Management Matters with Mike Myatt: Longing for The Gipper

Where’s the Gipper when you need him? There are great lessons to be learned from Ronald Reagan.

Few would argue that Reagan was a true statesman and one of the greatest presidents of the modern era. Virtually every politician, republican and democrat alike, have fondly referred to him on many occasions. Barack Obama would even quote him while stumping on the campaign trail. So why is it that the current administration doesn’t pay more attention to the wisdom contained in the words of President Reagan as they go about their day-to-day actions? The answer is simple; they are too busy feathering their own nest and acquiring more power for themselves, rather than looking out for our best interests.

In the text that follows I’ll do no editorializing whatsoever, as I believe President Reagan’s words speak volumes on their own accord. The following quotes from Reagan are just a few of my favorites, and given today’s environment, they provide more than sufficient food for thought:

“Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.”

“Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.”

“The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.”

“The most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

“Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.”

“It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.”

“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”

“One way to make sure that crime doesn’t pay would be to let the government run it.”

“The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.”

“Democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.”

“Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.”

“Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.”