RIP Margaret Thatcher

delthedriver

Hitchens wrote: »

The Queen will lead the mourners with the Duke of Edinburgh.
St Paul's has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day.
Invitees include:

• All surviving former UK prime ministers
• All surviving former US presidents
• A representative of the family of former US President Ronald Reagan
• Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
• All surviving members of Baroness Thatcher's cabinets
• The current cabinet
• Opposition leader Ed Miliband
• European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
• Baroness Thatcher's former press secretary Sir Bernard Ingham and Lady Ingham
• Author Frederick Forsyth
• Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
• A representative of Nelson Mandela
• The first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond
• The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones
• The first minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson
• Falklands War veterans
• Director of The British Forces Foundation Mark Cann
• Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend John Sentamu
• Broadcaster Sir David Frost
• Broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald
• Lyricist Sir Timothy Rice
• Actress June Whitfield
• Actress Joan Collins
• Fashion designer Anya Hindmarch

Some of those attending include:

• Tony and Cherie Blair
• Former South African President FW de Klerk
• Singer Dame Shirley Bassey
• Broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Clarkson
• Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber
• Lord and Lady Archer
• Lord Powell of Bayswater
• Lord Carrington
• Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
• Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
• Michael and Carolyn Portillo
• Broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan and Lady Helen Wogan

Among those not attending:

• Ronald Reagan's widow Nancy is understood to be too frail to travel
• Former American presidents George Bush Snr and George W Bush will not be attending
• Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will not be attending due to health problems
• Downing Street has confirmed that Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will not be invited
• Lord Kinnock - former Labour Leader of the Opposition - will not be present because of a commitment to attend the funeral of a former local councillor in Wales
• Comedian Jim Davidson, a prominent Tory supporter during the 1980s, is understood not to have been invited

Our Prez not mentioned so far

Thank you,

As it is not a State occasion, Heads of State are not invited. Ambassadors based in London representing various countries will be invited to attend.:) Lord Sutch will be representing Boards.ie !

Mearings

doolox wrote: »

....persons who I did not regret or feel sad about dying.
The Irish question could have been handled in a less confrontational way but Maggie paid the price by losing a close friend, Airey Nieve, who had defied the Nazi's and live to tell the tale but was a victim of the Brighton Hotel bombing, the provos answer to Maggies anti Irish policies.>>>>

Airey Neave was murdered by car bomb in the Palace of Westminster on 30/3/79. Jim Callaghan was Labour prime minister at the time.

GRMA

The INLA did that job, not the provos (btw)

GRMA

I say Higgins might want to go just to make sure that she is dead.

delthedriver

GRMA wrote: »

The INLA did that job, not the provos (btw)

What is the difference?

delthedriver

GRMA wrote: »

I say Higgins might want to go just to make sure that she is dead.

Why?

GRMA

delthedriver wrote: »

Why?

lol he is not a fan to put it mildly.

delthedriver

GRMA wrote: »

lol he is not a fan to put it mildly.

LOL , I get the message:)!

Looks like he is going to be disappointed, Irish Ambassador will be in attendance as it is not a State occasion.

Suryavarman

jmayo wrote: »

And if it was such a success why did the privately owned Welsh Hyder company collapse in 2001 and have to be replaced by Glas Cymru which is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee ?

I see that you don't actually know what capitalism is. You see, it's called a profit AND loss system. Sometimes some companies will fail. That's kind of why it's so successful.

And where is the benefit to the public, when they see privately owned companies in England hike up charges, supposedly for reinvestment or more likley for shareholder dividend and parent company transfer, whereas their counterparts get lower if not any increase from the publicly owned Scotland or not for profit Wales water suppliers ?

Check out the Wikipedia page on water privatisation in England and Wales. Water infrastructure investment nearly doubled, drinking water quality went up, leakages were reduced and many other positive benefits came from water privatisation.

J Cheever Loophole

delthedriver wrote: »

Margaret Thatcher, was a much loved daughter,wife, mother and grandmother.

