Words to Live By Podcast

On May 8, 1984, the White House honored Harry Truman’s 100th birthday. Sadly, Harry died in 1972 at the age of 88, but Ronald Reagan who had admired, respected, and campaigned for Harry Truman, was staunchly in favor of celebrating this honorable man. His remarks, delivered at the White House with Truman’s daughter Margaret as a special guest, were simply captivating.

President Reagan’s disappointment in and distrust of international organizations is vividly apparent in his radio commentaries from 1975-1980. Today, when we look at the situation in Ukraine, and the tragedies unfolding in Gaza, we can’t help but wonder what, if anything, the organization has accomplished in bringing peace to the world. On March 25, just a month ago, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, in addition to the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and "the urgent need to expand the flow" of aid into Gaza. There were 14 votes in favor with the United States abstaining. As of this writing, despite their demands, the parties involved - Israel and Hamas - have not heeded. It was Dag Hammarskjöld, the tragic second UN secretary general, who said it best. The United Nations, he said, “was created not to lead mankind to heaven but to save humanity from hell”. So in this podcast, we’ll listen to two of Ronald Reagan’s speeches - an excerpt from a 1983 address where his aggressive rhetoric was criticized and a radio address from 1978, both clarify why he believed that the UN, despite its lofty goals, is impotent.

40 years ago, the Russians were still on the march, just like today. Then, of course, it was known as the Soviet Union, and the threat they posed to the United States and Europe was unrelenting and terrifying. European leaders were begging President Reagan to do something, complaining that the presence of SS-20s armed with nuclear warheads felt like the Russians had a gun to their heads. But European leaders were afraid to speak out against the Soviets, publicly, because they were afraid the Russians would cut off their energy as Europe relied on them for natural gas. And the Soviets knew that their power over Western Europe was based on energy. So, President Reagan was determined to define a new path for the American people: one to eliminate the threat of nuclear war for the entire human race. In this podcast, we’ll talk about a dynamic new exhibit at the Reagan Library that combines artifacts and information on President Reagan’s plan to protect America - known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, and actual artifacts from George Lucas’ film series, Star Wars. The exhibit is open now, entitled: Defending America and the Galaxy: SDI and Star Wars. In addition to SDI artifacts, there are Star Wars treasures like a land speeder, a Dykstraflex camera, Princess Leia’s dress, and more fascinating items.

Today, the turmoil and civil war in the country of Haiti dominate the headlines. As of this writing, for three weeks, Haiti’s capital has been trapped in a gory cycle that far exceeds the kidnapping and gang violence for which it was already known. An insurgent league of heavily armed gangs is waging war on the city itself, seeking new territory and targeting police and state institutions. The Dominican Republic has stationed 10,000 soldiers on its border with Haiti. Officials there are worried that chaos in Haiti will send migrants streaming into their country. As a democratic ally, the Dominican Republic was an important and recognized partner in the fight against communism and corruption in the Caribbean. So in April of 1984, President Reagan welcomed President Jorge Blanco to the United States.

At Eureka College, our 40th President participated in almost every sport. No, he wasn’t a candidate for the Olympic team. Ronald Reagan’s football coach Ralph McKinzie said, “Dutch was not an outstanding player but he was a good plugger with a lot of spirit and desire.” Besides football, he went out for the swimming team and became captain. He tried out for track and won his letter in that sport as well. As for basketball, well that was only a high school pursuit, but as President, he was thrilled to invite the basketball teams who excelled during March Madness.

40 years ago, in the spring of 1984, President Reagan spent six days in the People’s Republic of China, visiting Beijing and Shanghai. To ease into the schedule, he was a week getting there and he spent another day and a half in Alaska afterward, meeting once more with Pope John Paul II. It was Ronald Reagan’s first trip to a Communist country and was somewhat strained because of his campaign as Taiwan’s leading political champion in the US. When he was elected, he still believed that the government that had fled to Taiwan in 1949 was the legitimate government of China. It’s believed that Richard Nixon was quite influential with Reagan regarding China, emphasizing its importance as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.

We know that Israel had no better partner/defender/protector than Ronald Reagan. And our 40th president never missed an opportunity to denounce anti-semitism, bigotry, or prejudice. In this era of strident anti-semitism, bigotry, and prejudice occurring in our nation today, we thought we should focus briefly on President Reagan’s campaign against hatred. In 1984, he clarified his beliefs when he was invited to deliver an address at the Young Leadership Conference of the United Jewish Appeal in March 1984.

Well, this podcast might be airing a few days after St. Patrick’s Day but bear with me. We’ve got an interesting radio address for you combining the President’s two favorite topics - briefly about St. Patrick’s Day and how America’s economic recovery was well underway. The President was at Camp David - it was a cold wintry March day, where he was tucked away safely in his compound with his trusty yellow pad in his hand, drafting a new radio address. He even talks about diversity! Yes, back in 1984.

For thirty-five years -- through seven presidencies -- the United States and its allies labored unceasingly to contain Communism around the world. They used a broad range of diplomatic, military, and economic initiatives costing tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars. They used economic programs like the Marshall Plan, military alliances like NATO and SEATO, direct conflicts like the Korean War and the Vietnam War, indirect engagements like the Bay of Pigs, weapons treaties like SALT I, and covert operations like the attempted assassination of Cuba's Fidel Castro. And yet, by 1980, Communism was not only alive and seemingly well in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, mainland China, Cuba, and North Korea, but had spread to sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua. Containment was not working. In this podcast, we’ll talk about the President’s Strategic Defense Initiative which became the cornerstone of his plan to protect America. This month at the Reagan Presidential Library, an exhibit opens called Defending America and the Galaxy: SDI and Star Wars featuring genuine artifacts from SDI along with authentic articles from the Star Wars movies.

CPAC. Just those four letters bring to mind the crazy, dynamic conference it has become in recent years. Ronald Reagan first spoke as Governor Reagan in 1974 and ten years later in 1984, he relied on the same theme: unity coupled with America’s Divine charge. So in today’s podcast, we’ll listen to our 40th president at CPAC, speaking with four years of experience as our nation’s leader, retelling his audience what exactly is the ideological foundation for America.

Well, we are in another Olympic year, with the summer Olympics taking place this July and August in Paris, France. 40 years ago, the President was excited to welcome athletes from the Winter Olympics, held in Sarajevo, then Yugoslavia, to the White House. It was the first Winter Olympic Games held in a Slavic language-speaking country, as well as the only Winter Olympics held in a communist country before the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. It was the second consecutive Olympic Games held in a communist country, after the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union. What athlete won the most medals? These 1984 Olympic Games opened the door to a new class of athletes: professionals. Six months later, when the Summer Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, the Soviet Union boycotted the games, in retaliation for our boycott of Moscow’s Summer Games in 1984. So let’s go to the White House and listen to our 40th President welcome these fine young people He begins by saluting the American who won our first gold medal in Sarajevo: a woman, Debbie Armstrong in the Giant Slalom skiing competition.

The complexity of dealing with problems in the Middle East was pervasive during the Reagan years but the 40th President continued to pursue a path to peace. In February 1984, he invited President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan to Washington to discuss the war in Lebanon and other issues. Things were hot in the Middle East. By early 1984, US forces were directly fighting in the Persian Gulf. In late February, a US Navy destroyer launched anti-aircraft missiles against Iranian patrol aircraft. At the end of May, a USAF KC-10 tanker helped Saudi Air Force jets maintain patrols over the Gulf to head off Iranian retaliation for Iraqi attacks on oil tankers. In early June, the USAF tankers and AWACS assisted the Saudis in shooting down one or two Iranian F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers. So, US military forces played a frequent and direct combat role in regional conflicts during 1984. Therefore, in constant pursuit of communication at least, President Mubarak of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan visited. First, let’s talk about Jordan and Hussein.

