Was the "Messiah" Ronald Reagan a Socialist or Marxist?

[Tim4319]

Reagan initially signed the Earn Income Tax Credit! Isn't this a form of "Redistribution of Wealth"? How come Reagan is viewed as untouchable when he proposed pretty much the same idea that Barack is proposing now? I find this to be extremely hypocritical! But, we are talking about the Republican Party, I'm not the least surprised!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-abrams/reagan-the-redistributor_b_138428.html

The Obama tax program involves increasing by a whopping 4% the tax rate for those whose adjusted gross income is over $250,000, and reducing taxes on everyone else.

Republicans have rightly pointed out that 40% of American households do not pay income tax -- although they more often wrongly just stop at saying that they do not pay taxes, period. From the second, wrong, statement, they assert that giving money to those who do not pay taxes is welfare, socialism and, now, communism.

Actually, these lower income people do pay taxes -- payroll taxes and medicare taxes that are quite significant. Lest anyone become apoplectic that revenues from those taxes are not part of the budget, think again: the social security trust fund has been making up the deficits in the US budget for decades. If it were not for appropriating the surplus in the social security trust fund, even the Republican Congress would have found it difficult to enact its tax cuts.

But even if that were not true, and that the social security trust fund were indeed in a 'lock-box', the Republicans have a bigger problem: the earned income tax credit ("EITC") that was enacted by Gerald Ford and then re-enacted and expanded in 1986 by... could it be, don't tell me, say it ain't so!... Ronald Reagan.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Ironically , RR was a liberal before he met Nancy Davis. He became

a conservative incrementally, esp. after getting exposed to the views of her stepfather, Loyal Davis, who was right of Barry Goldwater. Later, RR became a loyal republican as it was profitable for him to do so.

[Wapsie B]

4. That's why I've always looked on Ronnie as an opportunist rather than a true conservative.

His indoctrination by Davis opened his eyes to the impending pendulum shift in American politics. He then positioned himself to be the man to lead this shift in ideology.

[Tim4319]

6. Wow! I did not know that.

I believe, like McCain, he cheated on is former wife with his current wife.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Sorry. He didn't do Nancy until years after his divorce from Jane.

Jane divorced him b/c RR got too worked up about Hollywood politics and that bored the shit out of her. RR then went nuts dating starlets. Nancy made it a point to meet HIM b/c he was president of SAG and her name appeared on a communist blacklist, mistaken for another actress named Nancy Davis. They dated, he impregnanted her (allegedly), and they married at the home of William Holden and his wife, Ardis.

[Tim4319]

11. Okay, thanks for correcting me.

I wasn't sure, that is why I said I believe. I don't know where I heard that from, but I thought I had heard that his situation with Nancy was similar to John and Cindy's. But, like they say, you learn something know everyday. Thanks again!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Reagan was a puppet.

Like Bush, he did what he was told.

[Hepburn]

2. He was a fucking, mean-spirited asshole who...

picked on those who could not defend against his actions. I live in California and I totally recall what the asshole did to try and screw over certain classes of people when he was governor. For example, the students ~~ RR instituted tuition in the University of California which has previously had a proud tradition of being tuition free. And, mega fuck him for this one: He closed the mental health centers that offered day care to those who were suffering mental problems and the asshole put them on the street.

I hope the evil SOB is rotting in hell right now. Some times Karma is a bitch and IMO in came to Ronnie Raygun for what he did to the mentally disabled by having Alzheimer's visited upon him.

[ensho]

3. he was a neo con

nt

[democrat2thecore]

10. He was a lot of things - but a neocon? NOPE

His foreign policy ended up being very restrained after his '84 re-election. Remember the multiple Reagan-Gorbachev meetings and that near historic meeting in Reykjavík? The neocons in the administration hated him for that and advised against the summits. It was VP George Bush, in the basement, plotting the neocon strategies with Ollie North, John Poindexter, etc. Reagan did a lot of things wrong - but a neocon, he wasn't.

[vaberella]

5. He was neither. He loved taxes more than most Presidents

He was a neo-conservative. Jesus and Marx hate nad despised taxes. Although Marx saw it as a necessary function of Capitalism.

[Overseas]

8. Maybe the needy BEGGED for the EITC. Republicans like people to beg.

They prefer to cut social programs so we can all beg for help and they can get gold stars for handing us a cookie.