It’s hard to imagine what the world would be like today if Ronald Reagan had never come along. With his 100th birthday now upon us, it’s important to look back and recognize how much of the past 100 years of history Reagan personally impacted and how he was able to change history’s course.
One cannot begin to talk about President Reagan without talking about his convictions. That’s because his beliefs defined him. And while some in today’s political arena credit his success exclusively to his communicatory gifts — which he undeniably possessed — the Gipper would disagree. As he so modestly once put it: “I wasn’t a great communicator, but I communicated great things.” Reagan’s bedrock commitment to those “great things” made him the right man for his time.
The course of the 20th century was not always a smooth ride for the United States or for freedom. At home and abroad, collectivism and Marxist totalitarianism challenged the dreams of people yearning to breathe free. We needed a hero, and we got one in Ronald Reagan.
Upon seeing his country succumb to the unintended hubris of the welfare state, high taxes, rampant spending and crippling regulation, Reagan set his sights on Washington to turn things around. According to him, government was not the solution but the problem. The status quo of the time begged to differ and Reagan saw no choice but to challenge it. He succeeded.
That same misguided consensus also told us that Soviet Communism would forever co-habit the globe with Western democracy. President Reagan disagreed. To him, Communism wasn’t just flawed — it was evil. That conviction shaped his entire worldview. Thus, his forecast for the Cold War was simple: “We win, they lose.” As he predicted in 1981, “the West won’t contain communism, it will transcend communism.” Again, Reagan was right.
Whether it was as an actor, a spokesman, a governor, or President of the United States, Ronald Reagan was always guided by a deep, unrelenting desire to see America succeed. Because of the courage behind his convictions, we did.
A hundred years from now, President Reagan’s legacy will continue to inspire new leaders to enter public life as he personally inspired me to do. And as long as his principles are cherished and passed down to every new generation, I believe America will remain that “shining city on a hill” and the last best hope for man on earth.
— Jeb Hensarling, a congressman from Texas, is chairman of the House Republican Conference.