Reagan and Bush

After Bush’s return from Europe this week, I have heard more discussion than usual of people using Bush in Reagan in the same sentence. I have thought about the similarities for a few years – and to most people, it’s not an illogical comparison.

This week, Der Spiegel, German’s left-wing newspaper, asked the important question, “Could Bush Be Right?” While many people will ask why it’s taken an educated society so long to ask this question, I prefer the adage, “Better late than never.” This morning’s WSJ discussed the topic as well (sorry, I believe the link is a subscriber service, but the thoughts are not new):

The Germany Reagan was traveling in, much like today's Germany, was very skeptical of the American president and his foreign policy,” Der Spiegel writes. “When Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate -- and the Berlin Wall -- and demanded that Gorbachev 'tear down this Wall,' he was lampooned the next day on the editorial pages. He is a dreamer, wrote commentators. ... But history has shown that it wasn't Reagan who was the dreamer as he voiced his demand. Rather, it was German politicians who were lacking in imagination -- a group who in 1987 couldn't imagine that there might be an alternative to a divided Germany."

A complete view of Bush’s legacy will not come until the history books are written after Bush has left office and people have an opportunity to view what has happened to the Middle East and terrorism. Unfortunately, based on some of the books that discuss Reagan, I don’t think Bush will ever get much credit – even if all goes exactly according to plan. After reading Douglas Brinkley & Stephen Ambrose’s “Rise to Globalism” chapter on Reagan again, it is clear that liberals don’t want to give Reagan credit for anything. The final section on Reagan states:

But it also indicates that Reagan, despite the sneers of sophisticated critics, who regarded him as an object of ridicule, was somehow doing something right. Or perhaps he was just lucky.”

Nothing like giving credit where credit is due. I won’t be surprised to hear the same thing written about Bush someday.