Indeed - a grandmother who sent over 300 uncles, brothers, fathers and sons to an icy grave at the bottom of the Atlantic via one example of her ruthlessness.

I have heard this reference to the 'family woman' several times over the last few days and I assume the inference is that beause she was these things, then a lot of the criticism levelled against her is out of order. That simply does not wash.

If Margaret Thatcher was simply a daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, then we would not be having this debate and indeed would likely never have heard of her. Margaret Thatcher may have been the things you say, but she was still a very contoversial and divisive figure - as illustrated by current events. The grandmother comes with the politician - you cannot separate the two.

Many of the decisions she made as a politician extinguished lives, ruined communities and brought untold hardship, anguish and misery.

Personally I hated the woman for what she did and who she supported - I will not though go out and celebrate - but I can understand why some people would be moved to do so - and the irony in that is that those celebrating are not so far removed from the lady herself, given the lack of humility or empathy evident in many of her arrogant statements, when decisions she took ended lives.

Rubeter

delthedriver wrote: »

Thank you,

As it is not a State occasion, Heads of State are not invited. Ambassadors based in London representing various countries will be invited to attend.:) Lord Sutch will be representing Boards.ie !

According to the Irish Times:

“We have asked states themselves to nominate someone to attend and we will consider those requests. Those they are able to nominate are restricted to head of government, head of state, minister or head of mission,” No 10 said last night.

delthedriver

Rubeter wrote: »

According to the Irish Times:

Interesting, my info came from BBC News at Ten last night

delthedriver

I just don't get this dancing on the grave bit?

When Ministers from the Last Fiana Fail Government move on from this world, will the population of Ireland dance on their graves and have a street party?

I don't recall any security issues or dancing in the streets when CJH passed away. Even though he was far from being squeaky clean , I cannot recall anyone dancing on his grave?

When Bertie Ahern, the most cunning of them all, moves on will there be a street party ? His legacy will include a bankrupt country ,an economic war,negative equity, unemployment, ghost estates, emigration and an anorak.

Nonetheless I won't be dancing on his grave nor will I attend any street party.

Nodin

delthedriver wrote: »

I just don't get this dancing on the grave bit?

When Ministers from the Last Fiana Fail Government move on from this world, will the population of Ireland dance on their graves and have a street party?

I don't recall any security issues or dancing in the streets when CJH passed away. Even though he was far from being squeaky clean , I cannot recall anyone dancing on his grave?

When Bertie Ahern, the most cunning of them all, moves on will there be a street party ? His legacy will include a bankrupt country ,an economic war,negative equity, unemployment, ghost estates, emigration and an anorak.

Nonetheless I won't be dancing on his grave nor will I attend any street party.

I was 20 when she left power and I understand all too well why. Everything from section 28 to apartheid.

djpbarry

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

I have heard this reference to the 'family woman' several times over the last few days and I assume the inference is that beause she was these things, then a lot of the criticism levelled against her is out of order.

No, I don’t think that’s what’s being said. She is obviously not above criticism. But there’s a big difference between criticising someone and revelling in their death.

delthedriver wrote: »

When Ministers from the Last Fiana Fail Government move on from this world, will the population of Ireland dance on their graves and have a street party?

I seem to recall some rather disgusting comments on this site following the death of Brian Lenihan.

delthedriver

djpbarry wrote: »

No, I don’t think that’s what’s being said. She is obviously not above criticism. But there’s a big difference between criticising someone and revelling in their death.
I seem to recall some rather disgusting comments on this site following the death of Brian Lenihan.

What ever comments were left about Brian Lenihan, I most certainly would not condone. Indeed my thoughts and feelings were of absolute sympathy for Mr. Lenihan's wife and family.

It is very easy to be critical of people in Public Office, however on their death it is appropriate to be respectful of the person and sympathise with their loved one's on their loss.

Not for a moment would I consider revelling on someone's death, nor dance on their grave, irrespective of their nationality, colour, creed, beliefs whether religious or political.

There is one thing we are all certain about, that is death, It is important to be able to separate the individual from their public persona.

