So, Ronald Reagan died on the eve of the anniversary of D-Day. Naturally there are a lot of people who praise or just plain ‘footnote’ him, all around the net. And naturally, there is a long discussion over at MetaFilter.
For me, as a European-Canadian, I don’t give a damn. With the rise of Reagan, we saw the start of the ‘It’s all about Image’-politics. A great communicator in front of the TV, but boys-oh-boys, was Reagan bad when he made remarks on AIDS (none), Russia (‘Evil Empire’), South American dictators (Pinochet, Stroessner) and ‘constructive engagement’. Ironic.
But then it was all image that counted and I keep wondering if those terrible Eighties laid the groundwork for today’s obsession with glitter and glamour. Not to mention revisionism.