Barry Clemons’ Feb. 10 expressions of fear and paranoia led me to contemplate the wide contrast between canonized Republican Ronald Reagan and the current President.
I am no fan of Mr. Reagan’s policies. “Trickle down economics,” believing tax cuts for the wealthy brings widespread prosperity, always proves to have the opposite effect. It leads to wealth concentration in the 1 percent and wealth decline in the middle class. Mr. Reagan’s shibboleth that government action always creates problems, thus stifling economic growth, has also been disproven time and again. However, there is much to be admired when recalling Reagan and it is those characteristics that reflect so poorly on Mr. Trump.
The 40th President was an optimist about the innate goodness of the American people and nation. He saw us as the “Shining City on the Hill,” and not as a place of “carnage” that must retreat behind walls from a rising tide of enemies.
Mr. Reagan looked at the hapless refugees of Southeast Asia, deplored their suffering and declared it was our moral duty to offer them sanctuary, even though they didn’t speak our language, were racially different, and did not practice our religions. When confronting identical suffering, Trump says, “Danger! Keep them out! Not our problem!”
Reagan embraced the words of Emma Lazarus’ poem on Lady Liberty and saw her torch as a beacon of welcome to the world, always seeing immigration as a positive good. Trump seems to want to replace Lazarus’ words with a “Posted — Keep Out” sign and replace the torch with a giant middle finger.
Reagan embraced allies and alliances, appointed competent experienced aides, and expanded trade, believing both trading partners would prosper. Trump … well?
Reagan was charming and self effacing, made jokes at his own expense, was never petty or spiteful. I will not even attempt to draw a comparison.
Reagan believed our best days were yet to come and we would reach them because we all believed in the same dream. Trump?
What has happened to Reagan’s party? When did they become so pessimistic, so terrified of the world and our future?
Tom DeBor
Poulsbo
