The Great Communicator
Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989), was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan initially worked as a sports broadcaster before becoming a well-known film actor in California. He married actress Jane Wyman in 1940 (they had two children) and later married Nancy Davis in 1952 (they had two children as well).
During his presidency, he played a pivotal role in shaping global affairs during the Cold War. His leadership was transformational. He engaged in a productive relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, leading to four summit meetings and setting the stage for peaceful resolution.
Some credit Reagan with “winning” the Cold War, though he and Gorbachev emphasized that the world was the true winner.
Reagan championed democracy and free-market ideology, expanding the reach of both during his tenure. His political style featured a bipartisan approach. He worked with a Democratic Congress to pass comprehensive immigration and tax reforms. His welfare bill and Social Security reforms defied partisan labels. His willingness to compromise contrasts starkly with today’s rigid party lines.
During the Cold War, Reagan initially criticized arms control and détente with the Soviet Union. He believed the U.S. was falling behind in the nuclear competition and advocated for strategic nuclear modernization.
Over time, Reagan became more conciliatory. Concerned about mutually assured destruction (MAD), he sought alternatives to deterrence. His Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), popularly known as “Star Wars,” aimed to render nuclear weapons obsolete by developing a missile defense system. Reagan’s commitment to SDI raised tensions but also paved the way for arms control negotiations. One of his greatest achievements came when he and Gorbachev of the USSR signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987, eliminating an entire category of nuclear weapons.
Reagan generally avoided or downplayed social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and racial integration. While he had support from the religious right, his focus was primarily on economic and foreign policy matters. His legacy includes weakening labor unions and finding bipartisan solutions for Social Security.
But his career was not without controversy. The Iran–Contra affair was the most damaging scandal during Reagan’s presidency. It involved selling weapons to Iran to secure the release of U.S. hostages and covertly funding Nicaraguan Contras, counter-revolutionary groups.
Over 138 administration officials faced investigation, indictment, or conviction, though some were pardoned by Reagan’s successor, George H. W. Bush. Some critics also point out Reagan’s widening wealth gap, declining wages, and deregulation of the financial industry.
A valued partner throughout Reagan’s years was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who once wrote about Ronald Reagan that he did not suffer from the "dismal plague of doubts" that bedeviled other Western leaders. Reagan in turn wrote that Thatcher "is a tower of strength."
Together, the son of a shoe salesman and the daughter of a grocer changed the world. It seems very fitting that she was the first foreign leader to visit Ronald Reagan in the White House in 1981 – and the last in 1989. The "Great Communicator" and the "Iron Lady" disagreed on some things, but agreed on many more including the heretical notion that the Cold War could be won.
Their friendship had begun some years earlier, in 1975, when then former Governor of California Reagan paid a courtesy call on the then-obscure conservative member of the British Parliament. It was a dark time for Western conservatism. Later that year, on her first trip to the United States, Thatcher gave a speech entitled, "Let Our Children Grow Tall." It was a defense of freedom and free market economics, a fight which Reagan had been making for years himself.
When Reagan passed away in June 2004, Margaret Thatcher was not supposed to attend the funeral because of her own health problems. But she somehow summoned the strength to make the trip. At the calling hours, where Nancy Reagan greeted mourners at Blair House, Thatcher wrote in the book collecting memories and praise, "To Ronnie – well done thou good and faithful servant." History will show that Reagan did indeed do well.
In summary, Reagan’s legacy is complex, marked by both hawkish nuclear policies and diplomatic efforts toward arms reduction. In his later years, Reagan faced Alzheimer’s disease, which gradually affected his memory and cognitive abilities, and ultimately took his life. His openness about the disease helped raise awareness and reduce stigma around Alzheimer’s which was far less understood then than it is today.
Ronald Reagan’s impact extends beyond his presidency to this day. He left a complex legacy that continues to shape political discourse and historical analysis. His legacy inspires us to write characters with similar situations and beliefs.
In the second book of our series, ‘Homeland Rescued’, Adam returns to Novana to find a region (Galtland) originally settled by people who were formerly enslaved to AI. They were on the brink of a crisis that was leading to area code moles civil war. Fearing the outcome and looking back upon the Great War that ended civilization throughout the planet where Adam was born, a planet now dominated AI, our hero becomes a beacon of hope — a savior for the people of Galtland. He encourages them to set aside their differences in favor of focusing on common goals that can unite. Like Reagan did.
Similar to Reagan who feared nuclear devastation, Adam has returned to Novana (and Galtland) to wage a bloodless revolution that might end the scourges of AI domination and liberate the people of Novana. But before saving the people of Novana from AI, he must immerse himself in Galtland and become the unbiased outsider needed to bring peace to the three regions — and then with their help gather the forces and develop a winning plan to re-enter the rest of Novana and inspire the Novanians to somehow secure their long denied freedoms.
Reagan believed common goals can UNITE — and that at least 80% of us could agree to common goals on 80% of the issues — and felt the world would be a far more peaceful place — if we would simply search for and for ourselves unite behind common goals — BEFORE we would start contentious divisive arguments on possible solutions.
Oh wouldn’t our crazy dangerous upside down world be wonderful if our leaders would adopt this very simple approach of Ronald Reagan ?
Better yet wouldn’t it be great if a modern day Ronald Reagan, perhaps with a modern day Margaret Thatcher, appear on the scene — to speak reason and common sense? Or even better — how about a dozen of them become the leaders of the most powerful nations of the world — tomorrow. Because we need them NOW.
Well we can dream new dreams that never were — can’t we? And we can all pray to our Creator, by whatever name we call him/her, and ask that the human race be spared from self-destruction. Let’s do that.
