so they must not have worked. He really did not jump start the economy with de-regulation and tax cuts (that seems so unfair to the poor, to give the wealthy a tax cut) and he really did not use a carrot AND a stick to push the USSR into oblivion (a big military is scary, so he just sweet talked them into surrender.) Or something like that.

Reaganism is dead, or is it just Reagan is dead and his would be children have forgotten his leagacy?

Hell Ronnie threw money at the military because the USSR was going to fall soon and they had better get in while the getting was good. Any body looking at USSR factories, cities, and infrastructure could tell they were not doing well.

The USSR fell because of Ronnie's policies, but they were already following them for 75 years. (unbalanced spending, ignoring infrastructure)

Ronnie's shortcomings are too many to chronicle here.

I analyzed real marketing data, (it was my job) I saw the slow pays, bankruptcies, out of business, and revenue changes. Ronnie , and GHB were on their way out, and Clinton's policies under way before the trend was positive. Clinton instituted fiscal conservative policies and the markets responded.

Before Reagan, inflation at double digits, interest rates almost 20%, stagflation. What were the real data when he left?

Volker started to control inflation, it hurt. People punished Carter.

Greenspan followed Volker, Greenspan is a conservative. He says Reagan's debt is a drag on the economy.

When Reagan took office, but when his excessive spending got cut back during GHB's reign IBM cut back and then left the federal system bussiness. I left IBM and took a job in market support.

which economy are you talking about? The one in 2008? The one that is 20 years after Reagan left office? Or the one ten years ago, that was booming?

And interesting that you labeled IBM as a defense contractor. I think their business model is just a bit bigger than that. And part of the reason IBM got their clocks cleaned is out in Seattle, Washington.

I don't have a problem with people being upset with Reagan because they thought his policies were amoral. If you want, we can debate that. But if you are a pragmatist, what he did worked pretty well. And I think that was the point of the article--that Reagan was a lot more pragmatic than people are willing to acknowledge, on both sides of the ideological aisle. The fact that Reagan haters cannot acknowledge his accomplishments shows the cognitive distortions I was pointing out.

FSD (Federal Systems division) was just one of IBM's divisions, Built some very good weapon systems. That work is being carried on by Lockheed

Yes Reagan got some things done. But the cost exceeded the value.

like stopped tracking deadly diseases, one of which killed Jim Henson.

or stopped federal coordinated attack on TB, frustrated the attack on AIDS.