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Margaret Thatcher and Ireland

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    #32
    PatsytheNazi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    Japer wrote: »
    A lot of Irish people like her, and a lot - probably hundreds of thousands - got jobs and a good living in the eighties in England, when Irish politicians had little to offer us here in Ireland. Think of our premier, Charles Haughey, telling us to wear the hairshirt, while he had his shirts custom made in the most expensive shop in the world beside the Ritz in Paris. Seventies Britain was destroyed by strikes and socialism ; Thatchers policies revitalised Britain, made it boom. She was elected for 3 terms and her government was the second biggest contributer to EC funds , after Germany. At least some of the hundreds of thousands of Irish people who were happy to vote with their feet over the decades and go to Britain, are grateful for the employment, fair play and good opportunities received there. Not everyone liked her, but she gave her job her best shot. She was a very hard worker, she was determined and did the best she could for her country and she was not corrupt, unlike many of our politicians. She was respected hugely from the USA to Russia, Regan to Gorbachev. Like her or loate her, she was proved correct on many issues.
    Far more Irish people hated her than liked the snotty, dictatorial wench. And besides, why should any Irish person working in the UK have a servile reverence to her like you. I wouldn't expect say, a Polish or Chinese person to slavishly praise Bertie Ahern and the Govt regardless for getting a job here :rolleyes:. Besides, if you are working in a country and paying taxes etc, your entitled to an opinion and how the govt behaves towards the people in it. It's called freedom of expression, something Thatcher, Tebbit and the rest of the junta would like to have outlawed no doubt.

    As for Reagan liking her, of course he would FFS, she was his biggest puppet !! As for Gorby, well he had sweet words for Ireland when he stopped off at Shannon, that's what politicans do. Stop getting carried away if you think the whole world looked to Thatcher and little Britain as a guide for what to do. She and the UK were only just another country in the EU, that's all.


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    #33
    PatsytheNazi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    Japer wrote: »
    Some of her friends and colleagures had been murdered and maimed by some Irish people, and yet she remained courteous and professional towards the Irish people, despite her and her family being under 24 hour "jihad". She sacrificed her personal freedom for her convictions, so that the majority of us in Ireland would not suffer from terrorism.
    Thatcher and her friends and colleagures and forces in uniform or a loyalist balcava, murdered and maimed Irish people. As for her courteousness, with her arrogant dismissal New Ireland Forum's suggestions with her infamous " Out, Out, Out " comments alone says it all about her. And don't forget, she also was the criminal that ordered the sinking of the Belgrano with the loss of over 300 lives in a silly stupid 'war' over Craggy Island. Pity she and more of her junta weren't killed or maimed in Brighton.


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    #34
    dermothickey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 489 ✭✭dermothickey


    To the OP, Its safe to say majority people here on Boards can remember her arrogance and craftiness. She has gone down as one of the worst politicians that inflicted our near neighbours, so no, it aint time to re-paint her in a halo. One thing Cameron done in his recent campaign was appease the British public that he is far removed from the Thatcher camp. Many of us remember the british comedy shows taking the mickey out of her for years. Sorry to say she was a joke!!


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    #35
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,056 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    PatsytheNazi wrote: »
    Far more Irish people hated her than liked the snotty, dictatorial wench.

    Have you carried out a 100% survey on that?


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    #36
    PatsytheNazi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    dermothickey wrote: »
    To the OP, Its safe to say majority people here on Boards can remember her arrogance and craftiness. She has gone down as one of the worst politicians that inflicted our near neighbours, so no, it aint time to re-paint her in a halo. One thing Cameron done in his recent campaign was appease the British public that he is far removed from the Thatcher camp. Many of us remember the british comedy shows taking the mickey out of her for years. Sorry to say she was a joke!!
    Yeah Cameron has a totally differnt style to her, much more diplomatic and people friendly.


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    #37
    PatsytheNazi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Have you carried out a 100% survey on that?
    No obviously I haven't, it just my experience when she was in power and she would come on barking on the news etc. If I had said that most peole think Charlie Haughey was a crook - would you get so narky about that or just accept it as general opinion ?


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    #38
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,056 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    PatsytheNazi wrote: »
    No obviously I haven't, it just my experience when she was in power and she would come on barking on the news etc. If I had said that most peole think Charlie Haughey was a crook - would you get so narky about that or just accept it as general opinion ?

    No, that would be another generalisation, based on your assumption that "most" people have the same opinion as yourself.


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    #39
    PatsytheNazi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    No, that would be another generalisation, based on your assumption that "most" people have the same opinion as yourself.
    So to have an opinion in your book, you have to have a survey first ? My assumptions are based on my experiences and what I have heard people state in conversation etc.


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    #40
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,056 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    PatsytheNazi wrote: »
    So to have an opinion in your book, you have to have a survey first ?

    That's not what I said.


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    #41
    Letitiaxxx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭Letitiaxxx


    Blisterman wrote: »
    Can you give some more examples of how she treated Republicans and Nationalists badly, Letitia?

