Bush's Place in History.

[DuncanONeil]

I think Stealth hit the nail on the head. It was Bush's attitude and secrecy and arrogance that will be his legacy. He valued loyalty over competence and did not like to hear "defeatist" talk even when it was the truth.

Reagan is judged one of the 10 best mainly because of a concerted legacy project in the 1990s. I lived through Reagan's presidency, his was not a great presidency. I feel Bush is waiting for the same type of whitewashing of his administration. He was a bad president and for my money his legacy is our current situation in Irag, the economy and the partisan nature of Washington. LOL< and the fact that the Republicans cannot even utter his name most of the time.

I take it winning the Cold War counts for nothing?

[Belgarold]

I take it winning the Cold War counts for nothing?

Reagan did not WIN the cold war. He happened to be President when Gorbachev and powers within Russia brought down the SOviet Union. He made a speech that probably hastened the bringing down of the Berlin Wall.

But, this is one incident and ignores the economical issues that helped to begin the destruction of the middle class. He destroyed government programs that put many homeless on the streets and many of the mentally ill on the streets as well. This served to make our country less safe.

So, No, 'winning' the Cold War does not count for that much.

I have just been informed by a great friend that Bush, Sr. was president during the fall of the Soviet Union. So we are both wrong there. SO how COULD Reagan have WON the Cold War?

[DuncanONeil]

Reagan did not WIN the cold war. He happened to be President when Gorbachev and powers within Russia brought down the SOviet Union. He made a speech that probably hastened the bringing down of the Berlin Wall.

But, this is one incident and ignores the economical issues that helped to begin the destruction of the middle class. He destroyed government programs that put many homeless on the streets and many of the mentally ill on the streets as well. This served to make our country less safe.

So, No, 'winning' the Cold War does not count for that much.

Sorry but the proximate cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union was their inability to maintain a parity with the defense programs of the west, driven by the research of this country. Said research was driven by the administration to President Regan!

The Cold War is not much unless it was part of your life. And it is merely one issue.

[Belgarold]

Sorry but the proximate cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union was their inability to maintain a parity with the defense programs of the west, driven by the research of this country. Said research was driven by the administration to President Regan!

The Cold War is not much unless it was part of your life. And it is merely one issue.

I would really be interested in where your information comes from. The cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union had little or no relationship with the defense programs of the West or any research we were doing.

Internal forces brought about the fall of the Soviet Union and Gorbachev had more a hand in it than anything that was done in the West.

[DuncanONeil]

I would really be interested in where your information comes from. The cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union had little or no relationship with the defense programs of the West or any research we were doing.

Internal forces brought about the fall of the Soviet Union and Gorbachev had more a hand in it than anything that was done in the West.

Internal forces, surely. As a result of external forces!