Saturday 6 February 2010

When Reagan was right



Listening to this speech from the 1964 Goldwater presidential campaign, it is easy to see why Ronald Reagan was so beloved by the conservatives of America. It is also striking how little has changed in the ideological struggle between one side calling for ever-bigger government and the other calling for a return to individual liberty and the principles of the Founding Fathers. It's a shame Reagan could not deliver the agenda he believed in and turn back the tide of statism which rises to this day.

As long as the focus is on America, I find myself in agreement. Perhaps the stumbling block in this version of conservatism is how it relates to the outside world, insofar as an aggressive foreign policy with a large military requires high taxes and big government, so Reagan avoids the liberal road to welfare hell, paved with taxpayer-funded good intentions, only to pave his own way through rampant military spending.

Part two here. And for additional evidence that 'plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose', hear a young-sounding Ronnie on socialised healthcare.


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