On Balance, Ronald Reagan was a bad president.

PROS CASEI. Domestic Policy(A) ReaganomicsReaganomics (AKA "Voodoo Economics") has been nothing but detrimental to the people of the United States.1. GDP growth restriction via increased disparity.Reagan slashed taxes on the wealthy drastically. Reagan cut taxes from a rate near over 70%, to under 30%. The most immediate result of this was a distinct increase in wealth disparity in America. Why is this bad?In economics, the most common method of gauging the relative disparity present in a country is measured with a system of standardizations known as GINI Coefficients. A GINI coefficient of 0 represents perfect equality (socialism) and a GINI coefficient of 100 represents perfect inequality (totalitarianism). Obviously, both ends of the scale ought to be avoided. Both ends of that scale represent economies where workers cannot thrive, and there is no incentive to work hard or to innovate. The GINI coefficient of the US is just under 50 (1) (2). This may seem like an optimal zone at first glance, but this is not the case. A coefficient of 50 is too high, and restricts economic growth. Empirical evidence shows that countries achieve optimal economic growth when their GINI coefficient lies between 25 and 40 (3). If a country has its disparity in this "Goldilocks" zone (because it is just right) they experience optimal GDP growth. Examine the following chart (4). As you can see here, there is a distince downward trend in GDP growth as the GINI coefficient approaches 50. (To clarify, the chart uses the 0-1 scale for coefficients. To change to the 1-100 scale, simply multiply the coefficient by 100.)Raising taxes on the top 1% of America significantly reduces the wealth disparity between the rich and the poor. We know this, because the GINI coefficient of the US has been on the rise since Reagan era tax cuts were implemented. This is demonstrated in the following chart. Up until the election of Reagan in '81, the GINI coefficient remained at a relatively stable level that was just inside the goldilocks zone. With taxes on the welathiest americans slashed, the GINI coefficient has risen rapidly, and will continue to rise, unless taxes are raised on the rich.Ultimately, everyone benefits from moving the disparity to the "golidlocks zone", as maximum GDP growth results in maximum wealth for the nation as a whole. 2. Opressing the Lower ClassesWith regulation at an all time low, businesses had the freedom to abuse their customers (as we still cling to reaganomics, they stil have this power). CEO Pay rates skyrocket while pay for the working man didn't really change. Not only did this increase the wealth disparity, it also gave much more power to the top 1% of Americans. Minimum wage aws were fought off, as well as workers rights.3. Corruption of Government.With the spending power in the hands of the few, rather than the many, the government has become moreso corrupted. Spending power deals primarily with the concentration of wealth. With low taxes on the wealthy, Disparity rises. A result of this is a shift in the spending power from the middle class, to the upper class. The problem here, is that this results in the centralization of power. Shifting the spending power from the middle class to the rich creates a top-heacy economy, that lends itsself to abuse. The wealthy are able to abuse the system more and more as they become wealthier and wealthier. Their voices are much louder in politics than the voices of everyday Americans. They have the funds to keep the government in their pockets. The United States ranks 19th on the national corruption index (5). That is simply unacceptable. We as American citizens should always do everything in our power to minimize government corruption. America should be number 1 on that index. Furthermore, shifting the spending power to the middle class not only decentralizes power, but it also helps boost the economy. GDP is directly affected by consumer spending. Which class supplies the greatest amound of consumer spending? The middle class. What class is strengthened by higher taxes on the wealthy? The middle class. (6) (7)4. Capitalism in DeclineWith business regulations lowered drastically by Reaganomics, corporate trusts are beginning to conquer the market. Companies such as comcast and monsanto move closer and closer to monopolization of their respective industries. Monopolization is simply anti-capitalist. Capitalism requires government intervention to maximize competition, and ensure that the market truly is free and fair. Reagan thought otherwise. Reaganomics have allowed big business to run rampant, and reduce competition.It does nothing but hurt.(B) The AIDS crisisWhen the AIDS epidemic initially began, not only did Reagan NOT try to help the infected, he was openly hostile towards them(8). Human beings were dying of a lethal disease, and the only thing the Reagan Administration responded with was, "AIDS is the wrath of God upon homosexuals," and that AIDS was "nature's revenge on gay men."II. Foreign Policy (A) The Iran-Contra ScandalSimply put, Reagan comitted treason. The ScandalFrom '85 to '87"The Iran–Contra affair, also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or the Iran–Contra scandal, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargo. Some U.S. officials also hoped that the arms sales would secure the release of several hostages and allow U.S. intelligence agencies to fund the Nicaraguan Contras. Under the Boland Amendment, further funding of the Contras by the government had been prohibited by Congress. The scandal began as an operation to free the seven American hostages being held in Lebanon by a group with Iranian ties connected to the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. It was planned that Israel would ship weapons to Iran, and then the United States would resupply Israel and receive the Israeli payment. The Iranian recipients promised to do everything in their power to achieve the release of the U.S. hostages. The plan deteriorated into an arms-for-hostages scheme, in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of the American hostages" (9) Reagan's Involvement"I want you to do whatever you have to do to help these people keep body and soul together." - Ronald Reagan to National Security Advisor on Hostages"In 1985, while Iran and Iraq were at war, Iran made a secret request to buy weapons from the United States. McFarlane sought Reagan's approval, in spite of the embargo against selling arms to Iran. McFarlane explained that the sale of arms would not only improve U.S. relations with Iran, but might in turn lead to improved relations with Lebanon, increasing U.S. influence in the troubled Middle East."(10)The actions that spurred the scandal were indeed approved by Reagan, even though he acted mostly with the safety of those hostages in mind. Reagan's approval of this action makes him a co-conspirator to commit treason, as he did knowlingly approve operations that violated an arms embargo, us law, and even his own campaign promises ( to never negotiate with terrorists). "Reagan, McFarlane and CIA director William Casey supported it. With the backing of the president, the plan progressed. By the time the sales were discovered, more than 1,500 missiles had been shipped to Iran. Three hostages had been released, only to be replaced with three more, in what Secretary of State George Shultz called "a hostage bazaar."(10)With both the support and approval of Reagan, Iranian terrorists were being prompted to take more and more hostages to acquire thousands of missiles and other weaponry.The Coverup"When the Lebanese newspaper "Al-Shiraa" printed an exposé on the clandestine activities in November 1986, Reagan went on television and vehemently denied that any such operation had occurred. He retracted the statement a week later, insisting that the sale of weapons had not been an arms-for-hostages deal."(10)Not only did he knowingly commit these treasonous acts, he then went on to knowlingly lie about them. First, he denied the operations existance, then he denied the truth of the matter. This is similar to Nixon's involvement with the watergate scandal (except Nixon didn't order the covert actions, only covered them up). Nixon was in the process of impeachment and conviction when he resigned as president and was later pardoned. Reagan is in a very similar situation to this, except he took the extra step further and actually aided in the premeditation and execution of the actions.(11)The Treasonous Actions of ReaganThe actions that Reagan took are treasonous because he, The President of the United States, knowingly approved and supported a foreign policy that A) Violated US law B) Violated an arms embargo against an enemy of America C) assissted terrorists that were taking US citizens as hostages. These are all acts that knowlingly gave aid to enemies of the United States, and therefore are acts of treason. Sources1. http://data.worldbank.org...2. http://en.wikipedia.org...3. http://www.economist.com...4. http://www.decisionsonevidence.com...5. http://www.transparency.org...;6. http://www.marketplace.org...7. http://robertreich.org...8. http://www.sfgate.com...9. http://en.wikipedia.org...10. http://www.pbs.org...11. http://www.history.com...