They viewed it as the least worst choice because of the nonstop negative campaigning of Governor Romney as well as the attacks of Representative Ron Paul. As a result, it wasn’t a true exchange of ideas where the voters candidates that best represent their views. So, let’s be clear where I’m placing the blame: Governor Romney’s negative campaigning.
I had said that Reagan’s policies helped create the environment for the Cold War to be won without firing a shot. Pro vobis responded : " I thought John Paul 2 deserved the credit" so I was responding to that. Perhaps I could have been clearer.Fair enough.
Maybe that’s not how you meant it, but the way it is written can make it seem like you’re saying Catholics who give JPII credit for ending Communism are “wrong of course”.
Ok it’s making sense now. ProVobis didn’t quote anyone so that threw me off.
Thanks. There’s a book about how thatcher, JP2 &reagan all worked together- conspired really, to defeat communism. All three survived assassination attempts. Forget who wrote the book- maybe Lou cannon or Peggy noon an but it’s worth checking out.
I didn’t think I had to. I think most people know that Pope John Paul II lived under Communism so he was well aware of his adversaries and adversaries against the Church.
It was a group effort - an alliance between the Pope, Reagan and Thatcher to roll back or defeat communism in Europe. You response seemed to exclude Reagan and Thatcher and only mention the Pope. There are some who are loathe to give Reagan or the Republicans much credit for doing anything positive.
He denies he wrote those “plagiarized” texts.
Plagiarism didn’t seem to stop Joe Biden from becoming vice president.He denies he wrote those “plagiarized” texts.
But yes, i do agree it has haunted him throughout the years, despite his denials.
Many of his ideas still make sense, though.
I doubt that the fall of communism in Europe had anything at all to do with Reagan or Thatcher. Gorbachev was the one man responsible for the fall of communism in Europe and Russia. Communism would have fallen regardless of whether Reagan or Mondale had been president, since its fall came as a direct result of the policy of perestroika under Gorbachev. Gorbachev was telling everyone, including Ceaucescu of Romania, that the time had come to loosen up and to promote processes which were more open and democratic. He would have done so regardless of who was in power in the west.
This is patent nonsense. Mondale might well have helped communism survive longer - by abandoning SDI and overall weakening our defenses. True, communism would have collapsed of its own weight eventually, but the efforts of the Pope and Lech Walesa in Poland and solidarity, the resolve of Reagan and Thatcher, and particularly SDI - which probably did more than any other Reagan defense program - convinced the Soviet Union that they couldn’t keep up and definitely hastened the fall. Gorbachev might deserve some credit for atleast not letting the collapse end with massive crackdowns on the Russian people or invasions of eastern Europe to restore communist power.
No, because IMHO the assertion that Reagan or Thatcher were in any way responsible for the fall of communism is nonsense. Communism would not have fallen if Gorbachev had not been in power. Gorbachev initiated his policy of perestroika and its radical reforms in 1986. Perestroika called for the development of democracy, and the encouragement of initiative and creative endeavor. Two years later, Gorbachev introduced his program of glasnost. According to glasnost, thousands of political prisoners were released, there was less control of the press and generally more freedom of speech. In 1988, Gorbachev announced that the USSR would let the Eastern bloc nations determine their own internal affairs without any intereference from the USSR. It was only because of these policies of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev that Europe abandoned communism. Thatcher and Reagan had absolutely nothing to do with it. European and Russian communism would have fallen regardless of whether Carter, Mondale or any other Democrat had been elected President instead of Reagan, because ultimately, and in fact, the fall of European communism was due to the perestroika and glasnost policies of one man, Mr. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev.
Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is what Rush Limbaugh used to refer to as a “gorbasm.”
And Pope John Paul 2? Did he have any effect? Or was it all Gorbachev and glasnost?
The survival of the Solidarity movement in Poland was a huge factor in undermining communist control of Poland and the rest of eastern Europe. Pope John Paul 2 visited Poland and 1/3rd of the entire country came out to attend the mass he said. Solidarity was founded a year after his visit - and flourished to the point where the communist government declared martial law. Reagan helped Solidarity survive by using the CIA and the AFL-CIO to furnish them with materials, intelligence, radio equipment, money and resources.
Unfortunately, John O’Sullivan and Rush Limbaugh were wrong on this issue.
Do you have any substance to offer? Other than just saying “they’re wrong” ? Are you disputing the role of Solidarity in the downfall of communism in Poland? And the instrumental roles Pope John Paul 2 and Reagan had in the establishment and survival of the movement? If so, please offer your own facts and evidence.
If I understand the argument presented by Ishii,
Nice, Tomdstone, but unfortunately your revisionist history is not close to the truth. You’re missing an important point: what caused the Soviet Union to choose to not invade eastern Europe, as they had in the 50’s? The answer is that they knew there was no other choice - they were being outdone by the US led by Reagan. And the SDI program scared the Soviets a great deal - as they thought that it would render much of their nuclear arsenal useless. And it bankrupted the Soviet Union - they had no answer for SDI. Reagan, Thatcher, and the Pope did something very different from the détente Democrats- they called the Soviet Union what it was - “an evil empire.” (Reagan). And don’t forget the words of Reagan before Gorbachev declared an end to the Brezhnev doctrine:
Your first sentence may be correct, but your second is not. I am going to have to leave it at that, because for one thing I could be cited for being off topic.
This was in answer to the question as to whether or not Rand Paul has the same views on foreign policy as his father, Ron Paul. I was reading where he supports a stronger defense than did his father. Also, he supports Israel. He doesn’t appear to be as strong an isolationist as was his father, although he expressed doubt about an irrational offense doctrine having replaced a rational defense doctrine. I will have to reserve judgment on him at this point in time, since I am not in favor of an all out support of Israel against Palestine.