Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

yaesu

(8,020 posts)
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 04:03 PM Dec 2020

I've been binge watching The Americans during this strange pandemic xmas break & a scene hit hard

Showing Reagan making his famous Evil Empire speech. I knew about the speech but what I didn't know, thanks to the show including real news footage, is that he made that speech in front of an evangelical convention. Now, it seems a little odd to me that evangelicals were all anti Soviet Union back then but now they lovingly embrace the guy who works for that same but rebranded Soviet Union.

A part of that Russia Evil Empire speech where Reagan calls for the end of simple minded appeasement, something tRump has done from day one

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
I've been binge watching The Americans during this strange pandemic xmas break & a scene hit hard (Original Post) yaesu Dec 2020 OP
They don't concern themselves with policy. They just parrot whatever Dear Leader says: "We have tblue37 Dec 2020 #1
Yep Cosmocat Dec 2020 #3
I Faux pas Dec 2020 #2
I remember when he gave that speech and I remember liberalhistorian Dec 2020 #4
I have been binge watching the Americans too. msfiddlestix Dec 2020 #5
Putin solidified power by embracing Russian Orthodox Church and cultivating Jewish support too wishstar Dec 2020 #6
One of the best shows ever hands down, horribly underrated. dewsgirl Dec 2020 #7
This message was self-deleted by its author dewsgirl Dec 2020 #8
They obey anyone who yanks the leash randr Dec 2020 #9
They obey anyone who yanks the leash randr Dec 2020 #10
Yup. No coinky-dink. Strong conservatives, by personality (and Hortensis Dec 2020 #11

tblue37

(64,979 posts)
1. They don't concern themselves with policy. They just parrot whatever Dear Leader says: "We have
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 04:06 PM
Dec 2020

always been at war with Eastasia. "

Cosmocat

(14,543 posts)
3. Yep
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 05:49 PM
Dec 2020

They just bound from one fanatical fuckwittery to the next with not the first concern for hiw contradictory it all is.

Faux pas

(14,582 posts)
2. I
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 04:09 PM
Dec 2020

loved the Americans. It's really dark and gritty. BTW if you (or anybody else) want a reminder of how disgusting old ronnie and diva nancy really were, showtime has an excellent 4 part series on them.

Happy Holidays!

liberalhistorian

(20,809 posts)
4. I remember when he gave that speech and I remember
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 05:55 PM
Dec 2020

vividly when evangelicals and the religious "right" were staunchly, almost viscerally anti-Soviet and it, along with abortion views, was a prime litmus test for them. That's why I've been unceasingly floored and amazed at their enthusiastic embrace of and fealty toward Trump.

msfiddlestix

(7,265 posts)
5. I have been binge watching the Americans too.
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 05:58 PM
Dec 2020

I remember Ronald Reagan ranting Evil Empire a number of times, It wasn't just Evangelicals though they were a significant part of the so called "silent majority" ala usual suspects, the Falwells, Graham, Robertson etc. But the John Burch Society (Orange County California) had a huge impact also with their obsessive anti-communist rhetoric (which helped mightily to clinch electoral votes to help him remain in office for another term. That whole "evil empire" meme carried over to Bush jr, which triggered intense reaction from us, or those of us who consider ourselves as anti-war activists going back to the 60's Vietnam era.

It's sort of interesting watching this program. Some of it is too cheesy for words, and one has to suspend a whole lot of "disbelief" in just about every twist and turn.. But it' better than real life and that I can find this entertaining will be interesting to reflect on later down the road. I do like being reminded of the cultural and technical norms of the day.

wishstar

(5,267 posts)
6. Putin solidified power by embracing Russian Orthodox Church and cultivating Jewish support too
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 05:58 PM
Dec 2020

Putin turning away from the atheism of Soviet Union won him support from conservatives.

Response to yaesu (Original post)

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
11. Yup. No coinky-dink. Strong conservatives, by personality (and
Fri Dec 25, 2020, 07:11 PM
Dec 2020

the authoritarian types Reagan and Trump draws are very strong) are "wired" to fear a big existential enemy they always know is out there and which they must defeat before it destroys America. I can't count the conservative acquaintances over the decades who believed we had to nuke Russia, and later Iran, before they got us. The nice ones regretted it but didn't doubt the necessity. The very strong types are also wired to believe only unconditional surrender will make them safe; all peaceful agreements are proof of incompetent leaders at best, and possibly treasonous. I remember real hysteria over the nuclear test ban treaties.

And of course the people Reagan was getting all worked up are the same ones who either were or agreed with the commie-phobic John Birchers before him and all the aggressively hostile iterations since. They were always suspicious, of course, of enemies within, but when the Soviet Union fell they were turned inward by toxic manipulation against Democrats/liberals as the fearsome enemy they must defeat to save America.

Of course, they were already predisposed to like Putin as the kind of strong and authoritarian but good leader they believe America needs, so many are happy to have him as a powerful ally in their great war against their common enemy.

And here we are, after decades of being made into their worst political selves, witnessing their fear-driven rage at the specter of socialist takeover. And just plain really aggressive nastiness as well. Reagan knew exactly what he was doing but probably underestimated the potentially enormous danger, even though he lived through WWII.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»I've been binge watching ...