There are people who get all upset about Richard Nixon’s missing minutes of recordings of the White House meetings. They get hot and heavy about his means of taking down his competition – aka Watergate. However, they forget that Nixon gave us the EPA, the end of the draft, he knew to open up relationships with China, signed a strategic nuclear weapons treaty with U.S.S.R., and presided over the landing of the Apollo moon mission.
Now, what is Reagan’s legacy? Among other things, Mr. Reagan gave us Executive Order 12333.
But let’s not start there. Let’s start with the urination theory, aka supply-side economics. Supply-side economics is the idea that businesses are job creators and must be given ‘freedom’ to make as much money as possible. Corporations need tax breaks, tax incentives, and other means to “get government off their backs.” Eventually – someday – the wealthy will trickle down some funds to others. Of course, the rich never give any money up. Yes, the idea sounds marvelous unless you are the one looking up and the tickle is yellow and smells.
The implementation of supply-side completely misses the other side of the ledger, the workers.
Since supply-side took over the U.S. thought process, our economy moved from the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation (growing everyday in deficit spending), the middle class has disappeared, wages have stagnated, and we have the wealthiest people now who have convinced other Americans to call other less fortunate Americans leeches and living off the government, etc. (Aren’t lobbyists and word-smiths marvelous?).
The uric acid is so caustic and foul that the social safety net is in jeopardy, corporations now can hold religious beliefs, the environment is being destroyed (East Coast Drilling is now open after a three decade moratorium) and even our basic rights of privacy are voided by the NSA spying.
Now that your jaw has dropped, consider that Reagan gave us something even worse than supply-side economics. The laughing, fat little Dutchman gave us Executive Order 12333. You should be red and angry.
The executive order authorizes collection of the content of communications, not just metadata, even for U.S. persons.
You should probably re-read that quote. Your privacy stopped existing decades ago. Home of the free and brave? Apparently that’s not the U.S.A. – but in someone’s mind.
Oh – I can hear some of you right now – but but but – I’m not doing anything wrong so it doesn’t matter. Oh yes you do things wrong all the time. First, you vote Republican. Second, you allow supply-side economics to continue. Third, you don’t get angry when corporations take things from you. Finally, you listen to silly little mind-numbing talking points. You are the problem.
Now, who was worse, Nixon or Reagan? Reagan by a thousand miles.