Now that we’re into the month of February when lovers celebrate their devotion to one another, we’ll dedicate this podcast to the Reagans – first, we’ll hear a brief word from the President and then we’ll let Mrs. Reagan explain how she met this fella, in her own words, recorded years ago from her autobiography My Turn. But first, let’s start with the President who spoke about their relationship at a luncheon honoring Nancy at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans in 1988.

40 years ago, Ronald Reagan traveled to his hometown in Dixon, Illinois for his 73rd birthday celebration on February 6th, 1984. True to form, the jokes were flying, as were the warm memories. He was there with his older brother, Neil, his sister-in-law, and of course, Nancy. They toured one of the homes the Reagan family had lived in during childhood which had just been renovated by the Ronald Reagan Home Restoration Foundation. Then, they viewed a homecoming parade from the Nachusa House Hostel. Finally, the president delivered remarks at the Dixon High School Gymnasium.

By the end of January every year, except for Inaugural years, the President fulfills his or her constitutional duty to "give to the Congress information on the State of the Union" (Article II, section 3 of the Constitution). So yes, today’s podcast will focus on the infamous State of the Union address which generally includes reports on the nation's budget, economy, news, agenda, progress, achievements, and the President's priorities and legislative proposals. Because of those many diverse topics necessary, several people work on this address. Of course, the economists and budget experts handle their portion, the diplomatic and national security staff meet with the President to create their portion, etc. Let's listen to some of President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union highlights.

Well, now that we’re into football playoff season, we have the perfect opportunity to focus on Ronald Reagan’s love for football. His experience in high school on the gridiron helped him audition for radio. Let's let him tell the story.

Forty years ago in January 1984, our 40th President delivered an address to the nation and other countries on the status of US-Soviet relations. Things weren’t too rosy then – recall that Andropov was still in power, unapologetic about the massacre of KAL 007, or anything else. Until Gorbachev came into office in March 1985, that’s early in his second term as president, working with the Soviets was no day at the beach.

Today’s subject? The President’s diplomatic efforts with China in 1984. Yes, in those years, there were positive diplomatic efforts. In fact, the administration developed a relationship with Ziyang who was a reformer, in office from 1980 to 1987. Shortly after George Shultz became Secretary of State, he completed an initiative with Ziyang in August 1982, that arranged for acceptance of a joint US-China communique that limited US arms sales to Taiwan in exchange for a vague pledge by the Chinese government to strive for “peaceful unification of the Motherland.” While many criticized Reagan for supporting this, knowing of his staunch support for Taiwan, it was a sign of reciprocity. Ultimately, Ziyang lost power because he criticized the government’s handling of the Tiananmen Square protests and empathized with the students. He believed China should become a liberal democracy and was placed on house arrest until his death in 2005. So let’s get started by listening to an excerpt from the President’s welcoming remarks.

Throughout Ronald Reagan's presidency, the subject of Cuba was frequently raised. In frustration, on one occasion, the president asked, “When’s the last time you heard someone swimming TO Cuba?” But long before he sat in the Oval Office, President Reagan commented on a documentary that had been crafted on Cuba, in order to bring attention to the idea of false reporting and an effort to cover the truth.

So just imagine. You’re the president, it’s late in December 1983. You’ve delivered your evil empire speech in March putting the Soviets on notice… you’ve learned by detailed intelligence reports that the communists and Fidel Castro are expanding their efforts in the Caribbean along with infiltrating the island of Grenada….you’ve announced your Strategic Defense Initiative in March which was renamed Star Wars by the press, you’ve sent forces into Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force which became a target of terrorists killing 270 marines in their barracks as they slept, you’ve watched the war in the middle east escalate exponentially with bad actors getting involved from every angle, you’ve watched Soviet leader Andropov continue to advance the Brezhnev doctrine and …you’ve learned how the Soviets shot down Korean airliner 007 killing all passengers aboard…now those are just the high notes.    SO..if you were president, and had to draft a message for the new year….where would you start?? Let’s begin by listening to our 40th president, the eternal optimist who knew how to make lemonade out of lemons. But always the responsible citizen, he begins by cautioning Americans about drunk driving on New Years eve then moves on. Let’s listen to a bit.