Reagan's War

President Ronald Reagan will forever be remembered in American history for four basic things: bringing back a sense of pride, hope, optimism, and patriotism to the American experience; ushering in a sweeping change in government that repudiated Liberalism and affirmed the founding Constitutional principles of our forefathers; building up the U.S. military that had been gutted under Jimmy Carter; and winning the Cold War and breaking the back of Communism.

All of these components were central to the success of the Reagan Presidency. However, it was winning the Cold War outright and ending the Communist domination of Eastern Europe that perhaps best defines how Reagan will be remembered.

Another war, however, was initiated during the Reagan years that has not had such smashing success. It is the U.S. Government's 'war on drugs.'

Two ironic truths stand out concerning the Reagan Presidency. One, in spite of Reagan's insistence on small government, lower government spending, and balanced budgets, the budget deficit skyrocketed during his Presidency, and government actually continued to grow. Two, in spite of Reagan's belief that 'government should get off the backs of the citizens,' some contend that government actually increased its intrusion into our lives with the launching of the so-called 'war on drugs.'

The first of these has a very simple explanation. Reagan was forced to deal with a Democratic-controlled Congress during most of his Presidency, with the exception of a couple of years when Republicans controlled the Senate. It was common practice for Democrats during those days to operate out of a deficit. Balanced budgets were only a dream. And thus, Reagan had to deal with reality in working with a Congress that was oppositional and sometimes openly hostile to his views.

The second, the war on drugs, was an ill-conceived plan when hindsight is taken into consideration. Yet, during the time in question, the war on drugs was entirely understandable.

This was the early 1980s. Drugs had already ravaged an entire generation of young Americans, many of whom died or whose lives were permanently hampered by their use of dangerous substances.

The mindset at the time was, 'do something to stop it.' And that usually meant banning whatever the offending substance happened to be.

While the rationale for the war on drugs is understandable when one considers the times and the context, the campaign launched a dangerous chain of events that led to more government intrusion into our lives, massive government spending, making criminals out of those whose only crime was being terribly addicted to bad substances, and an ever-expanding police state to reign in a problem that continues to this day to rage out of control.

This has led Reagan supporters such as venerable conservative William F. Buckley to call for an end to the war on drugs, a legalization of simple possession and use, and an emphasis on rehab for addicts.

In short, the war on drugs failed. It is a continuing failure to this very day.

Part of Reagan's success was his ability to make mid-course adjustments when needed. He was refreshingly flexible for someone who held so strongly to his core conservative principles. But when something didn't work, he could see it and make changes.

Like Prohibition during the early part of the 20th century, the war on drugs has only resulted in higher crime, a huge and uncontrollable black market, and an increase in use resulting from the desire to do the forbidden. Americans were smart enough to see the failure of Prohibition and repealed it.

It is time to end the war on drugs. Reagan would have it no other way.