Reagan Rejected Nation-Building

“For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”-- John Winthrop (1588–1649) on America, quoted by Ronald Reagan in his farewell address

What would Reagan do?
What would Reagan NOT do?

• Reagan was tough on defense but with our greatest enemy the Soviet Union he re-opened trade, fed the Soviet people with American wheat, negotiated historic arms reductions, and avoided war.
• Reagan supported rebels in Nicaragua, Angola, and Afghanistan but did not attempt to invade, occupy, or nation-build any of these countries.
• Reagan used up to 3 aircraft carriers against Libya (its 3 million population about the size of Connecticut’s) to counterattack or capture terrorists but did not regime-change, invade, occupy, or nation-build this terrorist state.
• Reagan with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) invaded and occupied the tiny island of Grenada (population 95,000) on October 25, 1983 but the main US combat unit left only 9 days later.
• Reagan with Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) occupied one city in Lebanon, Beirut, 1982-1984, but did not occupy the rest of the small country (population 3 million) and did not nation-build. Even this limited peacekeeping effort cost 265 American lives and Reagan at the end of his presidency told Pat Buchanan that Beirut was his greatest regret.

Today, Iraq’s population is 27 million and Afghanistan’s population is 32 million, so Bush’s current attempt to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan is population-wise like Russia or China trying to occupy and nation-build Texas and California into their image (how successful would Russia or China be?). Iran’s population is 70 million. Pakistan's population is 161 million. Those 4 countries (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan) combined almost equal the United States in population.

Reagan was a smart enough hawk to avoid nation-building foreign countries. Reagan’s only idea of nation-building was to reform and revitalize our own country by remembering our first principles of liberty and limited government and thereby be that shining city on the hill.

“The moral way of government is the practical way of government.” “We meant to change a nation and instead we changed a world.”--Ronald Reagan, farewell address

“We should do it by setting good standards, motivating people, and have them want to emulate us.” “We do have a lot of goodness in this country and we should promote it—but never through the barrel of a gun.”--Ron Paul, CNN Republican debate

“For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”-- John Winthrop (1588–1649) on America, quoted by Ronald Reagan in his farewell address