Ronald Wilson Reagan : biography
In summer some conservative activists, including Howard Philips from the organization The Conservative Causus and Climon Right from Houston, persuaded Reagan to remove the head of presidential administration James Baker III (also from Houston) on the grounds that Baker, who was a close friend of George Bush, sabotaged conservative initiatives in the administration. Reagan refused Right and Philips’ request about removal. In 1985 at Baker’s request he appointed him on the post of the Minister of finances. The head of administration became Donald Rigan, who had been the Minister of finances before. Reagan made a reprimand to Right and Philips for thief “sabotage campaign” against Baker.
The explosion of the space e shuttle “Challenger” on the 28th of January in 1986 was one of the main moments of Reagan’s presidency. All seven astronauts who were on board died. In the night of the catastrophe Reagan made a speech, which had been written by Peggy Nunan, in which he quoted the first lines of the poem “High flight”.
During the second term Reagan proclaimed more strict politics in the struggle against drugs. He announced that :drugs threaten our society” and promised to struggle with schools and institutions where drugs were spread freely, to widen a sphere of treatment, strengthen law enforcement, make a struggle with drug mafia more active, increase social agitation work.
In 1986 Reagan signed a bill about institutions of the struggle with drugs, according to which the budget of this struggle was 1,7 billion dollars and defined maximal punishments for crimes, connected with drugs. The bill was criticized for facilitation of considerable racial inequality among prisoners in prisons, critics also noted, that such politics made little for decrease of availability of drugs buying on streets and at the same time caused a considerable financial burden for America. Advocates of president’s initiative about the struggle against drugs noted the success in decrease of using drugs among youth. The first lady Nancy Reagan made the struggle against drugs her main priority, founding an agitation campaign against drugs “Just say no”, which was directed at averting children and youth from using drugs, suggesting different ways to say no. Missis Reagan visited 65 cities in 33 states, rising the wave of agitation againt danger of drugs and alcohol.
Relationships between Libya and USA during Reagan’s presidency were always strained, starting from the incident in 1981. The tense increased again at the beginning of April in 1986 after bomb’s explosion on the Berlin disco, which caused death of one and injuries of 63 American military men. Reagan claimed, that there were “undeniable proves” that these terrorist acts were held on the order of Libyan government, and he allowed using force against Libya. Late at night on the 15th of April in 1986 American forces made several air raids against ground objects in Libya. The attack’s purpose was to deprive a Libyan leader of ability to export terrorism. The president made an appeal to the nation from his cabinet after the start of these raids and announced: “While I am on my post, we will answer attacks and bad treatment with American citizens”.
Reagan signed an act about reform and control of immigration. This act made impossible an employment of illegal immigrants and required checking immigration status of employees, granted amnesty to three million illegal immigrants, who came in USA before the 1st of January in 1982 and constantly lived in the country. Critics claimed, that sanctions against employers were mad, and this attempt to stop illegal immigration was a failure.
In 1986 there was a scandal in presidential administration, the reason was secret selling of weapon to support financially partisans in Nicaragua, which was specially forbidden. This case was the biggest political scandal in USA in 1980-s. U.N.O. international court resolved, that USA broke international laws in Nicaragua and its obligations not to interfere in business of other states.
