B E B E R E

Though I was not surprised by Saturday's news, there still was a bit of a shock at hearing of former president Reagan's death. This was the man who presided over my country through most of my childhood. I am sad, of course. Right now, too, I feel the need to learn more about this complex personnage who is so emblematic of our country, the west even, in modern times. Since most of my impressions of him come from selected images (the summerschool I was attending way back when cancelled classes and had televisions rolled in so we could watch the 'historic undoing' of the administration in what was Iran-Contra), pre chosen sound bites, I feel unqualified to discuss whether he was possibly the best president since FDR (as Andrew Sullivan called him). I don't believe him to have been the Doddering Old Fool that many in my current location and milieu see him as.

Anyhow, while I sort this out, here are some writings on the former president from Andrew Sullivan, from Lileks, from Oliver Kamm. Be sure to check out National Review and Opinionjournal for more.