CLASSIC REAGAN. The Ethical Werewolf discusses how the memory of Ronald Reagan as small-government conservative doesn't match the reality of his policies. As others have noted, this myopia also extends to foreign policy. The classic Kristol and Kagan piece Towards a Neo-Reaganite Foreign Policy was notable mainly for its description of a foreign policy that was very heavy on the "neo" and very light on the "Reaganite." Actual Reagan foreign policy involved some democracy promotion in Eastern Europe, some confrontation of "evil" in the first term, and an absolute disdain for democratic movements anywhere other than in the Soviet bloc. His second term, of course, saw engagement, dialogue, arms control, and a general reduction of tensions with the Soviet Union, all against the advice of his most hawkish advisors. Recall that none of those advisors thought that the USSR was on the verge of collapse in 1985, or even in 1988; Reagan distinguished himself in those years as being probably the most engagement minded President of the Cold War era. Since Reagan has always been more important as a symbol than as a person anyway, not much of this really matters to your average neocon. Nevertheless, it's worth remembering. --Robert Farley
