Ronald Reagan: The President Who Never Was By Marvin D. Jones ^Politic*, like life, imitates art. 41 Tka Contragate controversy is a poignant case in point. < t The theatre of a once supremely unshakable President tottering the weight of an unpare lied crisis, ..'. the morality play of anogant men Suddenly in deep trouble precisely because of their arrogant use of power, the modern political fable of «. the President’s men unable to ex W tricate him from the plain lawless -neM inTolv*d in his handling of the Contragate terbaby. are at once '5 curTont ovents and interwoven '*•■ themes of a continuing drama un « folding daily on the morning newt. (■" Contragate has become a kind of political soap opera combining an mtida look at White House infight ing - between Reagan and Schultz for one example - with an episode by episode account of international intrigue, and high level lying. Perhaps the most interesting pic ture to emerge from this, however, is a picture of Ronald Reagan as he really is. It is a picture of a man who claims, not without ‘tone credi bility, that he doesn’t know what ij going on in his own. basement, let •lone his own foreign policy; who rah on the notion that he would be tough on America’s enemies like Iran, and then hypocritically sends them American arms; who pro claimed himself a no nonsense law ai^d order advocate and then cynical ly presides over a flagrantly illegal NSC effort to supply arms to the Contras; a man who looks like a ; leader, talks Ilk* a leader and then, • in Mr. Magoo fashion, waves his > administration over e cliff. It is an embarrassing picture of a man who has the image of a President but not . tte substance. ; And for a long time an image, without more, was sufficient. Rea ; gan was so enormously popular be ' cause he appeared to be both a per son everyone could trust and a per son who John Wayne style would deal with our enemies abroad and. • get government off of people's ' backs at home. So long as he could i maintain this image Americans broadly felt good about thipgs whether they were good or not, and ■ regardless of objective evidence of Presidential bungling. Reagan rec ! ognired this and not only pursued a course which emphasized rhetoric ' over deeds but do so with outra thus with biting accuracy, parody the Reagan presidency with a White House organizational chart showing tiny Departments of Defense and State and to forth all being headed by a giant Department of Perception - whose job it was to manipulate public opinion, and through the magic of Reagan's charisma in tan dem with the tadt support of the media (because of Reagan's conser vative views) this latter Department worked to well that the American people continued to love and admire Reagan u a great Captain no matter how he misdirected the ship of sister-^ This is why Reagan could preside over unemployment in excess of 10% (as it reached during his first term), do nothing about it, and still be reelected. This is why Reagan could, in an immoral inversion of priorities, create huge budgets for defense at the expense of the poor, the cities, and social programs and do so with approval. This is why Reagan could engage in broad at tacks on civil rights' gains, engage in military adventurism in Nicara gua, disregard arms limitations poli cies developed and observed by three Presidents before him - bring ing everyone closer to nuclear con frontation - and still remain high in the polls. And this is why Reagan could conduct a spy swap and say he didn't; why he could attend a summit in Iceland, refuse to negotiate and then say it wasn't really a summit; and why he could vow to stand tall in Lebanon and then days later withdraw U.S. troops. In this Reagan is much like the imposter in the Kurowsawa film, ''Kegemusha." Lord Shingen, a war lord of feudal Japan and a great lead er, dies and his followers, to main tain Clan unity find a double for their departed leader in a man who is, ironically, a common thief. The thief, "Kegemusha," poses as the 1 The Charlotte Post will be closed Mon day, Januaryl9, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. The office will reo pen Tuesday, ! January 20, at TOOTHACHE!! afraid of the DENTIST? Witt) Intravenous sedation (twilight sleep)' extractions or the pulling of teeth can be done in tne comfort of.eur office tn most casta. DR. TOLLY A. KENNON, JR. ORAL SURGEON- Surgery of the Jaw* and Teeth k '332-1591 »LQ?8 Went 5th Street I i&ifeflNbV *’ ■ ‘ ; ^ ... .<■ Indintr Sectional v * > ’ * .'.yv*. . —---- ... ...j » Sale *899 Mfy In 11 Dm m Uni WL** \ $1 h ■ * V Ladles’ jeans Stylet end flies very from store to store. ^ LADIES’FASHION V; JEANS • • timTevft BRAND r«OM TMf_MAKf ftS Of I PR. I Man’s Jaansl Ragularly 11.99. ft A O loth 4uhi t«»* Rag. MB. Santa Cruz by Cannon. HAND TOWKL MO. tM.. 1M WASHCLOTH WKQ. 1M.«1 to for 3,00 3% A»tort»d Wrtfr ■an -uoic.,. Toxoco AnH-PrMi* umn 1 Prion Good At AN Famttr Dollar ttoraa [Througn Thl* WMfcMd. Quantity UmH*d |gn tew Itow. Ho T« Pwlw. Athletics For Men, Ladles A Boys Joggers, hl-tops, mld-hl's, court or aerobic styles. Men's 6V4-12. Ladles’ 5-10. Boys’ 3-6. • Family Cars 4.S ox. mint ■or 0#1 pump toothpaste • 200 ot. Fancy Buds ootton swabs • Assorted 30 ct. Halls cough tablets • Family Dollar 6.4 oz. mint, fluoride or gel toothpaste • Family Dollar 6.4 oz. tartar control regular or gel toothpaete • Aquamarlna 14.8 oz. moisture lotion or 18 oz. shampoo or oondltlonsr • Family Dollar 9 oz. super or ultra hold hair spray _. __ :a. • Small, madlum or larga Qoody foam rollara • 11 oz. Bartoaaol ahavlng craam. Aaat. formulaa. • HI A Orl daodorant 1.6 oz. roll-on or 2 oz. aolld t _