Sincerely

Happyman42

delthedriver wrote: »

It is important to be able to separate the individual from their public persona.

Sincerely

Why?
Would you expect somebody to do the same if somebody had murdered their child or stolen everything they owned? Why does the protocol change just because they are a politician or public figure?

delthedriver

Happyman42 wrote: »

Why?
Would you expect somebody to do the same if somebody had murdered their child or stolen everything they owned? Why does the protocol change just because they are a politician or public figure?

Forgiveness?

djpbarry

Happyman42 wrote: »

Why?
Would you expect somebody to do the same if somebody had murdered their child or stolen everything they owned?

Y’know, I’m finding your posts on this thread very difficult to take seriously, given that you supported Martin McGuinness’ bid for the Irish presidency.

Happyman42

delthedriver wrote: »

Forgiveness?

Obviously they haven't forgiven, most likely because they are still living with the consequences of what she did.
Charlie H. who you mentioned, may have recieved a state funeral but the 'people' showed how they felt about him by largely, staying away from it. Shows you the difference in scale of what they both did.

djpbarry wrote: »

Y’know, I’m finding your posts on this thread very difficult to take seriously, given that you supported Martin McGuinness’ bid for the Irish presidency.

Why is that? I don't remember trying to censor people's opinion of him, I do remember debating the pros and cons though.

delthedriver

djpbarry wrote: »

Y’know, I’m finding your posts on this thread very difficult to take seriously, given that you supported Martin McGuinness’ bid for the Irish presidency.

Ditto:)

djpbarry

Happyman42 wrote: »

Why is that?

You wanted people to forget the troubles and move on. In other words, you wanted people to make the distinction between Martin McGuinness the IRA member and Martin McGuinness the politican.

But now, you're saying there is no distinction between Margaret Thatcher the prime minister and Margaret Thatcher the woman.

That's called hypocrisy.

Happyman42

djpbarry wrote: »

You wanted people to forget the troubles and move on. In other words, you wanted people to make the distinction between Martin McGuinness the IRA member and Martin McGuinness the politican.

But now, you're saying there is no distinction between Margaret Thatcher the prime minister and Margaret Thatcher the woman.

That's called hypocrisy.

Absolutely wrong, Martin McGuinness has evolved, has achieved what he wanted, the ability to live in a free and equal society.
I was not advocating anybody 'forget' who he was in his past, that would be stupid, given that he freely admits who he was.
I also don't believe that you can separate somebody whose 'personal' ethos is bound up in the policy they deliver. McGuinness has changed how he delivers his policy, Thatcherism is still Thatcherism so I don't have any problem with people holding it's creator in contempt...even in death.

GRMA

McGuinness was instrumental in change and bringing peace to the island. Thatcher was not and acted against it at every turn by trying to sideline and exclude republicans.

jmayo

delthedriver wrote: »

The whole Pro IRA / Anti British bile of this thread is rather disgusting.

Baroness Thatcher was an elderly lady , she was a daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother. No respect is being shown to Margaret Thatcher the person.

It is completely disrespectful to dance on anyone's grave.

Sad

Hey just because some of us hated the old wagon does not mean
a) we are anti British
b) we are provos.

And in my case I would be an anti union as well.
I just did not like her, her manner or a lot of her policies.
She could only see in black and white for most of the time.
She was one of the last remnants of that mindset in Britain that believes it still had an empire.

djpbarry wrote: »

To be fair, she signed the Hillsborough Agreement with Fitzgerald.

The Anglo Irish agreement was a step forward for the inclusion of the Republic in the affiars of Northern Ireland, but she did so much else and was so strident in her views that always meant she would never be able to negogiate a settlement.

As it was ahern and blair were ideal since they would twist, bend, obfuscate and make a deal with the devil if they thought it advantageous.

delthedriver wrote: »

What is the difference?

The INLA and the PIRA.
How long have you got ?

delthedriver wrote: »

I just don't get this dancing on the grave bit?

When Ministers from the Last Fiana Fail Government move on from this world, will the population of Ireland dance on their graves and have a street party?

