It is interesting to note that the UK Conservatives face a similar issue in continuing to focus on the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. One can respect and hold those two leaders in high esteem while recognizing that their prescriptions may have been suitable then but unsuitable now. The better lesson to take away from Reagan and Thatcher is that they were both mavericks of their time and through the force of their personalities and beliefs, established a paradigmatic change in politics. They had the courage to break from a status quo that wasn’t working, while rooting themselves within the conservative tradition. That is the kind of thinking we need now to solve the existential societal crises we find ourselves in.
Best column I have read this year!
These are powerful ideas, masterfully written. You are giving voice to many.
It is interesting to note that the UK Conservatives face a similar issue in continuing to focus on the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. One can respect and hold those two leaders in high esteem while recognizing that their prescriptions may have been suitable then but unsuitable now. The better lesson to take away from Reagan and Thatcher is that they were both mavericks of their time and through the force of their personalities and beliefs, established a paradigmatic change in politics. They had the courage to break from a status quo that wasn’t working, while rooting themselves within the conservative tradition. That is the kind of thinking we need now to solve the existential societal crises we find ourselves in.