June 7, 2004

THE WORLD HISTORICAL IS PERSONAL?

Reagan Redux (David Swanson, June 6, 2004, AlterNet)

Ronald Reagan had the birth of a deity. Within 20 minutes of his inauguration, Iran freed the hostages that wimpy Jimmy Carter had been unable to rescue. I was 11 years old at the time and impressed but baffled. How had he done it?

No one seemed to know or very much care. Apparently the Iranians had wanted to make a statement about how much they disliked Carter, and we didn't want to dwell on the motivations of Iranians. The important thing was that the hostages were finally coming home to heroes' welcomes. At last we'd rescue some trees from yellow ribbons. The kids at my school who had sung "Bomb Bomb Iran" to the tune of the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" at the talent show would have to get a new song. It was Morning in America, and we needed to put our childhoods behind us. I'd be in high school soon, and Oliver North would come warn my history class about the danger of communism in Nicaragua.

Reagan was immortal. When he was shot, the television showed it to us and told us about it thousands of times. Reagan cheerfully joked with the doctors and bounced right back. The country did not suffer during his brief absence, because he was not absent from his essential function as an encouraging personality. Nor did later signs of senility diminish his role.


What's personal about winning the Cold War and inaugurating a twenty-plus year economic boom?

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 7, 2004 8:12 AM
Comments

Thank you, Ron.

Posted by: Lou Gots at June 7, 2004 8:34 AM

That was one of my peeves about Carter's performance as President, that he'd not been more aggressive in unleashing the dogs of war upon the Iranians.

Even if all of the hostages had been killed during the rescue attempt, at least it would have been an attempt.
To sit idly by, while every night the newscasts began with: "Day 297... Day 298... 299... 300 of the Iranian hostage crisis", marked Carter as a man of inaction, the antitheses of James Bond.

The actual rescue attempt was woefully inept, under resourced, and far too late.

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at June 8, 2004 2:48 AM

and was broadcasting over an open radio frequency until the Israelis figured out what was going on and jammed it for us.

Posted by: oj at June 8, 2004 8:57 AM

We should've put some of Israel's Sayaret Matkal commandos into US uniforms.

They'd've had a great time shooting up Tehran.

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at June 8, 2004 11:20 AM
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