It is sometimes a bit of a shock to us here at TPOL to realize it’s been more than 38 years since Reagan left office, and 46 years: almost half a century! since he took office. The man was born 115 years ago!

The changes in these United States and the world in that time are staggering. Mostly for the worse in so many ways. (Not that there are not many good things that have been done and accomplished. Or at least things which can be used for good.)

Reagan’s record, like all American presidents, is very mixed. He did a lot of bad things. He let a lot more bad things take place during his two terms in office. But he was both a good actor and an incredible speaker. And overall, his two terms were very welcome as compared to the great mess in which we Americans found ourselves in the 1970s. Perhaps his greatest flaw was that he did not push more to undo so much that the FedGov did in the 1960s and 1970s.

So, here are a few quotes that point out Mr. Reagan realized things were not good, politically or socially, back then. And still are not today.

Terrifying words (the first graphic, above): As we deal daily with government agencies and organizations that have far too many characteristics of government, we are reminded of this constantly.

This lesson seems to have been ignored by both Democrats and Republicans since then. But it points out, too, what The Price of Liberty (the webzine!) constantly proclaims: mandatory human government is evil by nature. It cannot be trusted and will never do what it claims to do.

Truly, any power in the hands of government (or anyone else) that is not freely and individually granted by “we, the people” and can be withdrawn is too much power and the enemy of liberty.

Certainly, Mr. Reagan was stating the obvious. We are not surprised to find that both Democrats and Republicans, even the most outspoken in support of human liberty, seem to ignore this. As we saw in Minneapolis several weeks ago, and nearly daily in most American cities.