Tear Down This Myth
Will Bunch’s Tear Down This Myth is sure to inflame the legions of Ronald Reagan’s admirers who have invested two decades of effort in burnishing the former President’s controversial legacy. The book’s subtitle explains its thesis–How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts Our Future–and his study offers lessons for both liberals and conservatives who can look back on Reagan’s policies and politics with a perspective untainted by myth-making.
Bunch’s book describes the large-scale efforts of Reagan’s conservative progeny to polish the legacy of the quite divisive President who left office with a lower approval rating than would a post-impeachment Bill Clinton 12 years later.
Along the way the author visits the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA, which features a massive statue of Reagan originally planned for Oklahoma City’s Cowboy Hall of Fame, as well as a large section of the Berlin Wall which the President famously urged Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down” in one of the iconic speeches of the 1980s. Tellingly, no official mention is made on the premises of the Iran/Contra scandal that nearly led to the President’s impeachment and crippled the last years of his administration.
Part of Bunch’s study is dedicated to pointing out the complexities of the fall of the Soviet Bloc, a historical turning point far more complicated than the simple mythology of Reagan single-handedly destroying Communism. Another interesting theme Bunch pursues is an examination of the many ways post-Reagan conservatives have turned away from the actual policies of the Reagan Administration, particularly on foreign policy, while still carrying the banner of “Reaganism.”
Bunch points out Reagan’s oft-stated hesitance to involve American troops in foreign conflicts, particularly after the tragic truck-bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 led him to withdraw troops from that intractable conflict. The author convincingly argues it is a grievous misuse of history to suggest Reagan would have ever enthusiastically supported large-scale military intervention in the Middle East, given his stated policies and beliefs on the region.
In this Q & A with Vanity Fair, Bunch discusses elements of Reagan’s legacy left unmentioned by his myth-makers, particularly his willingness to compromise politically on key issues while maintaining uncompromising rhetoric.
This episode of NPR’s Fresh Air features an interview with Bunch as well as a counterpoint from historian Douglas Brinkley, who considers Reagan one of the top five presidents of the 20th century.
Bunch’s acclaimed Attytood blog ranges over the author’s obsessions, from politics and world affairs to sports and music.
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