The ‘Evil Empire’ isn’t what it used to be

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In 1983, President Ronald Reagan galvanized the world when he referred to the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire.”

“I urge you not to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil,” Reagan said in a speech.

As a former actor, Reagan knew the power of a well-placed phrase. His depiction of the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” helped him in his campaign to deploy NATO nuclear armed missiles in Western Europe as a response to the Soviets installing new nuclear armed missiles in Eastern Europe. Eventually, the NATO missiles were set up and used as bargaining chips in arms talks with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev agreed to go farther than a nuclear freeze, and agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals.

The phrase “Evil Empire” was in the news again this week, thanks to the efforts of the Republican National Committee.

At a recent retreat, the RNC showed a document that featured the infamous caricature of President Barack Obama as the Joker. The document also included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Cruella de Vil of “101 Dalmatians” fame, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, somewhat puzzlingly, as Scooby-Doo of cartoon fame. The three Democratic leaders were gathered under the heading, you guessed it, “The Evil Empire.”

According to Politico, the images were part of a 72-page PowerPoint presentation assembled for potential campaign donors and fundraisers and left behind at a Florida hotel. The presentation was prepared by the staff of RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart.

This “Evil Empire” wasn’t as a big a success as Reagan’s. At a time when many Republicans are feeling optimistic about the November elections, the images were not what Republicans wanted attached to their name.

Republican Party chairman Michael Steele, who was not present at the event, attempted to distance himself from it as something “given to 10 people in a private meeting” and renounced it as “not the kind of presentation that I want to see made at the RNC.”

“I don’t need to scare; we don’t need to scare anybody into contributing to the RNC. I’ve sent the word out, ‘Don’t even think you’re gong to get away with that kind of behavior,’” Steele said.

National politicians are also criticizing the document.

“I don’t like it, and I don’t know anybody who does,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, didn’t like it either.

“There’s no excuse for that type of stuff. I just don’t agree with that type of thing,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened ... I’m ashamed of that.”

We’ll probably never know whose idea the new Evil Empire was. But it’s a relief to see that some politicians do have a level they won’t sink to. Let’s hope all politicians can try to raise the level of civility in this upcoming election.

Hey, here’s a thought. Maybe we need to start by raising the level ourselves.

Barb Kromphardt is a staff writer at the BCR. She can be reached at bkromphardt@bcrnews.com.