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Ronald Reagan | |
|---|---|
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| Born | February 6, 1911 Tampico, Illinois, United States |
| Died | June 5, 2004 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Political orientation | Anti-communism Homophobia Neoliberalism White supremacy Imperialism |
| Political party | Republican Party |
Ronald Reagan was a neoliberal U.S. politician who served as President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Reagan served as President towards the end of the Cold War and his policies assisted Mikhail Gorbachev in his dismantling of the Soviet Union, although his role is often exaggerated by bourgeois media. Both domestically and internationally Reagan systematically increased human suffering with his support for the bourgeoisie against workers and progressive movements.
Early life[edit | edit source]
Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in the small town of Tampico and grew up in the town of Dixon, both in Illinois. He was the younger son of Jack Reagan, an Irish, Catholic shoe salesman and alcoholic, and Nelle Wilson a devout Protestant who inducted Ronald into the sect Disciples of Christ. In school he wasn't academically inclined and preferred horses and football despite issues with his sight and size.[1]
Presidency[edit | edit source]
Domestic policy[edit | edit source]
Reagan cut taxes for the rich and increased income inequality.[2] He blamed the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s on gay people instead of trying to eradicate the disease. His policies caused thousands of needless deaths.[3] In 1981, Reagan fired over 11,000 PATCO union air traffic controllers who were striking to demand fairer working conditions.[4] He also arrested the PATCO union leaders. To this day, union busting businesses draw inspiration from Reagan’s actions at the time.[4] In addition to union busting, Reagan cut subsidized housing by more than 80% and said that homeless people were homeless by choice.[5]
Foreign policy[edit | edit source]
Reagan funded death squads in El Salvador and Guatemala that committed genocide against indigenous peoples, as well as the far-right Contras in Nicaragua.[6]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Hugh Brogan (2004-06-07). "Ronald Reagan obituary" The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2025-02-09.
- ↑ Margaret Kimberley (2011-02-09). "Freedom Rider: Ronald Reagan’s Demons" Black Agenda Report. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ↑ Gloria La Riva (2016-03-13). "La Riva on Clinton, Reagans and AIDS: “Clinton just re-wrote history”" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2020-01-11. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 More Perfect Union (02-16-2024). "This Is The Most Stressful Job In The World". YouTube.
- ↑ "Homelessness and the Reagan legacy" (2013-02-01). Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ↑ "The Real Reagan" (2011-06-22). Red Phoenix. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2022-08-21.