Letter: Nixon the liberal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Richard Nixon was not only a liberal President ("Can Nixon be rehabilitated?" 23 August); Watergate apart, he was the most liberal America has ever had. It is a continuing mystery why the American left fails to recognise one of its own.
Nixon's early reputation as an arch-conservative stemmed primarily from his role in the conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury. Yet Nixon's stand has been vindicated by history: Soviet intelligence cables intercepted and decrypted under the Venona Project and declassified in 1995 prove that Hiss, so far from being the victim of crude Red-baiting, was a Communist agent.
As President, Nixon's wage and price controls (which failed in their purpose of controlling inflation) were the most extensive intervention in the economy that any administration has undertaken in peacetime. At the same time, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency greatly added to the costs of business.
Nixon's foreign policy - rapprochement with China, promotion of detente with the Soviet Union and steady disengagement from Vietnam - was marked by a reluctance to confront Communism.
OLIVER KAMM
London WC1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments