opinion
Quote:For Reagan, one point of potential vulnerability is Lebanon and the bombing of the Marine barracks in 1983. Withdrawing American troops after the death of 241 Marines seemed politically prudent in light of public opinion wary of involvement in that volatile region. Yet in the Middle East, some terrorists concluded that the United States would wilt in a crisis. If the war against terrorism drags on, this episode could acquire greater significance and alter the note of triumph that has dominated the past week. Success in the Cold War, which seemed so pivotal after Reagan left office, could come to be seen as something that was likely to have occurred in due course anyway. Victory or defeat in Iraq could also influence the way Reagan's presidency is evaluated. A protracted national debate over "Who Lost Iraq?" would detract from the historical Ronald Reagan, whose administration furnished military equipment and intelligence to Saddam Hussein.
It's ironic that as the Cold War ended, the War of Terrorism against us began. Critics could argue that Reagan helped begin the war of terror aginst the US by his weakness. I am baffled by this prediliction by many to canonize Reagan, he was likeable guy who pretty good President overall but in many ways a failure. In the opinion of Reagan aide David Gergen, (sp?) (source NPR) in several areas, he was completely detached. His failure to act on AIDS and HIV wasn't, according to Gergen, due to homophobia, he simply wasn't interested. He didn't even know what AIDS was until his friend Rock Hudson died of the disease, years after AIDS had been discovered. Had Reagan taken action to limit the spread of the epidemic in the early stages, millions of lives may have been saved.
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