Lies about Ronald Reagan

[Dpm12]

1. Lowered taxes. (Not true Reagan RAISED taxes by 11% 7 out of his 8 years as president. He is the only president in history to lower taxes on the wealthy while at the same time, raised taxes on the poor.)
2. Was against immigration (wrong again. Reagan granted amnesty to illegal immigrants)
3. Loved America (No he didn't. He hated America and as a result, began a destructive path of destroying America.)
4. Loved the constitution and freedom (Again, WRONG. Broke the law by illegally selling weapons to Iraq to fund Contras in Nicaragua and was against Separation of Church and State. Oh and by the way, Reagan was for gun control and was reported as having said himself "why do ordinary citizens need the same kinds of weapons as the military and the police?&quot .
5. Reaganomics was a success (No, it was not. Reagan spent more than any president between Washington and Carter. Worst spending president in history. Reagan inherited a debt of $8 billion and ended his presidency with a $3 trillion debt.)

The only people who like Reagan are the rich who benefited from his policies.

[gopiscrap]

1. This guy was the worst president we have ever had!

[heaven05]

31. I think it's a tie between he and gwb

[Rex]

2. Don't forget the big lie that he hated big government!

He LOVED Big Brother!

[Cryptoad]

24. His biggest lie was

"Government is the Problem"!

No,,,, Bad Government is the Problem!
The kinda Government that the GOP has provided for over 30 years!

[hrmjustin]

3. They say he had a soul, but I really question that.

[LuvNewcastle]

41. +1000 n/t

[russspeakeasy]

4. Even his name was a lie. His real name was Imanasshole.

[Tikki]

33. That's just his first name...His last name was..Andakingsizedassholeatthat...

Tikki

[russspeakeasy]

38. That's funny.

[philosslayer]

5. I'm good with all of this, except..

The part that says "Reagan inherited a debt of $8 billion and ended his presidency with a $3 trillion debt." I highly doubt the national debt was only $8 Billion when Reagan took office.

[Jackpine Radical]

25. Here's a quick graph I made of the National Debt across those years…

Data source: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm

[JHB]

6. Where is that "8 billion" debt number from?

I recall it being closer to $1trillion, with it tripling under Reagan.

[Mc Mike]

49. ~ 900 billion debt combined from every administration up through the end of Carter.

Reagan tripled it, Poppy bush put it over 4 trillion.

Post-er probably meant 800 billion, with a typo. A lot of people don't include the debt accrued through the end of the administration's last passed budget or fiscal year, which may explain the 800 vs 900 billion discrepancy.

[tazkcmo]

7. And

He's alive in Paris.

[Agnosticsherbet]

8. Belief is Reagan is just that, belief...

He is a mythical figure to the right, not the real man, and history to them is irrelevant.

[BlueJazz]

9. I've always thought of Ronald Reagan as a pathetic, cruel dunce.

Knowing this person actually became President told me that Americans are not the brightest stars in the sky.

[Chaco Dundee]

17. hellohhhhh.

Could not have said it better myself.ad crminal and lost puppy to that,and it discribes the man well.but guys like him get put in office.take jessy ventura or adolf schwarzenegger and wonder how they qualified.may be P.vee herman is next.

[LuvNewcastle]

42. "Pathetic, cruel dunce" is very accurate.

[Motown_Johnny]

10. Lowered taxes on the rich....

..and since those are the only people the (R)s care about it is true in their eyes.


When RR took office the top tax bracket was 70%, when he left it was 28%.

[JHB]

43. Even more than the rate, it was the distribution

Last edited Sun Oct 20, 2013, 11:55 AM - Edit history (3)

Borrowing this from a post I made back in March:

Most discussion of tax history mentions the top marginal rates of the past (91% in the 50s, 70% in the 60s and 70s, 50% through most of Reagan's presidency, etc.)

I like to highlight a different aspect: leaving aside what the rates were, where did they kick in? We live in times where people argue "are couples who make $250K 'rich'?" "Should we raise taxes on people who make over $250K? Over $500K?"

Where did these sorts of things lie in the past?

