Reagan, Neshoba, and the War on Terror

After New York Times columnist David Brooks offered a revisionist account of Ronald Reagan's appeal to states rights during the launch of his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three civil-rights workers were murdered in 1964, commentators debated whether or not Reagan was a racist. According to some, Reagan's tactics were purely strategic, and in his heart he felt no disdain towards African-Americans. By contrast, others have claimed, as one Times' letter writer observed, that "Ronald Reagan's very appearance in Neshoba County was transparently racist."

While interesting and important, the question of what Reagan felt in his heart is less significant than the simple fact that he was willing to play divide and conquer politics to advance his career. One could make the case that Reagan's agenda of lowering taxes and standing up to the Soviet Union were so important that if the path to the White House required him to appeal to the politics of fear, then so be it. Maybe divisiveness was a small price to pay for victory in the Cold War and conservative fiscal policy.

Whether or not one supports Reagan's overall agenda, it is vital to appreciate the costs that the politics of fear continue to impose on the American public and to avoid the temptation to dismiss those costs as the trivial byproduct of what it takes for some to gain and hold power.

One sad truth about the politics of scapegoating and fear is that they almost always work. There are occasions when demagogues go just a little too far, as when the late Jerry Falwell blamed the September 11 attacks on gays. In most cases, however, demagogues with just a bit more moderation than Falwell can reap handsome profits by appealing to paranoia. It takes a strong and brave leader to disavow this path of least resistance. Reagan was not such a leader.

But why should anyone care? On top of the often tragic consequences for particular groups that find themselves on the receiving end of the politics of scapegoating, the American people are going to have a difficult time navigating rising seas, terrorist attacks, and other formidable challenges if we let paranoia and divisiveness trump a sense of collective well being. Does it make sense, for example, to have a calm, national, data-driven discussion about which factors give rise to terrorism in the first place, and which strategies have been most effective in mitigating threats, or does it make sense to look for scapegoats for our problems?

Falwell may have seemed ridiculous when he tried to blame gays for 9/11, but the latest Republican rhetoric on immigration shows that many conservatives in Iowa and elsewhere believe that their lives would be better if only illegal immigrants could be banished. I wish that the leading Republican candidates would tell primary voters that even if all immigrants could be deported, we would not be any better off.

When a population is scared and desperate, as we certainly will be after the next terrorist attack, it becomes highly tempting to look for witches. But if Americans can't bring out the best in ourselves now, what chance will we have when circumstances get worse? We need to start practicing how to resist the temptation to scapegoat sooner, not later. When Reagan appeals to states' rights in Philadelphia, Mississippi; when Bush demonizes gay marriage; when Republican presidential candidates blame illegal immigrants for our ills, they give the finger to all Americans who yearn to transcend fear-based politics. How much more precious social capital will we waste?

Comments

[davidtg]

This new crop of GOP candidates forgets that they are the progeny of IMMIGRANTS Why? Because through the constant anti-immigrant drumbeat of Limpballs, Dobbs, O' Riledup, I'shannity et al their listening audiences have been slowly been lowering the threshhold of RACISM.

Kind of like the frog tossed into hot water then slowly boiled to death by increasing the water temperature one degree at a time.

This is PRECISELY how Hitler & his Henchman converted good Germanfolk to BLAME all of their ills on their Jewish neighbors.

Works everytime.

I wonder if we will ever reach a point when it DOESN'T. Then, and only then can we call ourselves Americans as we envision all that that exalted sobriquet denotes.

[kelfish]

So true. It's all about fear and consumption. Keep everyone scared so they will go out and buy stuff to make themselves feel better/safer.

[MrCoffeeCup]

Aaron, Aaron, Aaron! Let's look at the (K.I.S.S) system of facts. As you suggest, like any governmental bureaucrat, having a data-driven discussion requires another "Governmental Studay". There's a waste of more money, unless you are doing the fact finding.
Facts: The 9-11 attack was masterminded by "who else" buy Obama's mamma's boy! He and his constituents. With the help of evil intelligence services, they carefully plotted the proper type of aircarft, proper explosive power, architecural data for weight/load building data, airline data and passanger numbers/profiles, then personel to commit the crime. Islam rejoiced worldwide!! They bloodied the USA's nose and knocked it to it's knees!. No scapegoats here!
Former President Ronald Reagan like Generalismo Franco is still dead. Let's not speak ill of someone who cannot defend themselves unless they are Tyrants and Despots.
Thirdly, Demonizing Gay marriage is a correct thing to do! Why, because, in my opinion, the demonic forces of Satan are convincing people that it's ok to do this! In my opinion it is not. It is awful! It is an outrage against my Christian Religion and my lawful marriage of 37 years. Yes, Just like Islam. I am outraged that you take this disgusting position.

[maxiemom]

Was Reagan a racist? People in his White House used to refer to Martin Luther King, Jr. as Martin Lucifer Coon. Reagan also gets a lot of leeway because of his supposed triumphs: excuse me, he did NOT single handedly end communism,; he was but one factor in a long series of events and a number of people who contributed. His superman status on that score is Republican propoganda; if you don't believe that, listen to the many speeches given at his funeral. NOT ONE OF THEM MENTIONED HIS ALMIGHTY TRIUMPH OVER COMMUNISM!!! NOT ONE!!!!

