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He spent excessively on defense in terms of militants’ upgrades of equipment they used and also the rationalization of military forces. As Reagan reduced taxes, defense expenditures made it unattainable to have a balanced budget. This enlarged budget, coupled with the anti-Soviet campaign, increased America’s debt, as Americans could not contribute due to their reduced tax contributions. Incurred debt was transferred to the government. This led to many Americans experiencing economic hardship; they had to work harder and longer, as they had limited opportunities to progress professionally.
Reagan encouraged the growth of clandestine segment initiatives. He anticipated being able to reassign some federal responsibilities to the private sector. This initiative led to many developments domestically. Citizens enhanced their livelihoods and spontaneous services increased; domestic competition created growth in the private sector. On the domestic front, Reagan received much credit; he was productive and future-oriented (Knopf, 200).
Although Reagan stopping the Vietnam War helped the U.S. maintain peace, it encouraged fresh new attacks from other territories. The Soviet Union consequently bombed an American aircraft, and the country faced attacks from Iran and Lebanon. Because of this, many American military groups felt the need to defend their country. This led to antagonism from each side. Americans had to be careful, as it was no longer considered to be peaceful. The Arabs and Lebanese were waiting for a chance to strike.
Reagan did not gain favor nationally due to tax discrepancies in Americans’ incomes. This created a divide; some saw themselves as superior (those with a nine percent reduction in taxes), while others (those with a one percent reduction) saw themselves as inferior. These groups could not compromise because they saw themselves as dissimilar societal classes. Reagan enhanced the gap between the underprivileged and the rich.
Reagan’s administration formed a movement to end the nuclear era. The goal was to agree that both countries would not expand their atomic armories. Americans demonstrated against this. In response, the administration began to cautiously revitalize arms control negotiations. This led to a peaceful era between the West and Middle East. Reagan made the first step by withdrawing troops from Lebanon.
America’s backing of Israel resulted in Lebanese attacks. These attacks angered Reagan, so he arranged for American planes to bombard sites in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. However, this led to unrelenting attacks on U.S. territory that antagonized both countries. Terrorism was intricate to control because when one side showed restraint, the other side aggravated that country.
Reagan gained popularity with people who saw his defects as unique features, while those who benefited saw his charitable side. As the U.S. was in many global wars, some countries began to believe America was a catalyst of war. Reagan aimed to restore America’s dignity and respect. At the start of his term, Reagan achieved this, but he failed to accomplish many things by the end. This led people to perceive America as a normal country and not as a superpower.
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