In January 1989, I was too busy playing soccer in the schoolyard. But something astonishing happened. Ronald Reagan gave his farewell address from the White House, and nobody wanted him to go. Most politicians don’t leave; they’re kicked out. Nobody wanted to kick Reagan out, except for fools and communists, which are one and the same. Reagan did his job. America shone. And it was free. And the West was illuminated by the light of America’s freedom. Mission accomplished. The great Republican president simply had to leave because of the law, but the America he left behind was infinitely better. His farewell speech feels more like an effort to comfort and keep citizens from crying over his absence than an attempt to justify himself. Maybe because when you do things right, you don’t need to keep insisting on how well you did them — unless you’re a writer or journalist (without an OnlyFans channel) in the 21st century, in which case you have no choice if you want anyone to pay attention. Even the most hostile media reported that Reagan’s approval rating at the end of his presidency was over 60 percent. That’s more than you’d find in the happiest marriages if you asked people how much they value their partner’s actions. That’s more than your best friend loves you. That’s more than the joy a cold beer brings in the middle of a desert. Reagan said goodbye, claiming he had achieved a restoration of traditional American values. I can’t think of anything more urgent today. Conservatism is simple: less government, lower taxes, giving wings to individual initiative, and rediscovering pride in your own flag. It’s simple, but you have to want to do it. “And how stands the city on this winter night?” Reagan said, “more prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she’s still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home. We’ve done our part.” On patriotism, the president admitted that younger generations didn’t always receive patriotic fervor through the usual channels: family, school, or popular culture. That’s why he wanted to make freedom the banner of patriotism: “America is freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise.” However, he was also very clear about how young people should be educated: “We’ve got to teach history based not on what’s in fashion but what’s important.” It’s a good reminder for American conservatives. Reagan knew that America’s light was freedom, not old, heroic history books. Maybe because freedom endures over time and we all experience it throughout our lives. Nazism was horrific, the Soviet revolution was abominable, and defeating those totalitarian regimes was an immense feat, but without survivors of those great victories, new generations can only form a strange, distant idea of what they meant. It’s nothing like their lives. Freedom, on the other hand, is their lives. Teenagers understand freedom better than anyone, as soon as Dad tells them they can’t stay out past 10 at night unless they want to sleep in the doghouse. The thoughtful kid glances at the dog for a moment, and the dog, in cahoots with Dad, lets out a growl, showing a fang. The kid then realizes he’s completely free to do everything Dad tells him to. But above all, he understands that freedom is a conquest. That one day, when he’s an adult, Dad will hand over the freedom he’s been holding in trust, and it will forever be the most precious thing to protect. Seen this way, I can’t understand how some people end up giving up freedom to embrace socialism. It’s like coming home before 10 and choosing to sleep in the doghouse. Maybe we should all read more Reagan: kid, “man is not free unless government is limited.” Reagan did his job. America shone. And it was free. And the West was illuminated by the light of America’s freedom. Mission accomplished. Now more than ever: Donald Trump has a great opportunity to leave the White House in a few years the same way. READ MORE from Itxu Díaz: Spy Technology No Longer Leaves Anything to the Imagination. An Honest Reflection on Summer America’s Enemies Are Back (And There Are Fewer of Them Than Before) The post %POSTLINK% appeared first on %BLOGLINK%.