New Historians are questioning whether Ronald Reagan's military build-up was the catalyst which brought down the Soviet Union. One historian, Thaddeus Russell, claims that the infiltration of American popular culture accomplished far more to bring down the Soviet Union than than the exponential growth of military spending. After World War II, American Soldiers brought jazz to Eastern Europe, which then made its way to the Soviet Union. Dance music made people want to tap into their sensual side. Popular art makes people want to express themselves, a naturally subversive trend which totalitarian regimes loathe.
If popular culture trumped military spending, then most die-hard Reaganites have some major soul-searching to do in their quest for the 2012 Presidential Candidate. Yes, Ronald Reagan cut taxes; yes he lower tax rates across the board to spur economic growth, but was the huge uptick in defense spending necessary, or justified? There seems less evidence supporting the excessive funding into the military-industrial complex, especially in the wake of a burgeoning nation debt which is crippling this nation's future.
Rand Paul, the outspoken Tea-Party Senator from Kentucky has scolded both Democrats and Republicans for outrageous spending, attacking the left for wasteful spending on domestic programs, but targeting the right for unjustified apportionment's to the military and defense. With the new insight of more recent historians, it would appear the Rand Paul's concerns are more than justified.