KCRag Forum

I thought this was an interesting article about the downfall of St Louis and Reagans lax antitrust policies in the 80s. I didn't realize St Louis was home to so many fortune 500 Comapnies in the 80s. What a downfall st Louis has become.

I am beginning to realize that Reagan was a horrible president for the Middle Class but he is treated like a saint to so many in the GOP

https://www.vox.com/new-money/2017/7/14 ... e-st-louis

First off, the blame would be Paul Volcker's, primarily, as he morphed from an antitrust guy to a more accommodating stance; the blame would not assign to a hands-off president like Reagan.

Secondly, if you accept this deregulatory hypothesis (I would argue that regional antitrust bias was on its way out in the US as observable during the 1960s conglomeration craze), you have to also discount the important benefits of these changes. Namely that the enormous national economy-of-scale for merged private sector firms provided much of the boom-time growth of the 1990s.

Our national technology prowess, which provided millions of transitional white collar jobs from the older sectors, might not have been so supreme. Also, the demise of the Soviet bloc must be accounted whenever history is revised macroeconomically like this, spanning decades.

Bottom line, St. Louis lost many corporate headquarters. Many factors were involved. No individuals were 'responsible,' but perhaps large-scale economic changes can be implicated.

Reagan had noticeable Alzheimers by his second term. It's entirely possible the majority of the Reagan presidency was without him at the helm mentally enough to make the decisions needed.
It's worth pointing out he turned 70 right after the inauguration.

I wouldn't blame anything on Reagan given his clear declining state.

Trump is going into the same situation. In the 1990s he was extremely articulate and clearly a sharp person. With plenty of video it's clear his language skills have declined since then. This could explain his unwillingness to release real health records. He wouldn't be the first politician of either party to hide health issues from the public, FDR, Kennedy are two great examples.

^The article mentions Reagan's Administration not specifically Reagan, I highly doubt Reagan did much decision making as a president, i think he was more of a puppet

I figure all the things people blame on the president tends to be caused by the entrenched bureaucracy both parties prepare during an election year.

The deregulation of the 1980's can go back to the 70's. It falls on both the Dems and the GOP. For example the trucking industry was deregulated in 1980 with Carter as president. And that could be said is causing the trouble with the Central States Pension Fund now for 100,000's of retirees.