Presidential Legacies

I stumbled upon a treasure while visiting my mother yesterday;  an old copy of Life magazine - dated October 1987.  What caught my eye, was not the image of Mikhail Gorbachev.  But tucked into the upper right hand corner of the cover was a picture of American Presidents with the title, "Four Presidents on the Future of America."

Words are a delicacy for me.  What proceeds from the tongue of the one individual can be assessed on the tongue of the receiver.  What is the weight attached to the morsel?  Is it salty, sweet or bitter? What is the texture, the moisture... the crunchiness of what is shared... especially if spooning a large portion into the mouth and biting down on it a bit?   And in an era of Styrofoam news, what needs to be spit out?

Presidential legacies are important.  Each American President brings their own unique flavor to the administration.  And their Executive Orders, policies, treaties, and manner of speech can effect our children's children.

Reflecting on our nation, President Richard Nixon stated, "With considerable justification, this has been described as the American century.  In the two great wars, American economic and military power tilted the balance between freedom and despotism.  Since World War II, we have given more than $120 billion in economic aid to 125 countries, including our two major enemies in that war, Germany and Japan, who are now our major economic competitors."  (p 31)

President Nixon staunchly loved and believed in America.  He brought into his administration Henry Kissinger,  perhaps one of the most significant Secretary of State and senior statesman which the world has ever witnessed. Nixon also leaned toward the European traditions of decorum and pomp and outfitted the White House Marine Guards in European-style uniforms. Naturally, he was accused of imperialism - no differently than our current POTUS has endured the same level of criticism leveled against his ostentatious architectural demands.  

Nixon was a classic Keynesian when it came to his view of the economy.  But to his discredit, he greatly expanded the government's scope of activities, creating the EPA - an agency which quickly began to oppress the private property space of both individuals and municipalities.  The whole thing got out of hand; to the point that one regulation made it a federal offense to shine a light on a kangaroo rat at night. And we all know how the lowly snail darter brought to a skidding halt the construction of a much needed dam in Tennessee.  Such intense penalties were placed on ranchers in the West, that a shoot-and-bury action became commonplace to deal with predators which threatened  herds. Coyotes need to eat. But so do humans.

To his credit,  President Nixon understood the insipid political nature of the U.N.  And he stated, "Despite high hopes at the end of World War II, we cannot rely on the United Nations to prevent or end wars.  Where the interests of major powers are involved, turning a problem over to the United Nations is a cop-out, not a solution.  (p 31)

When President Ford entered office, he did not stand much of a chance to establish a legacy. The nation was unnecessarily wounded with the viciousness of the political attacks against Richard Nixon.  It all came down to an address book and a man named G. Gordon Liddy.  But it happened on the President's watch. His enemies quickly gathered a formidable mule team and plowed the Nixon administration right into the ground.  And Gerald Ford entered the White House as a nursemaid in a care-taking role for our Republic.

So it seems fitting, that Gerald Ford's interview with Life magazine began with naming his five granddaughters, with a picture of him seated in the grass with two little girls standing beside him. 

"After working forty years on the perils and problems facing our country, why do I still worry about them?  I've had my turn.  I've done my best.  I'll name you five good reasons: Sarah Ford, nine: Tyne Vance, seven;  Rebekah Ford, six; Heather Vance, four, and Hannah Ford, two." (p 28)  He made a wise statement, "Our Constitutional system has worked well, perhaps too well. By and large it gives the people what they want, even if the people accept the bad arithmetic." (p 29) This  comment seems to apply today.

President Jimmy Carter stated, "Historically, once a challenge is discerned and clear goals defined, our abilities are almost limitless in correcting mistakes and evolving new approaches to overcome obstacles.  Our commitment to human freedom, an inspired constitutional form of government, to heterogeneous population with an ingrained entrepreneurial spirit, and unequaled advantages of nature and geography are adequate to give us these assurances." (p 26)  Unfortunately, on the foreign policy front, President Carter could not come up nor even imagine how to pull off a party in a warehouse full of alcoholic beverages.  (Of course, as a Bible-believing Baptist - this is a given.)  But the intoxicating nature of foreign policy was well beyond his grasp.

Because President Carter was so fixated on human rights, he appointed a man who was well-known in the civil rights movement to the post of Ambassador to the United Nations.  Andrew Young might have been recognized as the compassionate face of America.  But his lack of foreign policy experience made him an absolute walking disaster once he was dropped into that rancid soup known as the U.N.   Jimmy Carter also became obsessed with "peace in the Middle East".  The momentary glory of the Camp David Accords was swallowed up by his weakness in dealing with the U.S.S.R.  The fruit of that - is still on the vine today.

And then there is President Ronald Reagan.  What can really be said about the man?  He was magnificent.  A couple of his comments in the interview were quotes made by other remarkable men. And I leave you with just one:

"Alexander Hamilton said, ' ... it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question - whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force." 

Reading the interviews in the magazine was disconcerting.  They were not presented in chronological order.  But tasting the words of four of our POTUS, reminded me that we have a current American President who will also add his square to the quilt of our nation.  The cloth of our nation will remain strong.  Not because of those who lead, but certainly because of "We the People".

(It has been refreshing to pull back from the topic of Iran - if just for this moment in time. And if you read the post when it first went "live" it was incomplete. Taking the dog out to play with the ball distracted me and I hit "post" before finishing my thoughts. wink   Tammy)