Everything conservative is encapsulated in the mythology of Ronald Reagan. But, as usual with Republicans, their talking-points don't mesh with reality. Most of what they claim to be the Reagan legacy is merely elaborate revisionism detached from actual experience. If we were to look at the list of conservative principles [as mandated by Grover Norquist] - no new taxes, shrinking the size of government, and an aversion to debt and deficits - Reagan would fail every one.
It's actually funny that the party that hates Hollywood chose a former actor to be their posterboy for the Republican platform; nevermind that Reagan himself failed at this platform. As another election cycle begins to heat up, I thought it would be good to shine a light on the often repeated, yet completely false, right-wing Reagan talking-points.
"Federal spending grew by an average of 2.5 percent a year, adjusted for inflation, while Reagan was president."
"The national debt exploded, increasing from about $700 billion to nearly $3 trillion."
"The number of federal employees grew from 2.8 million to 3 million under Reagan."
"During the Reagan administration the number of families living below the poverty line increased by one-third."
"His administration was responsible for numerous brutal actions in Latin America, including massacres in El Salvador and the war against Nicaragua."
"Unemployment jumped to 10.8 percent after Reagan enacted his much-touted tax cut, and it took years for the rate to get back down to its previous level."
"Reagan signed into law a bill that made any immigrant who had entered the country before 1982 eligible for amnesty."
"Reagan fought a proxy war with the Soviet Union by training, arming, equipping, and funding Islamist mujahidin fighters in Afghanistan."
Sources:
Five Myths About Reagan's Legacy
Reagan & The Joy Of Myth-Making
Reagan Revisionism & Reagan Mythology
The Ronald Reagan Myth
Ten Things Conservative Don't Want You To Know About Reagan
Top 10 Reagan Myths
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