Summary
When Reagan made these points in Moscow, and tied them to the open society and individual freedom that was the central point in his classical liberal philosophy, he was once again putting on display his belief in the power of ideas.
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Extract
Reagan Co-Opted
Reagan Co-opted Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History By John Patrick Diggins (W.W. NORTON, 493 PAGES, $2795)
Reviewed by Peter J. WallisonHIS IS A BOOK I VERY MUCH WANTED TO UKE. Not because it was supposed to reflect a liberal's awakening to the importance and significance of Ronald Reagan, but because I hoped it was abook by a member of the academy that took Ronald Reagan seriously.One of the remarkable things about Reagan is the dearth of serious scholarly works about his presidency. Although Professor Diggins could describe him as one of the three greatest presidents in American history-the others being Lincoln and Roosevelt-the number of scholarly books on Reagan, almost two decades after he left office, can be counted on one hand.This is reflected in Diggins's bibliography. Most of the cited works are by journalists, and cover specific issues in Reagan's political life, or memoirs by journalists or figures in the Reagan administration. Diggins's text mostly cites Lou Cannon's book-President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime-the title of which suggests the arch way in which, at the time Cannon was writing, many people in the press thought of Ronald Reagan.Still, the Cannon book is one of the fairest and most balanced available. As Diggins acknowledges, "Reagan's reputation has suffered from northern liberal biases that dominate the teaching and writing of American history today."But there is another ...See the full content of this document
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