Vicious, stodgy, hypocritical and proudly intellectually vacant, the evil Ronald Wilson Reagan was this nation’s Tiberius, and the 5 year anniversary whitewashing of his sepulcher won’t disguise the stink issuing from it. Even if one gives him credit for ending the Cold War (through nuclear brinksmanship), there’s the little matter of his policies at home and abroad. He was lucky not to end up in stir for what he did in the Iran/Contra debacle, and if you want a memorial to his career, just look at bleeding Baghdad. I’ve hated him ever since they made him governor: “If you’ve seen one redwood, you’ve seen them all”, “If there’s going to be a bloodbath, let it start here” (said in regards to a student uprising at Berkeley). The many years he spent in diapers playing with his drool is supposed to be mitigation for the amount of suffering he caused, but it isn’t. Say, if people want to revisit those happy years, why don’t they go have another look at Watchmen–that film and the book its based on sums up Reagan’s era beautifully. Blood on a happy face badge–there’s your Reagan.

It was truly awesome. Youtube it.

1. I look back now and realize that 1982-3 were the scariest years to be alive in my entire life.
2. There is no way he can ever be forgiven for falling for Edward Teller’s bullshit at Reykjavik.

Put Alzheimer’s, astrology, AIDS, and every other fucking thing he did (as well as the “October Surprise” horseshit) aside. He scared the living shit out of a seven-year-old boy who was just aware enough to realize that the world was a heartbeat away from incineration.

I don’t remember him being popular with anyone but the media and really old people who didn’t recognize the Alzheimer’s because they had it too.

Another reason that filthy rich people who don’t answer to anyone should be eaten, & every penny they’ve stolen from the workers should be kept from their vile, inbred offspring, & returned to the masses.

Corn Dogs for everyone!

But one need only refer to one of the “RIP” columns Buckley wrote about someone he disliked who had passed away to understand that there was no personal depth to which Buckley wouldn’t sink to settle a grudge. It’s possible (but inaccurate) to say that Buckley calling Vidal a queer (and, incidentally, losing not just that debate but most debates in that series embarrassingly badly) was theatrics. But the sorts of personal attacks to which Buckley frequently resorted in print against his enemies (including the elder Kristol) showed not a trace of conscience or personal honor. Hell, I’m a fan of the guy, but he was a first class son of a bitch. And being a first class son of a bitch who is an Exonian and a Yalie doesn’t make you less of a son of a bitch.

Which is to say that, uh, one might have thought that, er, vis a vis the bygone age in which the, er, notion of, uh, amour propre was still in what one might call, uh, for lack of a better word in English, the ascendancy it would have been unlikely that, uh, with regard to Buckley or uh his ilk, one might have been so willing to refer to the recently deceased as, uh, a uh, a “frigid little jew girl” the way Mr. Buckley did to Ayn Rand in his, for lack of a better word, published eulogy for her and, whether he was uh, according to what we might call our sentimental impulses, right or wrong vis a vis Ms. Rand, it is nevertheless safe to say that, uh, as Augustine might have said, perhaps did say, in his Confessions (which we read on uh, a warm Autumn day back at uh school in, er, Connecticut or wherever), that particular act falsifies the moral claim one might make with regard to Buckley and that uh, the violation of the sacrosanct suffices to belie and belittle the character of, uh, an individual however, er, expensive and, uh, disheveled his sweater and however toothy his grin.

Best part, of course, is Mr. Ed’s unawaredly ironic “who’s the hitman now?”

Ironic is not nearly strong enough. It’s beyond projection. Even from his perspective, it makes zero sense. “Hitman?” For politely declining to comment on his identity? That’s not a response, that’s random screeching and poo-flinging.

Since when have Ed’s ilk supported the freer, more honest exchange of anything?

Seriously, though, I can see another outing war on the horizon. I, for one, welcome it. Starting with AllahPundit. A knight can dream, right?

I wish Willy F. was around to see what they’ve done to his rag. That would be some sweet schadenfreude.