Bick
Administrator 
Posts: 6,900
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Post by Bick on Feb 20, 2020 11:31:35 GMT -8
It takes time to sort through some of the repercussions of presidential decisions throughout history, and with some us here as history buffs to a greater or lesser extent, I thought this would make for interesting conversation.
I'll lead with Reagan involving us with the right wing El Salvador gov't a particularly bad decision that, among other things, led to the mass exodus of Salvadorians fleeing into the US to seek asylum. That, IMO, was the genesis of the MS13 gang.
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SK80
Master Eminence Grise
Posts: 7,376
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Post by SK80 on Feb 20, 2020 15:52:13 GMT -8
I'll one up that... AMNESTY.
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Bick
Administrator
Posts: 6,900
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Post by Bick on Feb 20, 2020 16:01:44 GMT -8
I'm not so sure amnesty itself was a bad idea. The cumulative effect of not securing the border led to that choice, and I'm not so sure mass deportation was a good idea then, or now.
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Luca
Master Statesman
Posts: 1,316
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Post by Luca on Feb 20, 2020 18:54:58 GMT -8
Good decision: Truman deciding to put US troops in Korea in 1950 immediately following the North Korean invasion. There was a lot of waffling about that for a while but we were able to save South Korea and stabilize Japan and keep an ally on China's border
Bad decision: Johnson not realizing that defending South Vietnam was a losing proposition and getting the hell out before things got out of control. The Vietnam War has led to a domino effect of problems for the US both internationally and domestically..........................Luca
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tarmac
Senior Statesman
Posts: 859
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Post by tarmac on Feb 21, 2020 7:31:43 GMT -8
Bad.
President Carter was a micromanager.
President Reagan sending US Marines to Lebanon.
President Bush. "Read my Lips"
President Clinton. Blowjob.
President W Bush. War in Iraq.
President Obama. Spying on GOP.
President Trump pardoned some scumbags.
Good.
President Carter was an honest guy.
President Reagan lower taxes.
President Bush left in 1 term.
President Clinton help to keep Hillary out of the White House.
President W Bush beating Al Gore.
President Obama drank beer with cop.
President Trump freed the slaves.
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Bick
Administrator
Posts: 6,900
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Post by Bick on Feb 21, 2020 8:21:55 GMT -8
Back to Reagan and the decision to support the right wing gov't of El Salvador.
I understand the thinking to keep the country from falling into the hands of communism. But in hindsight, was it the correct thing to do?
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MDDad
Master Eminence Grise
Posts: 6,814
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Post by MDDad on Feb 21, 2020 9:00:03 GMT -8
I think in hindsight, many, if not most of the things governments do turn out not to be the correct thing. It just depends how far hind you want to sight.
If governments' foresight were half as sharp as their hindsight, we'd be much better off and much less in debt.
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Bick
Administrator
Posts: 6,900
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Post by Bick on Feb 21, 2020 10:11:43 GMT -8
I think in hindsight, many, if not most of the things governments do turn out not to be the correct thing. It just depends how far hind you want to sight. If governments' foresight were half as sharp as their hindsight, we'd be much better off and much less in debt. In this case, I'm not sure at the time I would have acted differently. The spread of communism was perceived as a huge threat. But in hindsight, perhaps the best thing would've been to allow that to happen, and then let it collapse on its own, like Venezuela. |
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