Yes, US Debt tripled under Reagan. But considering he led us through the worst recession since the Great Depression and helped end the Cold War without firing a shot by spending the Soviet Union into oblivion, Reagan's record is not bad at all. The money was well spent.
The growth of the US Debt in historical perspective:
1929: Beginning of Great Depression. US Debt is $16.9B
1940: Great Depression ends with US Debt almost tripled to $42.9B.
1945: US Debt is up to $258.3B by the end of WWII, more than 15 times greater than at the beginning of the Great Depression.
Granted, the Great Depression and WWII were far more serious threats that what Reagan faced; nonetheless, no one complains about having to increase the Debt 15 fold in order to get the job done.
In that perspective, I am not arguing the debt. There were jobs to be done and they got done. However, in Reagan and Bush terms, it's an uncecessary disaster. This debt is not for the good of the American people, but rather for the corporations. I hate to say this, but every time I hear Bush talk about patriotism and resolve, I crack up laughing. I would like to beleive in those words, but Bush has watered them down to a mere joke.