Using the inflation adjusted historical tax bracket tables from The Tax Foundation for married couples filing jointly, let's break it down a little and find out the equivalents in 2012 dollars:

1945:
Total number of brackets: 24
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 14
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 9
Top bracket affects income over: $2,551,044

1955:
Total number of brackets: 24
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 16
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 11
Top bracket affects income over: $3,426,776

1965:
Total number of brackets: 25
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 13
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 8
Top bracket affects income over: $1,457,740

1975:
Total number of brackets: 25
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 9
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 5
Top bracket affects income over: $853,509

1985:
Total number of brackets: 15
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 1
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 0
Top bracket affects income over: $360,650

1995:
Total number of brackets: 5
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 1
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 0
Top bracket affects income over: $386,423

2005:
Total number of brackets: 6
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 1
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 0
Top bracket affects income over: $383,773

2013:
Total number of brackets: 7
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 2
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 0
Top bracket affects income over: $440,876

Special Bonus Gipper edition numbers:
1988:
Total number of brackets: 2 (No, not a typo. Two brackets)
# of brackets only affecting income over $250K: 0
# of brackets only affecting income over $500K: 0
Top bracket affects income over: $57,738
(There was a reason why Poppy Bush had to go back on his 'Read My Lips' line -- this rate was so low it was unsustainable (naturally, they crucified him for it). And every RWNJ wants to go back to this, or lower...)

ALL income tax progressivity for very high incomes was eliminated under Reagan, and has stayed that way ever since.

Let me repeat that last part:
ALL income tax progressivity for very high incomes was eliminated under Reagan, and has stayed that way ever since.

Brackets reached up into the equivalent of millions today. (heck, between 1936 and 1941 the top bracket kicked in at (inflation-adjusted) incomes in the ballpark of $80 million). That had been eroded by inflation, but it was cut off at the ankles under Reagan.

There are plenty of details that can be argued, but the basic structure worked for people trying to get ahead. Now it works for those who already are.

[mnmoderatedem]

45. it's sort of like gun control laws isn't it?

The nut jobs have had extreme policies go so far their way for so long and had it so far ingrained that even the slighest bit of regression of those policies, no matter how sensible and compartively minimal they are, are met with cries of protest of Communism! Marxism! Kenyan Muslism! They're Taking Our Guns-ism!

Sad part is, I ceased being shocked by this kind of stuff long ago...

[JHB]

46. I stopped being shocked too, and it's why I stress...

Last edited Tue Sep 17, 2013, 04:32 PM - Edit history (1)

...what I do in the post. When people hear about the old 90% rates they practically can't believe it and they think of it as 90% of everything and it pushes their "takers! redistribution! class warfare!" buttons. Once the button is pushed, you end up spending all your time just trying to un-push the button (even for those for whom it can be done).

By focusing on just the brackets, it really illustrated how much the tax burden has been shoved downward.

It's also the reason for my sig line.

[mnmoderatedem]

47. excellent post by the way

everyone should read it. Especially conservatives.

[hollysmom]

11. I thought the biggest lie was that he was president when he had alzheimer's

and slept through meetings.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. It was quite evident...

that his mind was going during his second termand more than one person talked about his naps.

[Thinkingabout]

35. You are absolutely correct, there was many signs he had Alzheimer's during his second term.

He also cut funds in his first term to Alzheimer's research and as my father was a victim of Alzheimer's I thought how cruel, a condition in which research could not find lifestyles or decisions in the lives of the victims. I suspected his suffering well before he left office and maybe the research would not help my father but the thing Reagan needed most in his latter years was cut by a future victim.

[Blue Idaho]

12. The guy was a bigger crook than Richard Nixon

And deserved to be impeached. The right wing spin machine spent decades making up shit about the dithering old fool so they could set him up as a false god and tell all the useful idiots to bow down and worship him. More than half the time he was in office he didn't know who he was or what he was doing. Most days he didn't even know what day it was. He was the perfect blank canvas for weasels like Lee Atwater - may he rot in hell.

[hunter]

14. Reagan was a venal creature who'd say anything for a blow job.

Seriously.

Sadly, the first time I saw him live he was a confused old man with Alzheimer's who didn't know where the hell he was led around by his handlers. But he could be still be charming and read a script.

Our so-called "fourth estate" broadcast sound bites on national television like he was still our President. It was a well practiced thing maybe, beginning in modern times with Woodrow Wilson.

U.S.A. leaders must always be strong!

Rah, rah!

[Chaco Dundee]

18. right

But you can't take from him that he paid good attention to his psychics when he was on one of his lucid moments.

[Kingofalldems]

15. K and R for the secret cavers

[cordelia]

36. And another.

[Ohio Joe]

16. "The only people who like Reagan are the rich who benefited from his policies" - This is not true

There are also a fuck load of the stupid teabagger tools who love him as well.

