symbioidlj | Required posting Regarding Reagan

So, I'm supposed to say something about this, acknowledge it in some way, this President's death.

He's been dead to the public for a decade as it is. The Republicans have been pushing for monuments for him for many years now. One person replied to a friends post and said "Just watch them, they'll attempt to put him on the dime." And it triggered my memory. They ARE working to put him on the dime.

Of course, Dems don't want that. What would a solution be. Of course, being left-wing that I am, I wouldn't want Reagan on a dime, but the fact is, people aren't decided to be put upon money based upon their politics. I thought, imagine if they made 50% Reagan Dimes and 50% FDR dimes. But then, some schmuck at the mint might withhold some from circulation so more reagan or fdr get out than the other one.

So, have we ever had a 2-headed dime? It would be interesting I think. Think about it, the most socialist president we've ever had on one side, and the most... well at least the president who brought forth the biggest push towards capitalism we've had... I won't say he's the "most capitalist" president ever. But he is pretty much the American Icon of Capitalism.

Why not put both on, they're both part of American history, and they both represent two competing strands of American thought. Just my ten cents worth.

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Now, as to his death. Of course, all the right-wingers are jizzing themselves and calling for a pyramid to be build, and all that sort of shit. And the lefties are ranting about how they're glad he's gone. Or don't give a shit. Or something.

But I look at both of these sides and think to myself about how it is. They are not looking at a human, they are looking at a symbol, and ideal, some mythic form, incarnated into the flesh. They are, in their own way, apotheosizing him. Whether god or the devil, messiah or anti-christ, he is still made to be some greater than life figure.

But I prefer to think of him as a human. And if Republicans really respected him, that's what they would do. I don't expect my comrades on the left to really agree with me, though it would be nice if they could learn to see the humanity in him, even if they disagree with his politics. I don't want to see him either way. Instead of talking about his greatness and his "defeat of communism" through deficit spending(which is an ex post fact rationalization, ultimately), what about the side of him that Nancy knew. The side that she fell in love with. Who was that man? Did he sing songs of love to her? Did he make her laugh?

I'm sure there will be some cheesy things on TV that show that side of him as well. but most of it will be "Glory glory to Reagan, the most high!"

But being human, what about the dark side of him? Did he get pissed, did he have a temper? Did he ever get depressed?

By turning him into a saint or a sinner we take away the very humanity of a human, and thus, in actuality, tear apart at the very fabric of the concept of democracy. The president, for all his power, is still a human, with frailties and strengths like any other person. It's best to keep that in mind. In order to defeat your enemy, you have to respect him as well.