Reagan meets with the Taliban 1985 and says, "These gentlemen are the moral equivalents of America's founding fathers." What are your thoughts on this?

Ronald Reagan was an affable, empty-headed B-grade actor who I think of as "All cage, no bird".

Inspiring speaker, though. I'll give him that.

Oh, and comparing America's founding fathers to the Taliban? Persuasive rhetoric designed to romanticize the Taliban in the eyes of Congress and the general public. Almost sounds like a movie plot.

Reagan and the Taliban had a lot in common. They were religious fanatics with very little idea of how to run a country. We are now suffering the legacy of both governments.

I am surprised that there wasn't an implosion with so much ignorance concentrated in such a small area.

The Taliban wasn't established until 1994...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban

These double dealings caused lots of death of innocent civilians. POwer comes with responsibility, which is beign forgotten by our politicial leaders.

How long till we learn that the old saw, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." is getting awfully rusty.

Back then the Taliban's arch-enemy was America's arch-enemy.... a combination of lack of foresight; the misguided notion that the enemy of my enemy is my friend; and saying what he believes he has to say to get people on side.

Some people still have the belief that the US was founded by a bunch of religious extremists. It is only partially true, happily.

"Good Muslim, Bad Muslim - An African Perspective":
"The CIA created the Mujaheddin and Bin Laden as alternatives to secular nationalism. Just as, in another context, the Israeli intelligence created Hamas as an alternative to the secular PLO.

Contemporary "fundamentalism" is a modern project, not a traditional leftover. When the Soviet Union was defeated in Afghanistan, this terror was unleashed on Afghanistan in the name of liberation. As different factions fought over the liberated country - the Northern Alliance against the Taliban - they shelled and destroyed their own cities with artillery."
Source and further information:
http://essays.ssrc.org/sept11/essays/mamdani.htm

Further information:
- "The cold-warriors then insisted that the US should support religious extremists in Afghanistan":
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6896129
- "America, the Cold War, and the Taliban":
http://www.shunya.net/Text/Blog/AmericaColdWarTaliban.htm
http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2009/03/america-the-cold-war-and-the-taliban.html

That's the nature of American politics: friends today and foes tomorrow - or vice versa

I'm sorry, the person you're trying to reach is no longer accepting your calls. Regan was a great man, but very passive in the protection of this nation.

"Well,,, There you go again"

Ask George W Bush.... about sums it up really doesn't it... Anyone else think the President of the United States is just a 'yes man' to the real forces at work?

Although I am a fan of President Bill Clinton, and Obama has yet to do something, anything at all really, so far he has just made great speeches.

Not much - Ronnie was already senile by his second term and really didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about half the time.