Meryl linked up this intriguing essay on "our own 100 years war":

The First World War led to the shattering of three imperial systems, and it is not too much to say that the world is still struggling with their demise and that of the international system of which they were so integral a part.

In World War II we dealt with Nazi Germany, the successor to the Germanic empires. In the Cold War, we dealt with the Soviet Union, the successor to the tsarist Russian Empire. Now we are grappling with those who followed the Ottomans.

The main body of the essay provides several concrete points as to why Reagan is increasingly seen as one of the most important post-WWII presidents, something Joshua and I were discussing a few months back.