org

The anti-union actions of Reagan were outrageous at the time (specifically his actions against air traffic controllers). But after he did that, every company started cutting wages, daring workers to strike.

What I find infuriating is that people blame China or some other foreign country (it was Japan in the 80s) for the decades-long losses of good-paying jobs. But they also hate unions and love Reagan? The narrative of “well it’s just global competition so blame the foreigners” is so obviously false. However, people fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Reagan and his cronies destroyed labor in America. Their savior Trump cut taxes for businesses and did nothing to bring back the jobs.

They can’t even see that their own heroes are the ones f-ing them over, then blaming it on anybody and everybody else.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Here’s a related radio story, about the Hormel strike of 1985. A town where business owners and workers lived in harmony until the company tried to cut all the workers’ pay by 20% and also cut benefits.

Cram Your SPAM | The Experiment | WNYC Studios

How SPAM built a town—and tore it apart

www.wnycstudios.org

The anti-union actions of Reagan were outrageous at the time (specifically his actions against air traffic controllers). But after he did that, every company started cutting wages, daring workers to strike.

What I find infuriating is that people blame China or some other foreign country (it was Japan in the 80s) for the decades-long losses of good-paying jobs. But they also hate unions and love Reagan? The narrative of “well it’s just global competition so blame the foreigners” is so obviously false. However, people fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Reagan and his cronies destroyed labor in America. Their savior Trump cut taxes for businesses and did nothing to bring back the jobs.

They can’t even see that their own heroes are the ones f-ing them over, then blaming it on anybody and everybody else.

The current wave of corporate union busting tactics is so blatant and off the charts along with a long successful campaign of painting every union worker as lazy and overpaid.

Those comparisons between back then and now reminded me of a recent standup bit I saw where the comedian was talking about his dad giving him dated job interview advice.

"Did you shake his hand and look him in the eye?"

"Yes"

"Hmm, then I don't really know what else to tell you because that's how I became the VP of Circuit City."

 

[Yoused]

I was an adult during the Reagan years – well, old enough to drink and get into some serious trouble, anyway, but mentally I am much younger than I was back then – and it was blisteringly obvious to a person with half a brain for these things (the other half properly stoned) that he was doing America up the dark tunnel hard and not even using any lubrication.

I did hear a rumor that he once did a non-loathsome thing, but I find that nigh impossible to believe.

 

[ronntaylor]

Reagan married Goldwater's and Nixon's shenanigans with a benevolent smile. As long as he was targeting Black people without calling them niggers (at least not in public) too many didn't care. He was hurting "those people" so too many turned a blind eye. It was similar to some Mango supporter that lamented that she thought he would only hurt others, not people like her.

I remember Pops (my stepdad) telling us labor was finished when he fired the Air Traffic Controllers. He said if he can get away with firing highly-paid white guys, every other union worker could kiss their asses goodbye. He didn't like Carter and thought he was also too conservative. But he was gung ho about getting him re-elected. My folks turned my twin and I from adoring fans of Reagan (hey, we were 12 when he announced and didn't know any better) to supporters of Carter.

 

[GermanSuplex]

For a party that hates Hollywood, they sure do seem to love racist c-list celebs.

Reagan was a horrible president, but he had a lot of appeal for whatever reasons - the celebrity, the smile... and he could at least act presidential and not like a buffoon.

It's funny to hear claims of Biden being unfit to serve by the right, when by all accounts, Reagan and Trump were clearly both at the end of their presidencies, and nothing was done. Biden has always been known as a gaffe machine and prone to brain farts. Much like George W. Bush was known as "stupid". I never took the claims of him being stupid seriously, it was more a "gee shucks" kind of goofiness.

My point is, republicans are hypocrites and they pick strange cult leaders.

 

[Yoused]

Much like George W. Bush was known as "stupid". I never took the claims of him being stupid seriously, it was more a "gee shucks" kind of goofiness.

Venal and short-sighted is a flavor of stupid. In fact, I believe one can be sly, clever and an idiot all at the same time.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

It’s kind of interesting tracing things from Reagan to Trump. Back in the 80’s Trump was worshipped as a business leader to emulate and probably the only business celebrity that everybody of every class recognized. He was clearly liberal on just about everything except for possibly taxes. Flash forward to today and he is seen as a joke and conman amongst the peers that once worshipped him and is now worshipped by those who would have saw him as the poster child for everything that was wrong with America and liberals back in the 80’s. Yet he’s largely remained the exact same person the entire time. The exception is he now acknowledges a class of people he would have previously spit on if he thinks it will get him votes.