[Cryptoad]

23. The TEahadist

have elevated him to Sainthood!

[LostOne4Ever]

19. I think Bill Maher summed it up for me

[idwiyo]

39. K&R This video deserves it's own k&r

[deutsey]

20. Reagan put a smiley face on American fascism n/t

[Rebellious Republican]

22. Maybe a better word would be...

Plutocracy.

[Cryptoad]

21. Didn't he take office on or about 1980?????

[cactusfractal]

26. While I agree in principle...

We cannot prevail using the same subjective accusations the RWNJs use against President Obama. Plenty of abusers "love" their victims, ya know, but we're better off detailing their offenses factually than getting into discussions about how someone else felt.

Otherwise, spot on.

[oberliner]

27. Number 3 is silly

Including it weakens the very strong points you make with the other 4.

[Sedona]

28. Slight correction

Reagan sold arms to Iran to fund the Contras.

[chuckstevens]

29. Philadelphia Mississippi 1980

Thom Hartman often reminds us that Reagan deliberately kicked off his 1980 President Campaign in Philadelphia, MS. Philadelphia Mississippi is where 3 Civil Rights workers were murdered by local law enforcement during Freedom Summer in 1964. Their crime? They were aiding African Americans in their attempt to practice their constitutional right to vote. Reagan knew dam well he was sending a signal to all the racist in the South that Nixon's Southern Strategy was alive and well.

To all the right-wingers want to canonize that man as the greatest American ever: FUCK YOU!

[Jamaal510]

30. What baffles me

is how he got such an overwhelming number of Americans to vote for him. Did people NOT know that he wanted to raise taxes on the poor? He even had CA going for him, if I remember correctly.

Democrats had better not get too complacent about the Republicans supposedly becoming the minority party because they can present another smooth-talker in a flash who the wingnuts and the undecideds may want to have a beer with (I know that was used to describe Bush ll BTW), but aside from that is yet another hate-monger who would present even more toxic policies. Reagan talked about the evils of so-called "welfare queens", and people just ate it up, despite the fact that most of them are probably on federal assistance themselves. Don't think Republicans aren't capable of doing that again.

[Chipper Chat]

37. They have one.

His name is Ted Cruz.

[Grammy23]

32. The lie that drove me over the edge was the one about him being "the great communicator".

I could barely stand to hear the man speak. It was like nails on the blackboard and frankly, thought that much of what he said was not that great. And yet, somehow, he has been labeled as the GREAT COMMUNICATOR. Bah!

And the truth about his Alzheimer's is that he probably had it already when he came into office. It is a horrible disease and usually takes time to develop. He didn't wake up in 1986 and .... BOOM.....he had it. The last years of his presidency were laden with symptoms that were either ignored or explained away. It is more than likely that he was not really making decisions over matters of state but was just a figure head until he left office. Most Americans never caught on to that fact because his reputation as the great communicator hung on long after it was obvious something was wrong. So the scary thing is that he probably was not fully capable to be President from his first day in office.

[xfundy]

34. True. And Nancy called in mediums with crystal balls

so she could cover for Ray-gun.

Not making it up. Read history.

And, yeah, I said "balls." Nyuk.

[TBF]

40. Reagan was the first to cut the capital gains tax -

and I believe every president since has followed suit. Maybe not Obama - that I would have to look up. I know all the others did.

Reagan and the "tax reform act of 1986" --

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Reform_Act_of_1986

But make no mistake - it was a bipartisan effort. It is not only the republicans that have led this country to the horrible state of income inequality in the US today.

[YoungDemCA]

44. That anything close to a majority of the American people ever supported his policies...

The truth is, many of the people who voted for him did so for superficial reasons ("Oh he was so charismatic and had a sunny disposition!&quot , yet many of those same people were hurt by his administration's horrific economic and social policies. His policies were never very popular, and the man himself came close to being impeached because of the Iran-Contra war crimes and lies surrounding that.

And what's often left out of the historical narrative is that many of the people who voted against him were members of minority groups-black Americans, Latinos, the LGBT community, the very poor-all of whom were (often deliberately) targeted by the Reaganites for economic and social disenfranchisement and oppression-by-policy.

Reagan's policies really only benefited the rich, of course, so it makes "sense" that many of the most selfish and narcissistic people in this country like him so much.

[tabasco]

48. Loved him some taliban