Posted by BEN BEAUMONT – Contrary to opposing theories, Ronald Reagan was neither conservative or liberal in his handling of the end of the Cold War, said James Mann, author of a book about the politics and policy of Reagan’s approach to the former Soviet Union.
Speaking at the Clinton School on Tuesday, Mann, author of “The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War,” said Reagan spurned both neoconservatives who advised a hardline approach on the Soviets and moderates, such as Henry Kissinger, who were skeptical of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
Instead, Reagan pursued a policy that included reduction of nuclear arms and cultivated a relationship with Gorbachev that ultimately brought down the Berlin Wall and led to the end of the several decades-long conflict, Mann said.
A former Los Angeles Times reporter, Mann is also author of “Rise of the Vulcans,” a book about the Cold-War role of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld in the early days of the Reagan Administration.
Video of Mann’s talk will be posted soon at www.clintonschoolspeakers.com.
James Mann, author of “The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan,” lectured and signed copies of his book Tuesday at the Clinton School.
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