I don't recall any security issues or dancing in the streets when CJH passed away. Even though he was far from being squeaky clean , I cannot recall anyone dancing on his grave?

When Bertie Ahern, the most cunning of them all, moves on will there be a street party ? His legacy will include a bankrupt country ,an economic war,negative equity, unemployment, ghost estates, emigration and an anorak.

Personally I would pay for Riverdance to be hosted on those graves.
And if I had or have the money I would glady pay for a party when bertie, cowen, etc croke.

To me they are traitors and the only way they could have done more damage to this country was if they had taken us into a war, which of course we would never win.

I would find those of our own far more objectionable than I would ever find thatcher.

Sand

I view the "Two Minutes Hate" reaction by various leftist commentators and "groups" to be all too predictable and pathetic. Its a strain of leftism that rises to the surface from time to time to vomit up bile and bitterness on approved and dehumanised targets and is always ugly.

Hard to understand too. Thatcher's crime appears to have been standing up to out of control unions that were strangling the UK and winning. Winning - that seems to be something she can never be forgiven for. Her reforms were essentially pretty mild - forcing unions to hold a ballot before declaring strike action isn't exactly fascism in action. Refusing to subsidize failed and unprofitable mines isn't remarkable. Applying the rule of law with regard to Northern Ireland wasn't a significant break with past British policy - and she was far more willing to compromise on the hunger strikers than the Provos were. I've heard it claimed that there is a strong degree of misogyny in the reaction to Thatcher, and its hard to disagree. Were she a man, I doubt she would be considered all that remarkable in her policies and views. New Labour happily carried them on to great electoral success.

For all the bad things she is supposed to have done, nobody is campaigning for a return to the Winter of Discontent when British unions refused to bury the dead as a cynical bargaining chip.

Cody Pomeray

djpbarry wrote: »

You wanted people to forget the troubles and move on. In other words, you wanted people to make the distinction between Martin McGuinness the IRA member and Martin McGuinness the politican.

But now, you're saying there is no distinction between Margaret Thatcher the prime minister and Margaret Thatcher the woman.

That's called hypocrisy.

I don't understand this. Why does death create such a political stigma, when wholesale destruction of communities and wasted lives, poverty and all of the destructive aspects of irresponsible policymaking stay under the radar?

You can destroy a lot more lives with a succession of budget speeches than you can with petrol bombs. You can affect mortality. You can rip up social cohesion just like thugs and gangs do. Why do politicians who manage to colour their destruction inside the lines manage to get away with state funerals and sentimental revisionism?

At least Martin McGuinness showed a degree of repentance,he showed he could change. Thatcher was defiant, despite the damage she did, right up until she left political life.

Mearings

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

I don't understand this. Why does death create such a political stigma, when wholesale destruction of communities and wasted lives, poverty and all of the destructive aspects of irresponsible policymaking stay under the radar?

You can destroy a lot more lives with a succession of budget speeches than you can with petrol bombs. You can affect mortality. You can rip up social cohesion just like thugs and gangs do. Why do politicians who manage to colour their destruction inside the lines manage to get away with state funerals and sentimental revisionism?

At least Martin McGuinness showed a degree of repentance,he showed he could change. Thatcher was defiant, despite the damage she did, right up until she left political life.

It does not diminish anyone's radicalism by refusing to spit on her bier.

Chuck Stone

delthedriver wrote: »

Thatcher was an elderly lady

So?

she was a daughter

So?

wife

So?

mother

So?

grandmother

So?

No respect is being shown to Margaret Thatcher the person.

So?

delthedriver

GRMA wrote: »

McGuinness was instrumental in change and bringing peace to the island. Thatcher was not and acted against it at every turn by trying to sideline and exclude republicans.

Mrs Thatcher and Dr. Fitzgerald signed the Anglo Irish Agreement.:)

delthedriver

Chuck Stone wrote: »

So?



So?



So?



So?



So?



So?

