A STRANGE LOVE AFFAIR: Reflections on America's 40th President America adored Reagan cuz he brought Hollywood to the White House. They loved the Old Gipper cuz he knew the answers before any questions arose & his anecdotes seemed larger than life. Most of all, they adored the Great Geezer cuz he carried Death Valley Excitement ta tiny living rooms – offering Big-Sky Dramas ta people with wallet-size minds. Only Mickey Mouse could have done better! The only problem izzz when style matters more than substance & too many contradictions are smoothed by smiles, the world becomes a B-rate movie. Aren't most folks tired of cowboy rhetoric? Aren't there better lines? Sam: I can't understand why so many Americans admired Ronald Reagan. Terri: Then you do not understand basic human psychology. People like stories. Those stories needn't be "true" in any objective sense, but they must be entertaining and inspirational. Kris: Agreed! A good fiction is superior to a depressing fact. Sam: So Reagan was a master at fantasy and manipulation? Terri: Precisely! His mind was often foggy and he seldom understood what was happening in the world in detail, but he could spin enchanting stories that idealized America. Tim: Strange as it may sound, I think Obama learned many things from Reagan. Terri: Yeah. Great leaders learn from the predecessors. Foolish leaders, however, believe they are "unique" and ignore history, or else cherry pick it freely. ================================================================================= from _AmeriSong: Poetry, Art, & Dialogs about Amerika_ by T Newfields SUMMARY: Some thoughts about Reagan Worship, political propaganda, and human gullibility. KEYWORDS: Reagan Worship, American presidents, Reaganism, the beatification of Reagan Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955) Begun: 1994 in Shizuoka, Japan / Finished: 2022 in Yokohama, Japan Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted < LAST https://www.tnewfields.info/AmeriSong/another.htm TOC https://www.tnewfields.info/AmeriSong/index.html NEXT > https://www.tnewfields.info/AmeriSong/reaganmyths.htm TRANSLATIONS ESPAÑOL https://www.tnewfields.info/es/ronaldo.htm NIHONGO https://www.tnewfields.info/jp/reegan.htm ZHŌNGWÉN https://www.tnewfields.info/zh/ligen.htm