What Republicans Used to Believe

No doubt. Reagan was great in a lot of areas. However, I don't think it's fair to assume he would have been okay with a plan to swallow up all of Europe into NATO. He worked with Gorbachev, not against him. Also, Reagan was very good at allowing the Russians to expose themselves when they were in the wrong. He did not use propaganda campaigns funded by big industry to bring down the USSR or clip Gorbachev's territorial reach.

There's also a lot of evidence which suggests Reagan was instrumental in the agreement with Gorbachev that a dissolution would not be met with NATO expansion or Western adventurism into Eastern Europe. Reagan treated the Soviets with respect outwardly, especially Gorbachev. He was not made into the super villain they have made Putin into. Which is ironic, considering things run a lot looser in modern day Russia than they did even in Gorbachev's final days in office.

 

Reagan would be branded a RINO and kicked out of today's GOP. That speaks volumes about where the GOP is today.

 

“Trump talked to Putin! He TALKED to Putin!!!”

 

Says who? Reagan and Trump's agenda are quite similar. Reagan ran against the establishment, promising to return power to the people. And Reagan never would have allowed an open border. In fact, I can't think of any singular issue off the top of my head (I'm sure there are some) where they differed to any significant degree. Both spent handsome sums on the military, yet never used it. Both believed in peace through strength, American exceptionalism and were not afraid to take unpopular stands. Trump has only ever said nice things about Reagan and Rush worshipped Reagan, later worked for Trump.

 

I don’t think that’s remotely true anymore since the Ukraine invasion, probably wasn’t true even before the invasion. Russia ranked extremely low on “rule of law” and corruption even before they invaded. Now there is basically zero non-state media in Russia and people can be jailed for calling a war a war (instead of “special military operation”). I wouldn’t call their economy “loose” either without that rule of law. Only difference is instead of Soviet commmitte it’s Putin’s thugs and oligarchs controlling industry and organized crime controlling things the govt doesn’t care about. Without the Soviets maybe organized crime is a bit more “efficient” at delivering certain goods to people compared to Soviet bureaucrats, but that’s still a far cry from a functional rule of law economy.

Putin is also doing the opposite of Gorbachev, who (mostly) did not react with force when the Baltic’s voted independence. He precipitated the dissolution of the iron curtain. Putin invaded because the Russian puppet govt was ousted from Ukraine in 2014, he’s been working at trying to “reclaim” Ukraine since then. This is why I chuckle whenever I see a far-right source or poster lamenting corruption in Ukraine. You get that Russia is the source of most Ukraine corruption, right? That’s why they fight.

 

Well McCain was branded as a RINO and he's about as blue blood of a Republican that you can ever find.

 

Even if you were to put the policy differences aside Reagan would get kicked out of today's GOP for the simple act of failing to properly kiss Trump's ass, as that it the current requirement for membership these days.

 

McCain, Romney, Cheney. The last two non-Trump Republican nominees for President and a lifelong Republican and daughter of a prominent Republican.

What do they all have in common? Did they change their ideological principles? Nope. They all simply defied Trump.

In true modern-day Republican fashion, it's all projection. Trump is the true RINO who just used the letter R for his personal benefit.

 

Republicans are the commies now.

 

Putin is a different animal that Gorb. was. Don't think Putin wants to work with anybody.

 

They still believe in empowering the master class and starving granny, so I dont think much has changed to be honest. The leading pols just dont do the kind of corny speeches that appeal to squishy liberals and college educated conservatives.

 

so much so he was the Repub nominee for potus. Now maga loathes him. After mccains passing, trump literally mocks the physical injuries McCain received during the Vietnam war. serving his country. Also Romney, nominated as the Repub candidate for potus and he now needs body guards, fearful of maga.

yes it’s fair to say todays maga’s gop would not back Reagan to put it mildly.

 

Democrats historically and still the war party.

 

Trump also praised Putin for his decision to invade Ukraine.
Trump calls Putin 'genius' and 'savvy' for Ukraine invasion

 

Any Republican who would say this would be immediately excommunicated from the Republican Party of today:

 

More falsehood. Reagan would have never voted for Obamacare and McCain was called a "maverick" for a reason. He bucked the GOP line on several issues. Whatever "as blue blood of a Republican" means, John McCain wasn't it.

 

People today fail to realize just how dictatorial Gorbachev was during his prime. Revisionist history, in order to push a narrative.

 

Although not identical the ACA also referred to as Obamacare is very similar to the Republican Healthcare Reform bill of 1993 which was based on a paper by two conservative healthcare economists from the Heritage Foundation. While Reagan was no longer in office in 1993 a number of Republicans who backed the 1993 bill and were still in office in 2010 ended up opposing a bill that was very similar to their 1993 bill only it was supported by a Democratic president 17 years later.
Looking at the conservative ‘heritage’ of some core ACA features
Summary Of A 1993 Republican Health Reform Plan - KFF Health News
Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate

 

Another Reagan quote on immigration that would be considered heresy in the Republican Party of the Orange God.