I miss the 80s. I miss feeling good about my country. I’m still proud to be American, I still proudly fly my flag, but I’m one of the few. As I see these kids protesting in Downtown Minneapolis, and across the country, I wonder what makes them proud. Most of the people who are occupying Wall Street, or any of the other financial districts around the country, are too young to remember these speeches by Ronald Reagan. And that’s a shame. I may not agree with all of Reagan’s ideals but when I was a teen with full on big hair, bandanna around my ankle and shoulder pads to shame a linebacker I looked forward to Reagan’s speeches because they always made me feel so proud to be an American.
There is a change coming and I think it is for the good. People are waking up. People are realizing that if they want to have greatness they must accept risk and, more importantly, accept responsibility.
Something is happening, you can feel it in the air. I’m hoping we go back to being Americans. Not Republicans, not Democrats, just Americans.
I think the title of this video is a bit misleading. Addressed to Obama and his supporters? The irony here is that while the GOP supposedly worships at the feet of Reagan, today’s party, ruled as it is by the far-right, wouldn’t have allowed Reagan in, much less elected him president. The same would go for Eisenhower. I grew up in the America Reagan is talking about here, never questioning my country. I still believe in its ideals, but many of its actions greatly belie them.
I didn’t understand the title myself. It made me wonder if time had really slowed down or something, I had to do math and it hurt.
I disagree with you about the Reagan’s GOP supporters. He is the one responsible for the nuts on the party now. He stole all the religious fanatics/born again christians from Jimmy Carter, I really wish he hadn’t done that.
Okay, I’m totally apolitical and I was like, ‘WTF? Reagan never addressed Obama, right?” Thanks for doing the math for me Jen, but I still have a headache.
p.s. That Ron had some slammin’ hair, didn’t he?
He had some amazing hair. Seems to me I recall some spoof of Reagan as Gumby because of the hair. I’m going to have to google that one.
But he raised taxes — several times. That would disqualify him right there.
What do taxes have to do with this? This is not a political post, really it isn’t. I just liked his speeches and it was good to be an American back then. I wasn’t commenting on his or the party’s politics.
I was just pointing out the irony. The GOP touts him as their spiritual leader, yet he would never be elected by them today to give such speeches because by their current standards he would be considered too moderate. If you think the 80s was a good time to be an American, you should have been around in the 50s and early 60s. There was truly “a chicken in every pot,” and patriotism was a given. Vietnam changed everything.
I thought big hair, MTV and cheap weed was what made the 80’s rock.
How could that be wrong?
If I recall, week was pretty expensive in the 80’s.
You know as a Canadian “mouse” living next door to an American “elephant” I’ve always been a little in awe of American patriotism. To me, love of country is something we should carry inside. I’m really not into those outward displays because, for me (and I may be wrong) they kind of border on the politics of fear. It may have been the infamous “mission accomplished” display George Bush made, I don’t know. I may be overly cynical but Carrie Underwood singing the national anthem while a bunch of jets do a flyover has very little to do with football games and NASCAR races. But, hey, I am Canadian. http://youtu.be/pXtVrDPhHBg
Dufus, are you calling me fat?
I would never do such a thing, Jen. You missed what I said above. We’re polite. 😉
For me I’m just really glad I was born in the US. It was nothing but dumb luck and I lucked out. No matter how much other people from other countries say they hate us I am pretty sure they would rather trade places with us (I’m not counting you guys up there because I don’t know if that is true. You guys fly under the radar so seems to me you have it pretty good). That is an arrogant statement to be sure but there is truth to it. And for all of our people who protest the country, you don’t see anyone leaving it.
As for patriotism, it is for those reasons that I love this country. Freedom is an awesome thing, if you haven’t had it you can only imagine what it is like. However, with freedom comes responsibility and some people don’t want that.
I’m not really sure what you are talking about with Carrie Underwood, flyovers and NASCAR, I don’t do NASCAR ( I even resent typing it in all CAPS) but even though I don’t care for those things doesn’t mean there aren’t a ton of people who do love them, and that makes this country great too. One day that attitude will apply to everyone, I hope.
Yeah, we’re under the radar. Canadians are like that. Living next door to a super power what else would we be. We’re quiet, ardent hockey fans, polite and apologetic. We apologize when someone steps on OUR foot for heaven’s sake. But I wouldn’t trade being a Canadian for all the tea in China. Speaking of which that country owns you. I feel sorry for your economic malaise and I’m happy that’s one thing that hasn’t bled north across the border…yet.
I can’t speak for the kids and cross section of people protesting on the streets, but I can imagine how proud they must be to exercise the greatest American right of all, freedom of speech, which is as intrinsic to being an American as apple pie and baseball.
P.S. I hated Reagan’s hair. It reminded me of a Ken do or don’t. Reagan also increased the deficit. The Tea Party would have hated him. Although I was never a fan of his, I have to give him credit for uniting the country and the government.
The family values mantra scares the shit out of me, as does the Conservative need to demonize abortion and a woman’s right to choose. Less government but more control over body and home. Never understood the hypocrisy.
Sorry about the political stuff. Go Yankees! Oops. They lost.