And for the wonders of conservative economic principles... he sent the deficit into a tailspin, driving it up to a point that would have required my grandchildren part of their futures to pay it off had it not been for a Democrat, Bill Clinton, who brought it under control. However, all it took was the election of the WORST president in the history of this country, George Bush, and the surplus created under Clinton is not only gone, ti's decimated. There is little doubt now that my grandchildren will pay for this man's folly, and for the idiots who put him in office in the first place. Every rubber stamp Republican congressman ought to have to contribute some of his own fortune towards the mess they have created for our children, as well as finding a way to make amends to the families of those who've lost family in this needless war.

As for the politics of fear, Republicans play that card for all it's worth. Scare the population, steal their votes, leave them stupid. That's the Republican way. How else could they hope to win?

[Remembering]

Oh God, this is so true. And this is what really scares me. This scapegoating of immigrants, along with the classification "unlawful enemy combatants" and the treatment of those so labeled, are truly frightening signs. When things get worse as seems to be a given considering the collapse of the housing bubble, peak oil, water shortages, the fall of the dollar, and the increasingly negative news re global warming, what will become of us then?

Considering the precarious position our county and our system of government (representative democracy)
are in, I truly believe CNN's toleration of Lou Dobbs is akin to encouraging someone to yell fire in a hospital emergency room.

[chrisrushlau]

"Terrorist" is a fear/hate word. So what's up your sleeve? Someone could have asked that of Mr. Reagan back when. A collective sense of well-being is not something that the prestigious politician magically invokes with an incantation of love-speech. You deal with a crowd: that's politics. Either you show them what's up your sleeve, or you don't, so they have to guess, and they give you a nod and a wink, and that's what's wrong with the politics of fear. And at the heart of it now is the opaque term "terrorism". So what's up your sleeve, Mr. Belkin?

[iswearington]

we black folk thought everyone knew that reagan...mrs reagan and michael reagan were running dog racists.

[jjayes]

According to the Republicans the terrorists have already won. The whole purpose of terrorism is to terrorize, and the politics of fear that succeeds for the Republicans is success for our enemies.

[BinBaldwin]

grendl

You are soooo wrong. President Bush has gone OVERBOARD calling Islam a peaceful religion that was hijacked by radicals. He has repeated this over and over. Problem is some only want to hear what they want to hear. Like you and most Muslims.

[BinBaldwin]

Politics of fear? Yes I fear Leftist Politicians who ignore the laws of the United States and establish " Sanctuary Cities"..

When I was a child I remember LBJs campaign ad showing a Mushroom Cloud trying to claim Goldwater was a warmonger. LBJ won and escalated Vietnam.

Jimmy Carter said his daughter Amy Worried about Nuclear destruction trying to use the same politics of fear against Reagan. We all know who was right. Now Carter is guilty of rubberstamping the bogus election of leftist " DICTATOR" Hugo Chavez.

Scaring Seniors into thinking they will lose Social Security. Scaring Blacks with rants of " Jim Crow".

Yes there is a politics of Fear and its from the Left.

[GeneTouchet]

Excellent. Thank you.

[jwod]

Of course! But who will risk his/her campaign to rise above the morass enough to see if the electorate will resort to its (their) better self (selves). As a people we have done so poorly in spreading the word, educating the populace, and demonstrating that ethical thinking and democratic politics are not mutually exclusive, that those who see the fall succeeding our rise are ever more credible.

[Sted]

America LOST The War on Tterror on January 21, 1981 when Iran was instrumental in installing Ronald Reagan in the White House. When were our hostages released?
The Islamic world feared the fundamental Christian Jimmy Carter and much preferred the atheistic Reagan.
The Ayatollah believed by seizing the hostages he was harming the Christian American president. As the crisis progressed he saw that it and he could do more and even depose Carter. This is precisely what happened.
Only the Islamic world put in place the puppet of a right wing cabal who slavishly thirsted over Miiddle East oil. They did achieve their purpose of destroying America from within by installing Reagan and now "duMbya" who began the drive to suppress, impoverish and disenfranchise America's racial minorities, women, middle and lower-classes.
As De Tocqueville wrote "America is great because America is good. If she ceases to be good she will cease to be great." The process of de-gooding(sic) the US began on January 21, 1980, accelerated on the same date in 2001 and escaped the gravity of goodness or entered freefall on January 21, 2005!

[pgobrien]

Magicians use misdirection. My nephew knew that when he was a student of the art at age nine, for crying out loud.

Our attention is being misdirected to the evil "illegals" among us and away from the root causes, like skewed economic policies in countries to the south of us (policies that concentrate wealth in elite classes), bad trade policies between our countries (that exacerbate conditions in which they have few options to support their families from home), and I'm just guessing here but I'd think they'd have a sense that if their own governments are going to join the US in undermining their own economies, payback is fair game and they'll come here to exact a little compensation of OUR economy.

But we must not see how so-called "Free" Trade Policies have made our immigration situation worse; we must concentrate on the illegals among us and blame them for all our woes. We NEVER bring any of our problems on ourselves, do we?

[MagisterLudi]

"There are a lot of "Bubbas" out there who would rather follow Rush and Ted Haggart !!"
---------------
Certainly the majority of people are followers rather than leaders or independent thinkers on both sides of the poltical debate. Many on the right swallow the nonsense fed to them by the
likes of Rush. Idiocies like cut-and-ran, surrender monkeys etc.
On our side, the left, we also have people who like revel in all kinds of pathetic ideas like 9/11 conspiracy and stupidities like "false flag operations" by CIA/Mossad conducting London, Madrid train bombings and etc.
It is always easier to swallow some else's regurgitated eversion of reality than to do hard work of reading, studying and thinking.

Demagogues on both sides cynically use people's gullibility to sell them some sacred version of the truth.

"Divide et impera"