By today’s standards he seems mild. Even Obama praised him. Along with Lincoln, Republicans trot Ronald Reagan out every time Democrats praise the communication wizardry of Obama, Clinton, or Kennedy, or the stalwart composition of FDR or integrity of Truman. In reality, Reagan was an impenetrable facade of congeniality who was quite hostile to civil rights.
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34 Comments
Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
Despite his public congeniality, Reagan was quite hostile to civil rights. He had a history of it leading back to his testimonies for the House Un-American Activities Committee—-tasked with weeding out and blackballing suspected Communist sympathizers.
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Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
Ronald Reagan, prior to his political career, testified in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) on October 23, 1947. At the time, Reagan was working as the president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). During his testimony, he expressed his concerns about communist influence within Hollywood and the entertainment industry.
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Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
Reagan named several individuals whom he believed to be members of the Communist Party or associated with communist activities. His testimony was notable for his strong anti-communist stance and his efforts to purge
suspected communist sympathizers from the industry.
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thomnottom@tragically.social · 1 pts · 3y
@Deglassco as if we needed more reason to despise him!
Appreciate these threads.
Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
While some praised Reagan’s actions, considering them a defense of American values and national security, others criticized his participation in the HUAC hearings as contributing to the climate of fear and blacklisting during the McCarthy era.
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Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
Reagan’s activities in front of the HUAC reflected his firm opposition to communism and foreshadowed his later political career, where he to advocate against his opponents, with coding language alluding to their un-Americaness.
This eventually led him to the governorship of California.
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Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
The Democratic presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson marked a significant turning point with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These landmark legislations caused a seismic shift within the Democratic Party. Subsequently, the Democrats experienced a loss of support from the Solid South in national presidential elections for the majority of the subsequent fifty years.
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Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
While some Democrats had already switched to the Republican Party prior to these acts, the number of defections increased significantly after Johnson's signing. This led to a period of profound reconfiguration within the political parties. However, the transformation did not occur instantly.
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Deglassco@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
In the 1960s & early 1970s, white Southerners were still in the process of transitioning away from the Democratic Party (while newly enfranchised black Southerners voted & continued to vote Democratic). During the 1972 presidential primaries, former AL Governor George Wallace, known for his staunch support of segregation, ran as a Democrat, even as Richard Nixon employed a Southern strategy that appealed to the racism of Southern white voters.
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DrBonesMD@med-mastodon.com · 1 pts · 3y
@Deglassco @blackmastodon@a.gup.pe @BlackMastodon@chirp.social Ronnie Raygun sold us a LARGE bill of goods. My guess he was following the script of his Federalist Society (or previous organization - ?John Birch?) handlers.
"Aw, shucks. I'm just reading what they tell me..."
ericmacknight@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
@Deglassco @blackmastodon@a.gup.pe @BlackMastodon@chirp.social Love these history lessons, Elisabeth! Thank you! I'm old enough to remember Reagan as Governor of California: "When you've seen one redwood, you've seen them all," and "If they want a bloodbath, we'll give 'em a bloodbath" (referring to demonstrators in Berkeley). A thoroughly unpleasant character with a Hollywood smile to cover up all his bigotry and ignorance.
Okanogen@mastodon.social · 1 pts · 3y
@Deglassco @blackmastodon@a.gup.pe @BlackMastodon@chirp.social
The line from Reagan to Trump is straight, unbroken, and lined with White Supremacy supporting oligarch money.