Giving credit to a US president for political change in the USSR seems a
little
far fetched. The people of the USSR and Eastern Europe were responsible for
that change.
Having actually lived in Europe during that time I cannot say that any of
the
activists I know considered Ronald Reagan a major influence on the events.
The USSR was bankrupt since Nixon's time so starting an arms race to
bankrupt them further was superfluous - and in any case the records of arms
production show that the USSR did not follow the US lead.
Reagan's intervention may have been decisive in leading to the collapse and
breakup of the USSR after the velvet revolution took place. But if so this
was an unanticipated and unintended consequence. Like every general in
the NATO armed forces, Reagan saw the USSR as a monolithic and
invincible superpower, in his mind it was the evil empire poised to conquer
Europe, not the decayed and rotten empire that only needed a good kick
to start the collapse.
As for his limited intellect, I have personally heard Margaret Thatcher make
jokes about that so it can hardly be an exclusively left wing notion.
[Although
the idea of Thatcher making jokes is somewhat astonishing it did happen on
that occasion.]
The test of the Jackson decision will be if it stands. At the current time
he appears
to be attempting to short circuit the appeals court with a leapfrog appeal
to
the supreme court because it is clear the appeals court will strike out much
of his opinion.
The idea that one person alone should decide such a case is pretty bizare.
The
idea that one person should be the sole decider of fact is equally bizare.
Phill
PS, those are points of information, not points of order.
----- Original Message -----
From: Reese <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Phillip Hallam-Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Matthew Gaylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: Microsoft: A Day Of Satisfaction As Corporate Bully
GetsComeuppance
> At 12:58 AM 05/04/00 -0400, Phillip Hallam-Baker wrote:
> >
> >> GUILTY.
> >
> >> A federal judge appointed by Ronald Reagan, the most pro-business and
> >> anti-antitrust president in recent memory..
> >
> >Ronald Reagan was best known for his limited intellect rather than
specific
> >policy positions. He was also 'anti big government' but presided over the
> >largest peacetime expansion of the military in history.
>
> Point of Order: Reagan _is_ best known for ending the Cold War, except
> amongst bleeding hearts who would leave America defenseless against all
> aggressors.
>
> Point of Order. Big Military |= Big Government. What Reagan built up in
> the military, Clinton dismantled, while growing the civilian side of
> government to even larger excess.
>
> You obviously have a bias against Reagan.
>
> I'm going to leave all the lists you crossposted to intact, hopefully my
> reply will go on through, or be approved by the moderator.
>
> Reese
>