Oh dear! ..........................other class entirely!

mike65

Guardian visualisation of Britain in 1979, 1990 and 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/apr/12/margaret-thatcher-legacy-britain-visualised

Some numbers -

home ownership England/Wales 10m/13.4m/14.9m
median household income (infl adj) £270/£341/£418
public spending & of GDP 44.6/39.1/46.2
people classified as "permanently sick" 772k/1.6m/1.7m
households lacking or sharing indoor bath and/or toilet 3.7m/259k/---

Happyman42

mike65 wrote: »

Guardian visualisation of Britain in 1979, 1990 and 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/apr/12/margaret-thatcher-legacy-britain-visualised

Some numbers -

home ownership England/Wales 10m/13.4m/14.9m
median household income (infl adj) £270/£341/£418
public spending & of GDP 44.6/39.1/46.2
people classified as "permanently sick" 772k/1.6m/1.7m
households lacking or sharing indoor bath and/or toilet 3.7m/259k/---

You could find similar figures for most countries in western Europe in the same years, what you don't have is the legacy of bitterness and division. It is not what was done, it was how it was done.

jank

Interestingly you don't mention Eastern Europe! Scragil was a fierce opponent of the Polish solidarity movement and had no issue with turning the Uk into another eastern block like economy. Does anybody want a reutrn to that era for Eastern Europe?

20Cent

Dislike of Thatcher isn't just a lefty pursuit. Many on the right dislike her as well. Considering her own party also threw her out in the end. She was a public figure so its only right that there is a debate about her legacy upon her death. Heard John Major say she loved a good argument in an interview during the week.
Section 28, the censorship of Sinn Fein, propping up Saddam Hussain, friendship with dictators and loads more should horrify a true right winger. The debate turned into a left v right thing as most do but its more complex than that.

The street parties might be a bit too much but they are free to express themselves as they wish. Loving the irony of the attempts to censor the music charts which are a good example of market forces at work. a very British protest as well using the power of musical theatre to express disapproval lol
As for dismissing comments from people who where either very young or not born during her tenure, we are allowed opinions on things that happened before we were born.

Bertie Woot

Through her personality, policies and demeanour, Margaret Thatcher seemed to possess an unnerving and uncanny capacity to generate hatred towards herself, and I hated Margaret Thatcher as a politician, a prime minister and a person. She was the epitome, personification and living embodiment of all I despised about the British Conservative party, and the very antithesis of all that was once noble, decent and good about Britain and the British eg. post-war welfare, charity, and caring for and providing for the less fortunate.

When Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 I was 11 years old, and by the time I was 16 I was wearing a black leather jacket with a painting on the back of Margaret Thatcher wearing a Waffen SS uniform and giving a Nazi salute, and that is because as PM Margaret Thatcher had been behaving like a Nazi towards the British working class people. Her entire economic policy throughout the 80's was one of rewarding the capitalist class, the rich and the socioeconomic elite, and punishing the working class, the unemployed and the poor. I've listened to her supporter's argument about how she was the "iron lady" who never flinched and who put the great back in Great Britain. To me and many others, Thatcher was a cruel and vindictive sociopath with a pathological hatred of the British working class who she literally attempted to destroy, and what has erroneously been described as as political courage, determination and an "iron will", was nothing more than plain old pompousness, tenacity and sheer pig-headedness.

Thatcher used the Police as a personal baton to bludgeon striking miners in the worst and most blatant example of political policing in Britain. She rewarded the wealthy elite with tax cuts and penalised the unemployed (most of whom she had made unemployed) with benefit cuts. She caused riots by introducing the totally disastrous but thankfully short-lived Poll Tax, and she devastated working class communities throughout Britain whilst promoting and rewarding cut throat capitalism and promoting multinational corporatism. Even her much lauded Falklands war effort was a deeply cynical exercise in diverting attention away from her self created domestic problems, such as rising mass unemployment, and by sending hundreds of young British patriots to their deaths in British occupied territories just off the coast of Argentina; a hotly disputed territory to this day.