 

[SuperMatt]

It’s kind of interesting tracing things from Reagan to Trump. Back in the 80’s Trump was worshipped as a business leader to emulate and probably the only business celebrity that everybody of every class recognized. He was clearly liberal on just about everything except for possibly taxes. Flash forward to today and he is seen as a joke and conman amongst the peers that once worshipped him and is now worshipped by those who would have saw him as the poster child for everything that was wrong with America and liberals back in the 80’s. Yet he’s largely remained the exact same person the entire time. The exception is he now acknowledges a class of people he would have previously spit on if he thinks it will get him votes.

I read an article about people who supported Trump, even if they thought he was a bit offensive. Almost all of them thought he would improve the economy due to his business experience. Of course, much of his supposed success was a scam they believed due to the Apprentice TV show.

We need to deprogram America from believing that successful businessmen are geniuses who can solve all of our problems. When you look at it, they’re mostly people with prior wealth and connections who got lucky on a certain investment, usually not even having to put up their own money for it, but getting low-interest loans or investment from vulture capital firms.

 

[Yoused]

Back in the 80’s Trump was worshipped as a business leader to emulate

I remember the '80s: you may need to choose a different word, because I do not believe that "worship" is even close to how most people, even his peers, felt about that guy.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I remember the '80s: you may need to choose a different word, because I do not believe that "worship" is even close to how most people, even his peers, felt about that guy.

I may be conflating my memory of the 80's with American Psycho. In my defense I was in my teens at the time and my exposure to Trump was largely the Hollywoodification version which was also in its infancy of merging with news.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I read an article about people who supported Trump, even if they thought he was a bit offensive. Almost all of them thought he would improve the economy due to his business experience. Of course, much of his supposed success was a scam they believed due to the Apprentice TV show.

We need to deprogram America from believing that successful businessmen are geniuses who can solve all of our problems. When you look at it, they’re mostly people with prior wealth and connections who got lucky on a certain investment, usually not even having to put up their own money for it, but getting low-interest loans or investment from vulture capital firms.

The biggest deprogramming hurdle will be making people confront the fact that “The American Dream” isn’t an official right and has been a myth for most of their lifetime. You haven’t achieved shit. At best you’ve been allowed to maintain a certain level of comfort for an extended period of time but that’s always under threat and up for review and cancelation if those above you start to feel a slight pang of discomfort. But don’t look at them. That’s unAmerican. Always look down for the source of your problems.

 

[GermanSuplex]

I believe Trump’s ego has ruined him. If he was as stupid in the 80’s and 90’s as he is now, he did a much better job of hiding it. I see interviews of him from back then and he could hold a conversation and had an aura about him. By the time a black man became president, his demeanor had clearly changed.

That said, this is all hindsight, I only knew him from rap songs, tabloid magazines and his cameos back then. I never paid him any attention, he was just a novelty celeb. Now he joins a list of other crappy celebs with bad endings - the Girls Gone Wild dude, Jared the Subway guy, crap like that.

As for Reagan, it’s amazing how Trump has simultaneously made Reagan look both worse and better at the same time. Better because Reagan did have crossover support (well, that and he wasn’t a non-stop criminal dipshit who couldn’t make it two sentences without telling us how amazingly great he was), but also much worse because he really loved blowing that racist dog whistle, and Trump’s criminal syndicate administration reminds me of how corrupt Reagan’s cabinet was.

 

[Yoused]

If he was as stupid in the 80’s and 90’s as he is now, he did a much better job of hiding it.

The evidence suggests that he was indeed just as stupid back then, one of the strongest indicators the fact that he Chapter-11ed more than one casino. The prices his places charge are a sign not of quality but of a person who is totally inept at running a business and mostly just wants more money because he seems to keep pissing it away.

Yeah, it appears he was not only always stupid but always an unrepentant asshole on top of that. But, we live in a country that can reward stupid assholery very handsomely, but try to get ahead on decency, GLWT.