A giant is gone

Ronald Reagan was, undoubtedly, the greatest US President of the second half of the 20th Century, and one of the greatest leaders the West has had the privilege of experiencing. Watching the magnificence of the ceremonies these past days has left me wondering whether, along with President Reagan, the world has said goodbye to its finest hour, and all we can expect on the road ahead is the slow death of the West that Reagan so dearly loved.

But then I remember how Reagan was (much like George W. Bush is today) fiercely opposed by a decadent and cynical Europe who could not accept the back seat of history that its own failures had earned it; that self-appointed "elites" and "intellectuals" worldwide looked down on him, unable to recognize his bold statesmanship.

And so hope still lingers. We've been that road before. In 1980, a delusionary Europe believed one could negotiate with an evil empire; in 2004, a fearful and deviant Europe believes Islamofascism can be appeased. In the former, history proved that courageous action (not cowardly accommodation) was the way to victory. Facts are showing that it is also the proper answer to the latter.

One thing is certain: America remains the Shining City over the hill, and as long as it is a Reagan (not a Carter), or a Bush (not a Kerry) who sits in command at number 1600 of Pennsylvania Avenue, Civilization will continue to enjoy the promise of a hopeful tomorrow, where the dawn is always brighter, much brighter than the sunset of today.