Those people who have praised Margaret Thatcher have taken a breathtaking biased, narrow-minded and woefully blinkered view of what the greengrocer's daughter was responsible for during her reign. And the term "reign" is appropriate, as nearing the end the wicked witch of Grantham had gone a bit ga-ga, and had began referring to herself as Royalty with sentiments such as "We have become a grandmother". Her equally loathsome fellow cabinet ministers finally realised that power had gone to the ladies head, and if "the lady was not for turning" she would have to be ousted, and at least they should be congratulated for finally having got that right.

In my part of Ireland (Northern Ireland) Thatcher was hated by both Ulster Unionists and Irish Republicans alike. Republicans hated her for allowing the hunger strikers to die, and Unionists loathed her equally for signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement over the heads of the Unionist people of Northern Ireland. On the 12th October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton a bomb was planted in the hotel by the Provisional IRA, and with the intention of assassinating Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her entire cabinet. Thatcher escaped injury whilst five people were killed, including two high-profile members of the Conservative Party. As a life-long opponent of IRA violence, a small voice at the core of my being whispered "Opportunity missed". I can't add to that.

On Wednesday 17 April 2013 Margaret Thatcher shall receive a state funeral costing in the region of 8-10 million GBP, which big business and the capitalist class who she supported should really be paying for, and shall finally be laid to waste. Thousands of protesters shall line the streets and turn their backs on her coffin as it passes. People shall celebrate and party, whilst the hardcore Anarchist element may attempt to disrupt the funeral procession by staging a riot in honour of the riots that Thatcher herself was responsible for during her term in office.

I'm a bit too old for rioting, in fact think it gratuitous and distasteful, and have never drank champagne. My only regret is that on the 17th I shall not be in London to sip champagne and turn my back on the greengrocer's daughter from Grantham, who acted as a tyrant towards the British working class who she persecuted throughout my teenage years, and whose resting place shall undoubtedly be the location where many British people shall queue to posthumously drop their trousers and empty their bladder and bowels in tribute for many years to come.

Let's hope that stench doesn't become too overpowering.

Goodbye Margaret, a prime minister who generated hatred into a cliche.

Sand

Bertie Woot wrote: »

When Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 I was 11 years old, and by the time I was 16 I was wearing a black leather jacket with a painting on the back of Margaret Thatcher wearing a Waffen SS uniform and giving a Nazi salute, and that is because as PM Margaret Thatcher had been behaving like a Nazi towards the British working class people.

No she hadn't. The Nazis were good socialists, obsessed with raising the living standards of working class people - at any cost. German working class people, but working class people all the same. Even Thatchers critics would admit she was not obsessed with raising working class living standards - let alone the German working class.

Though on the other hand, the Nazis did bomb the British working class...your point has merit, but not in the way you believed.

todolist

Mrs Thatcher was a conviction politician.She's a very rare species in Politics.Most of them promise whatever gets them elected and expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab.Prime Minister Thatcher was spot on about the EU and it's growth into a Soviet style central planned Orwellian nightmare.Thatcher will be seen in future as a visionary and a great British patriot.May she rest in peace.

A Dub in Glasgo

todolist wrote: »

Mrs Thatcher was a conviction politician.She's a very rare species

Mrs Thatcher should have been a convicted politician, which is certainly a rare species

20Cent

Just out of interest do what do Thatcher supporters think about her friendship with Pinochet, the censorship and arming Saddam Hussein etc?

Are these just ignored because she "smashed" the unions?

Busted Flat.

delthedriver wrote: »

Mrs Thatcher and Dr. Fitzgerald signed the Anglo Irish Agreement.:)

What an achievement, they all smiled for the cameras, whoppi dee. Then old Maggie came out and said OUT OUT OUT, and old fuzzy head went home with his tail between his legs.

Bertie Woot

Sand wrote: »

No she hadn't. The Nazis were good socialists, obsessed with raising the living standards of working class people - at any cost. German working class people, but working class people all the same. Even Thatchers critics would admit she was not obsessed with raising working class living standards - let alone the German working class.

Though on the other hand, the Nazis did bomb the British working class...your point has merit, but not in the way you believed.

