Except during Reagan's time the only thing the US lagged behind was in biological and chemical weapons. We had vastly superior nuclear weapons, technology and the means to win a conventional war. The only reason to spend that kind of money was to make the Soviets go broke. In terms of actual defense, it was overkill.
Except that Reagan's fiscal policy kept it going far longer then necessary. If he had simply let Volcker do his thing, stagflation would ended far sooner. Tossing billions of dollars into the money supply without any corresponding increases in assets and asset values leads to inflation. Volcker had to create an artificial recession to reduce inflation. Had Reagan cut back on the increases to the money supply, Volcker would have either been able to not raise interest rates so high or have stopped the artificial recession much sooner.
Fiscal conservative, Reagan was not.
The notion that Reagan was a blind idiot is something I'll never buy.
Considering Reagan to be on the right is highly disturbing. Big spending, big deficits, big government and anti-democratic actions across the planet. Huh. Really.
Reagan's military spending was coupled with Congresses increased welfare spending and spending on other social programs like medicare, medicaid, etc. Many of these spending increases were initiated during Reagans second term when democrats had control. Spending on social programs was enormous. Congress, not the President, really has the control over what is spent or not. Even if Reagan had balanced the budget, I would not give him as much credit as the Congress. I give the Congress under Clinton more credit than Clinton himself.
Read these pages of the book I am about to link you to. Last paragraph of pg. 176 through page 178. It details Reagan spending with specifics, and explains not only Reagan's numbers but the increases in spending from previous presidents.
Book link online
Reagan spent over 1.5 trillion on national defense, but he could pay for it. The spending on social programs is what caused the problem with the budget. Reagan didn't veto the social program spending increases because they included military spending that he wanted as well. He could either veto everything or take everything. Congress often uses this tactic to get what it wants. Considering the circumstances, Reagan couldn't veto what Congress wanted.
Reagan spent:
-282 Billion on national defense in 1987
-31 Billion on agriculture in 1987
-319 Billion on social programs in 1987
If you actual look into the reports I gave you, you will realize why it is very possible Reagan knew little or nothing about the Iran Contra Affair.
You still haven't answered my question. Who do you see as "far right"?
I recognize you from another site, obvious_child, 4forumsandpolls is the name or something like that.