    Thatcher suggested 'Cromwell solution' for Northern Ireland

    A year after Brighton bombing, PM saw mass shift of Catholics from Ulster to Irish Republic as a way to end the Troubles. The then prime minister expressed dismay at Catholic opposition to British rule when they could follow the example of ancestors who were evicted from Ulster at the barrel of a Cromwellian gun in the 17th century. (guardian.co.uk:2001)


    Thatcher considered taking vote from Irish in UK
    FORMER BRITISH prime minister Margaret Thatcher considered taking the vote away from Irish citizens living in the UK, and bringing them “fully within the UK’s immigration laws” (Irish Times:2009)


    Margaret Thatcher considered banning Irish from voting
    She said the only way to bring the Irish Government into line on security was to think about imposing restrictions against Irish people living in the UK.
    Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/margaret-thatcher-considered-banning-irish-from-voting-14617592.html#ixzz0sdoW2MSh

    She did not succumb to requirements of thousands of Catholics to release several prisoners of IRA's political wing, the Sinn Fein party. Thatcher firmly stated in 1981 that there could be no concessions whatsoever made for 'terrorists' The thought of negotiations with the administration of the Irish Republic has never occurred to her.

    So there are just some of the reasons why I hate her!! I'm only in my 20's but I've heard alot about this women to know what she was like esp regarding her treatment of the Irish.


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    #42
    Blisterman
    Registered Users Posts: 7,456 ✭✭✭Blisterman


    In fairness to the last point, the fact Irish people can vote in UK general elections is an anomaly. I went out with a girl from Bermuda, which is, still in fact a British colony, and despite living in the UK, three years, she couldn't vote.


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    #43
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Letitiaxxx wrote: »
    I personally hate Margaret Thatcher for the way she treated Republicans/Nationalists and especially the way she let the political prisoners die. I hope she rots in hell!!

    According to the article I linked.to.earlier, the IRA killed more hunger strikers than Thatcher did.


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    #44
    owenc
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,524 ✭✭✭owenc


    PatsytheNazi wrote: »
    Yeah Cameron has a totally differnt style to her, much more diplomatic and people friendly.

    Yes and i don't see anything wrong with her, did she treat Northern Ireland differently?? Wait, she didn't rule down south!


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    #45
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    PatsytheNazi wrote: »
    Thatcher and her friends and colleagures and forces in uniform or a loyalist balcava, murdered and maimed Irish people. As for her courteousness, with her arrogant dismissal New Ireland Forum's suggestions with her infamous " Out, Out, Out " comments alone says it all about her. And don't forget, she also was the criminal that ordered the sinking of the Belgrano with the loss of over 300 lives in a silly stupid 'war' over Craggy Island. Pity she and more of her junta weren't killed or maimed in Brighton.

    You're a lovely piece of work Patsy and nice username too! :rolleyes: For your information a Junta is a group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power and, as far as I know, Maggie Thatcher was elected by the British people at three general elections. Like her or loathe her she had more balls than many of her predecessors and all of her successors.


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    #46
    Winty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,033 ✭✭✭Winty


    Japer wrote: »
    she was determined and did the best she could for her country and she was not corrupt, unlike many of our politicians.

    To be fair to the woman she was honest and she did have a strong Methodist work ethic that gave her such resolve.

    On Thather and the Irish her big plus point was the Anglo-Irish Agreement, but then again she did consider banning the vote from Irish citizens living in the UK.


    Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/margaret-thatcher-considered-banning-irish-from-voting-14617592.html#ixzz0siePFh21


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    #47
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    Everyone calm down and stop making unhistorical or unproveable claims/statements about Thatcher please or thread will be locked. Mod.


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    #48
    PatsytheNazi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    Winty wrote: »
    To be fair to the woman she was honest and she did have a strong Methodist work ethic that gave her such resolve.

    On Thather and the Irish her big plus point was the Anglo-Irish Agreement, but then again she did consider banning the vote from Irish citizens living in the UK.


    Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/margaret-thatcher-considered-banning-irish-from-voting-14617592.html#ixzz0siePFh21
    She was forced into signing the Anglo Irish agreement due to the surge in Sinn Fein's vote after the hunger strikes. The British govt had claimed for years that the IRA had no support but hunger strikers election wins in the north and border counties was a slap in the face to that line. Hence the Anglo Irish agreement was brought about to try and stem support for SF and throw a lifeline to the SDLP and give the Irish govt. brownie points for been seen to do their bit on reunification. All symbolism as far as I'm concerned.

    Interesting her wanting to take away the Irish vote. Their would have been a hell of a stink in the Commons as in my experience of talking to Irish people who lived over there, most Irish people vote Labour. Hence Labour would have kicked up a stink, doubt if they could have stopped her though.


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    #49
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    So what you're saying then Patsy, you have no experience of living in the UK and unlike a lot of us, no real first hand experience of what Thatcher was like.


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    #50
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    That has nothing to do with the thread FF, lets all play nice shall we or thread goes bye bye. That message also goes for our new user, I don't expect to see any off topic or smart ass replies, only comments which add to the thread.


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    #51
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    off topic nonsense deleted, next time infractions. red ones. This isn't AH, there isn't room for that amount of nonsense. Mod.


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    #52
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    brianthebard wrote: »
    off topic nonsense deleted, next time infractions. red ones. This isn't AH, there isn't room for that amount of nonsense. Mod.

    Apologies it is so easy to drift off in a tangent. :)


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