Describing the Nazis as "good Socialists" is offensive to good Socialists. The Nazis were National Socialists ie. far-right fascists and very different to left-wing Socialists. The Nazis persecuted and exterminated left-wing Socialists and Communists.

What the Nazis did to improve the lives of the German working class was inconsequential in comparison to what they did to Jews, Communists, gays, gypsies, the physically and mentally disabled, and people who they deemed as not being of pure Aryan genetic constitution.

rick santorums gimp

Suryavarman wrote: »

Both she and her counterpart Ronald Reagan did a huge amount of damage to free market ideas without truly applying them.

Perhaps it was only the system of democracy that stopped her (thankfully in my view). I'm guessing she lamented that system in private, because it stopped her adopting her hero Pinochet's more radical 'reforms'.

As for the statement that she and Reagan did a huge amount of damage to free market ideas, would agree with that alright. In that they both enabled the process of unfettered, unregulated capitalism -thus allowing those ideas to inflict huge damage all by themselves as we've lately seen.

southsiderosie

delthedriver wrote: »

The whole Pro IRA / Anti British bile of this thread is rather disgusting.

Baroness Thatcher was an elderly lady , she was a daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother. No respect is being shown to Margaret Thatcher the person.

It is completely disrespectful to dance on anyone's grave.

Sad

delthedriver wrote: »

Oh dear! ..........................other class entirely!

I don't understand the point of your contributions to this thread. Are we not supposed to critique politicians because they have families or because they are elderly? If that is the case, then the mods may as well shut the Politics forum down.

Mr.Micro

todolist wrote: »

Mrs Thatcher was a conviction politician.She's a very rare species in Politics.Most of them promise whatever gets them elected and expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab.Prime Minister Thatcher was spot on about the EU and it's growth into a Soviet style central planned Orwellian nightmare.Thatcher will be seen in future as a visionary and a great British patriot.May she rest in peace.

I very much doubt she will be seen as a visionary. She was power mad and had to be hauled out of Downing Street in the end. Dogmatic and detached I would have described her, and not so democratic. What did she achieve in the end..... a few boom and bust housing bubbles and infamy for many working class communities.

mike65

Mr.Micro wrote: »

I very much doubt she will be seen as a visionary. She was power mad and had to be hauled out of Downing Street in the end. Dogmatic and detached I would have described her, and not so democratic. What did she achieve in the end..... a few boom and bust housing bubbles and infamy for many working class communities.

She removed the vice grip of the unions and forced Labour out of the pre war era, for that alone she did some good work.

(she also end the Junta in Argentina but that was obviously not why she went to war over the Falklands, just a pleasing consequence)

Palmach

Mr.Micro wrote: »

I very much doubt she will be seen as a visionary. She was power mad and had to be hauled out of Downing Street in the end. Dogmatic and detached I would have described her, and not so democratic. What did she achieve in the end..... a few boom and bust housing bubbles and infamy for many working class communities.

It is thanks to Mrs. T we have sane economic polices as opposed to Stalin loving Unions dictating to the government what to do. How does 83% tax sound? Or millions of tax euro funding zombie factories and mines? Medicine not getting through because of strikes? A government considering calling in the army so bad is the situation? All 70s Britain which Mrs. T transformed. And her is the bit I love because I can hear the leftist teeth grinding in fury, she won 3 consecutive elections with thumping victories.

A Dub in Glasgo

Palmach wrote: »

she won 3 consecutive elections with thumping victories.

Thumping?

1979 - 43.9% of the electorate
1983 - 42.4% of the electorate
1987 - 42.2% of the electorate

Happyman42

Palmach wrote: »

we have sane economic polices

Really????
Was it all a dream then?

Palmach

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Thumping?

1979 - 43.9% of the electorate
1983 - 42.4% of the electorate
1987 - 42.2% of the electorate

A rather lame effort at sleight of hand. What matters is the percentage of the vote.......

1979 53.4% of the total vote
1983 61.1% of the total vote
1987 57.8% of the total vote

Like I said...thumping.