Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine (The Album) July 13, 2010

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/04/26/Uncommon_Knowledge_Mark_Steyn_and_Rob_Long

Reflecting on a PSA Ronald Reagan recorded on LP in 1961, political commentators Mark Steyn and Rob Long discuss the implications of government-run healthcare. They argue that while it may seem innocuous, Obama's healthcare plan could serve as the first step of a complete government takeover of everyday life.

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The bestselling author of America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It, Mark Steyn publishes regularly in National Review, the Washington Times, and Investors' Business Daily and in venues in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Hollywood writer and producer Rob Long began his career as a screenwriter for the hit television show "Cheers." He writes a regular column for National Review magazine and records a weekly radio spot, "Martini Shot," for KCRW in Los Angeles. Mr. Long is also editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com, a center-right website.

Reviewing clips of Ronald Reagan's speeches, Long and Steyn reflect on Reagan's relevance to issues confronting America today. Speaking of Reagan's "The Last Stand on Earth" address, Steyn remarks on "how easily you can pick up the argument [made in 1964 about the threat of Soviet communism] and drop it right down into the current circumstances [the threat of Islamic extremism]." They further review Reagan's positions on socialized medicine, the Constitution (and what Steyn terms "the persistence of the monarchical urge"), and government spending. Finally Long and Steyn challenge Newt Gingrich's assertion that "it is time to let Ronald Reagan go. Not from our reverent memory of course, but as our touchstone, as our icon, as our hallmark, and our reference point." - Hoover Institution

Mark Steyn is a writer, political commentator, and cultural critic. He has written five books, including America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, a New York Times bestseller.

Rob Long is a writer and producer in Hollywood. He began his career writing on TV's long-running "Cheers," and served as co-executive producer in its final season. He is a contributing editor of National Review, and Newsweek International and writes occasionally for the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. His weekly radio commentary, "Martini Shot," is broadcast on the Los Angeles public radio station KCRW, and is distributed nationally.