Actually I'd say there's many distinct policy similarities between Reagan and Bush. Each granted stimulating tax cuts at a critical time in the economy's health. Each ramped up defense spending. Reagan outspent Russia into obliteration. Both Reagan and Bush saw huge increases in the debt, Reagan though had a free spending Democratic Congress while Bush is ignorant of his veto power. Many of the lower ranking players twenty years ago for Reagan are senior people in the Bush administration. Each was DESPISED by the left. Occasionally I'll read an old quote by Springsteen or someone about Reagan and it would be the same rhetoric he and his ilk would use about Bush today. The major difference between Reagan and Bush was one of style. Reagan was the right age at the right time. He was an accomplished orator who had Hitler like persuasion when presenting his agenda. He was funny, sincere, folksy and yet classy. He was the last great American. Ever. Reagan would have sold Iraq to the electorate with emotional precision. But as far as substantive comparisons: Bush is much closer to being Reagan2 than he is to Bush2.
Life isn't about being independent. It's about being correct. An independent thinker may think he's outside my narrow box when he states 2+2=7 but the fact is, he's still wrong.
I would agree that in catholic terms of scope, as far as interpreting a course that America must undertake for the next couple of decades, Bush has been the most forward looking President since Reagan. Despite what the left thinks, he's gone out of his way to be kind toward Islam. There's many reactionaries in Congress-Hillary deep down may be one of them-who would be willing to wage genocide on Islam.
Life isn't about being independent. Yours certainly is not. As long as you get your tax cuts and talking points you'll be just fine. That some one else, maybe your own children, will eventually have to pay for the tax cuts, that the talking points make no sense and completely contradict yesterday's talking points... Hmm that would take an indepedent thinker to sort it all out and we hate independent thinkers, don't we?
A close analogy: A spoiled brat child given the podium to direct US resources as guided by his father´s oil company friends..... The US needs a ¨REAL¨president....and the Bush elitists should not be able to walk away scott free....
Tax cuts while you increase spending, brilliant! It amazes me how people can think that is a good idea.
Well, parallels with Reagan's administration is true in at least one respect: Reagan was the one who started the nat'l "borrow and spend policy". In both administrations, the need to stimulate the economy was warranted. The only (big) difference is the Reagan era did not abuse the policy, where as today's leaders have run amuck with borrow and spend. Especially since the need to stimulate the economy has passed.
I'd rather see deficits then a depression. You've never heard of Keynesian economics? How would you have averted a severe crisis in the early eighties?