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Article: On Reagan: the man and his presidency.
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- February 10, 1984
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1984 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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OH NO. Didn't I just review this book a few months ago? No, that was the one by the Russian fellow, Arbatov, who talks like a liberal. At least Arbatov showed a mimic's virtuosity: It can't be easy to master the cliches of another culture. With Ronnie Dugger, alas, they all come straight from the heart. For six hundred pages.
Other writers shun cliche. Dugger actually aspires to it. The very fact that an expression has been used a thousand times--"world's policeman," "punishing the poor," "corrupt and repressive," "holy war?--gives him the sense that in using it for the thousand-and-first he is placing himself on terra firma. (Did i mention "1984 is upon ...