So Much Hatred and Disdain for Ronald Reagan - from MAGAs and the left.

Like it or not, and regardless of his economic policies and cultural positions, the United States not only avoided World War III, but we won the Cold War.

Give credit when credit is due.

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ElwoodBlues · M

I think winning the Cold War began with the Berlin Airlift if not earlier. I think 30 years of presidents and policy won the Cold War. I don't know of anything that singles Reagan out as a more assiduous cold warrior than any of the others. It was an economic battle; we spent them into oblivion.

P.S. two factors that hollowed our our middle class got rolling under Reagan: the weakening of unions, and the offshoring of manufacturing.

beckyromero · 36-40, FVIP

@ElwoodBlues

It was an economic battle; we spent them into oblivion.

On military spending, yes.

Which ramped up during the Reagan years after reductions when we pulled out of Vietnam.

The 1940s was World War II. The 50s? Korea. The 60s? Vietnam.

See:

Also, you need to take into account that the Soviets (like China now) get "more bang for their buck" (or rather, rubles), so to speak, do to our higher standard of living (and therefore more costly defense procurements).

There's no harm in sharing the below data from a now declassified CIA report on U.S. and Soviet spending.

(Read that Trumpets? I'm not sharing SECRET data, unlike ex-president Trump).

Look at Ford/Carter years and then at the Reagan years.