The Magnificent Myth of Ronald Reagan

TINMHITTMAL

 

Yeah, Nixon knew what the office demanded. But his paranoia was off the charts.

 

I've been meaning to ask. What the fuck does that even stand for?

 

Sounds like somebody's not a fan of the Sound of Music.

 

I can't give away all my secrets.

 

It's because he's (in semiotic terms) an icon. He's idolized by conservatives and hated by liberals not because of all actions during his time in office but because of what he stands for in their worldviews. Conservatives remember only the ass-kicker that destroyed the Soviet Union, liberals remember only how his economic policy wreaked havoc and increaded wage disparity. No one wants to consider things like comprising with congressional democrats or negotiating a nuclear arms reduction with the Soviet Union. Facts like that don't fit into whatever stereotypes people have in their minds.

Same thing has happened today with President Obama. He's a liberal hero even though the wage gap has grown and drone warfare has drastically increased. He's a conservative villain even though budget deficits have decreased and deportations have increased.

 

Sunshine tells jokes in languages that only he understands.

 

It's English, but I will explain it to you if you ask nicely.

 

Wait a minute, wait a minute. You're willing to finally reveal part of your code? After all these years, we'll finally find out the formula to the Crabby Patty?

OK, please explain what it means.

 

I don't know if that's going to qualify as asking nicely.

 

Not nice enough. You made a personal attack in that post, which, as you know, is against board policy .

 

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