One of my friends just emailed his take on the president’s statement today:
The President said he has done pretty much everything the Republicans asked for, he’s cut government down even smaller than it was under Reagan, and they still say bad things about him. So he is prepared to cut the things government does for us even more just to prove he is not what they say he is.
Just another demonstration that modern politics in the US is kabuki. Rethug or Democrat, they all work for the same 1%, Our Corporate Masters.
Oh, oh look at those Repukes. They – are – ca-ra-zy! Vote or me, so I can do all the things that you don’t want them to do. Oh you don’t like me doing that shit? What ‘cha gonna do? Vote for those ca-ra-zy Republicans?
Checkmate.
I think Regan actually expanded government. Some of the spying programs ( like the pee test for drugs) came into effect during his regime. More details in one of the 2 books on him I read at the same time – “Tear down this myth” by Will Bunch and “The man who sold the world : Ronald Reagan and the betrayal of Main Street America” by William Kleinknecht. Can’t remember exactly which one. Also it was during his regime that US went from being a net creditor to a net debtor.