A compromise was necessary and Reagan agreed to increased deficit spending in order to fund increased defense spending, including star wars. The result of obtaining half his goals, was the strengthening of the military, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the fragmentation of Russia, an increase in the number of free and self-governed countries, a reduction in world hostilities and for the first time in forty years Americans went to bed without the constant subconscious thought that nuclear missiles might hit during the night. Obviously many additional forces affected past budgets but these are the main factors and outcomes. Deficit spending and the budget increased under Reagan but part of the increase was the Congress and part was his administration. To argue against his part in the increases is to say it was better with the USSR bent on global expansion and living in a world where any crisis could result in total nuclear war.
Reality leads to only two questions.
From Reagan we raise our children in a safer world and sleep better at night. From the democrats we increased and expanded every social welfare program and have nothing to show for those tax dollars and borrowed money. Future generations should have less resentment paying for past debt that left them safer, than they will paying for educational experiments that failed and for social welfare that increased illegitimacy, child abuse, crime, fraud and robbed people of their self respect. Those are the options and results. Anyone wanting to question past decisions and budgets should argue from that truthful vantage point if they want to criticize past spending and budget decisions.