Brad DeLong reminds us that Ronald Reagan used the message from the Hollywood film, The Day The Earth Stood Still to make foreign policy:
Life was certainly interesting when Ronald Reagan was president. For the neoconservative Cold Warriors who largely staffed the foreign policy side of his administration, it became most interesting when Reagan began wandering around the White House saying, "Klaatu Barada Nitko!" and asking people whether they had seen The Day the Earth Stood Still. "Here come the Little Green Men again!" Colin Powell would say….The Cold Warriors thought that they had a man who hated Communism and was eager for an expensive and bloody crusade against the Evil Empire. And they did. But there was also another Reagan roaming around inside Ronald's head: A Reagan who wanted SDI not to gain the U.S. an advantage in the Cold War but to protect people against the horrors of death-by-nuke--and who sincerely wanted to give SDI technology away for free to all nations so that no one would have to fear nuclear destruction. A Reagan who genuinely hoped to eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. A Reagan who had been profoundly influenced by the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and bought 110% its powerful message about how small were the differences that divided the world's nations when seen from the right point of view. A Reagan who was definitely willing and eager to give peace--and Gorbachev--a chance.
This Reagan freaked his National Security Council staff out. But he proved remarkably powerful when pitted singlehanded against virtually his whole administration in 1987 and 1988. And we should not forget that Nancy Reagan was a powerful voice backing Ronald-the-Peacemaker in the waning days of the administration.
For that, thanks.
On the afternoon before the 1983 economic summit of the world’s industrial democracies in Colonial Williamsburg, White House Chief of Staff James Baker stopped off at Providence Hall, where the Reagans were staying, bringing with him a thick briefing book on the upcoming meetings. Baker, then on his way to a tennis game, had carefully checked through the book to see that it contained everything Reagan needed to know without going into too much detail. He was concerned about Reagan’s performance at the summit, which had attracted hundreds of journalists from around the world and had been advertised in advance by the White House as an administration triumph. But when Baker returned to Providence Hall the next morning, he found the briefing book unopened on the table where he had deposited it. He knew immediately that Reagan hadn’t even glanced at it, and he couldn’t believe it. In an hour Reagan would be presiding over the first meeting of the economic summit, the only one held in the United States during his presidency. Uncharacteristically, Baker asked Reagan why he hadn’t cracked the briefing book. “Well, Jim, The Sound of Music was on last night,” Reagan said calmly.
The funny thing is, I also can’t remember ever having any insight on the eve of trial that was the slightest bit helpful. When I first read the Cannon biography, I was outraged that Reagan would slight preparation for an official task for the indulgence of a favorite movie. Now though, I find his confidence strangely reassuring. He did not need to cram and he knew it. A night of relaxation probably helped his performance far more than a night of cramming.
My trials usually come after a couple years of living with the facts and law of the particular case. It is very unlikely that I will discover something new and helpful on the night before the trial. Still, it is hard for me to see myself not trying to prepare just a little bit more. I might do better if I could.
I remember a story out of Hollywood about Reagan, maybe just a few months into the first Bush administration. The story was that early in Reagan's second term, his staff began to wonder about, and eventually to suggest official consideration of (in secret), the applicability of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
Apparently the concern was that Reagan was supremely uninterested in the work of the Presidency, but very much interested in the work of a group of noted writers and artists -- C. M. Jones, Isadore Freleng, Robert Clampett, Frederick B. Avery, and Robert McKimson. The Warner Brothers "Looney Tunes" animators.
Because Merrie Melodies were occupying so much of the Presidential day, the staff worried, Reagan might need to be removed from office.
I guess they worked around it.
Not movies specifically, but not entirely OT either?
-- Dog
Posted by: Ghost of Joe Liebling's Dog at March 29, 2005 11:31 AM