| − | In November 1980, the first modern conservative was elected president of the United States: Ronald Reagan. For the next 25 years the influence of him and those who supported him is still being felt. President Reagan cut taxes and defeated communism. He also had the most original and influential idea of any president in American history: the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), known by its critics as “Star Wars.” | + | In November 1980, the first modern conservative was elected president of the United States: Ronald Reagan. For the next 30 years the influence of him and those who supported him is still being felt. President Reagan cut taxes and defeated communism. He also had the most original and influential idea of any president in American history: the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), known by its critics as “Star Wars.” |
| − | Reagan’s life included many failures. He was a struggling Hollywood actor who spent some time running the union of actors, or Actors Guild. When he was in charge of that union the communists attempted, with some success, to infiltrate Hollywood. Reagan resisted this infiltration, and the communists threatened and attempted to intimidate him. He would receive frightening phone calls in the middle of the night. For the rest of his life Reagan devoted his time to defending freedom and opposing communism. As governor of California he surprised scientists by personally visiting the Lawrence Livermore Lab, which was and is a premier military research center. When Reagan became president, he gave a speech on national television in 1983 to announce his plan for America to build a new missile defense system to shoot down any nuclear attack. | + | Reagan’s life included many personal failures. He was a struggling Hollywood actor who spent some time running the union of actors, or Actors Guild. When he was in charge of that union the communists attempted, with some success, to infiltrate Hollywood. Reagan resisted this infiltration, and the communists threatened and attempted to intimidate him. He would receive frightening phone calls in the middle of the night. For the rest of his life Reagan devoted his time to defending freedom and opposing communism. As governor of California he surprised scientists by personally visiting the Lawrence Livermore Lab, which was and is a premier military research center. When Reagan became president, he gave a speech on national television in 1983 to announce his plan for America to build a new missile defense system to shoot down any nuclear attack. |
| − | His critics, including most scientists, ridiculed SDI as impossible and dangerous. But those criticisms contradicted each other, and it was precisely because SDI might be possible that it was so influential. The Soviet Union, then led by Mikhail Gorbachev, panicked. Gorbachev met with Reagan at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1986 in which Gorbachev promised almost anything if Reagan would agree to drop SDI. The media pressure was intense for Reagan to agree. But Reagan stood up for America, and he said “no deal.” The next year Reagan made a trip to the Berlin Wall, against the recommendation of his advisers, and declared to the world, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Two years later the Germans did exactly that, and tore down the Berlin Wall built by the communists. Although Reagan and Gorbachev did sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987, which banned missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles, the historic decision was Reagan’s refusal to sign a treaty at Reykjavik giving up SDI. Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union would soon be vanquished. | + | His critics, including most scientists, ridiculed SDI as impossible and dangerous. But those criticisms were somewhat contradictory with each other; it was precisely because SDI might be possible that it was so influential. The Soviet Union, then led by Mikhail Gorbachev, panicked. Gorbachev met with Reagan at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1986 in which Gorbachev promised almost anything if Reagan would agree to drop SDI. The media pressure was intense for Reagan to agree. But Reagan stood up for America, and he said “no deal.” The next year Reagan made a trip to the Berlin Wall, against the recommendation of his advisers, and declared to the world, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Two years later the Germans did exactly that, and tore down the Berlin Wall built by the communists. Although Reagan and Gorbachev did sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987, which banned missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles, the historic decision was Reagan’s refusal to sign a treaty at Reykjavik giving up SDI. Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union would soon be vanquished. |