Margaret Thatcher

[shazzap]

Chileans wouldn't mourn Pinochet, even though at the end he was a 'frail old man', and I strongly doubt Zimbabweans will mourn Mugabe, even though he will likely be a 'frail old man' at the end. She's mother to a lawbreaking arms dealing son, and a bigoted racist daughter. Her legacy does indeed live on in her progeny.

Closed Britain's industries, privatised the utilities, privatised public transport, deregulated the stock market and banks, sold off social housing on the cheap.

How well did all that work out?

Let's see:

We still have mass unemployment first created by closing down Britain's industrial base. We had near full employment when she was first elected.
We have the most expensive gas, electricity, and water in Europe.
Our railways are now the most expensive in Europe, and buses only run profitable routes leaving millions with no bus services.
The country is bankrupt and in a deep recession due to deregulated money trading and banking.
We now have a massive housing shortage and an enormous housing benefit bill due to the lack of social housing because she wouldn't allow councils to build more social housing with the money they got from council house sales.


Great legacy

Elected three times. First time on the back of nationwide industrial unrest. The second on the back of an unnecessary war. The third on the back of selling people their council house on the cheap. Looks like one easy win and two bought elections to me. And let's not forget she wasn't voted out, her own party got shot of her because they'd had enough of her.

Although I do not like speaking ill of the dead, unless they are paedophiles, murderers, rapists or anyone else who fits into that type of category. I have to say I agree with what you, and all the others, who have said all of these things about her. She made it so the ordinary working man/woman could not have a decent standard of living. Because when it came to shall I feed my kids, or pay the Poll Tax, guess which I chose. We could not survive on what my husband was earning, and pay that as well.

[M Swanson]

A point of order - her first recession was entirely of her own making. Even Cameron and Osborne wouldn't commit the crimes against economics made by Thatcher and Howe (aided and abetted by Keith Joseph).

Her second recession was entirely the fault of John Major - before and after he became PM.

And still the people returned her to office ....... three times. She never lost an election. Now, you tell me how Labour improved things and what policies they changed, SiS? 10, 9, 8.

[secrets in symmetry]

As I said last night...

I did my celebrating as a young loon when she died as a politician on November 22, 1990. Today's event was the sad death of a sick old lady.

I don't dance on her grave, but I don't denigrate those who do, because I too recall her appalling economic, monetary, and social records. She was the architect of our country's present day economic imbalance, and the architect of its inequality. Indeed, Michael Forsyth was beaming on TV this morning, whilst explaining exactly how she destroyed Scottish industry and replaced it with, err, ..., nothing. Well, not quite, she replaced it with unemployment, poverty, hopelessness and despair. Coal, steel, automobiles - she destroyed them all. Forsyth still doesn't understand what they did wrong, and I suspect the sick old lady didn't understand either.

Her successors Major, Blair and Brown, didn't do much to redress her industrial lunacy. If we want a strong woman leader who knows which way to drive the economy, we should reach out and steal Mrs Merkel - although I doubt we'd find much solace in many of her other policies....

I forgot to add that Michael Forsyth is the inspiration, and indeed the economic guru, of many of the leading lights of the SDA. Vote SDA and get Thatcher's henchboy!

[M Swanson]

Although I do not like speaking ill of the dead, unless they are paedophiles, murderers, rapists or anyone else who fits into that type of category. I have to say I agree with what you, and all the others, who have said all of these things about her. She made it so the ordinary working man/woman could not have a decent standard of living. Because when it came to shall I feed my kids, or pay the Poll Tax, guess which I chose. We could not survive on what my husband was earning, and pay that as well.

I'd be genuinely interested to know if you consider your quality of life improved at any time throughout Margaret Hilda's leadership, Shazz? We need to bear in mind that many of her policies still dominate today's policies, despite the opportunity for Labour to change things in a period of 12 years.

[Flynn]

As always Owen Jones hits the bullseye:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...s-8564858.html

[shazzap]

I'd be genuinely interested to know if you consider your quality of life improved at any time throughout Margaret Hilda's leadership, Shazz? We need to bear in mind that many of her policies still dominate today's policies, despite the opportunity for Labour to change things in a period of 12 years.

No I can't say my quality of life improved.

[M Swanson]

No I can't say my quality of life improved.

Thanks for the response Shazza. I'm sorry to read that.

[John Little]

As always Owen Jones hits the bullseye:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...s-8564858.html

I agree with that.

[secrets in symmetry]

As always Owen Jones hits the bullseye:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...s-8564858.html

That's a good article.

The last paragraph is a bit too old-fashioned left-wing for my liking, but I can live with it.

[John Little]

That's a good article.

The last paragraph is a bit too old-fashioned left-wing for my liking, but I can live with it.

That's a good point actually. The last thing we need is another polarizing government, and certainly not a dictatorship of the workers.

We need a government of the people, for the people and by the people. Y'know - Democracy.

Not for the workers. Not for the rich. Not for the market.

For us.

Wonder if we'll ever get one?

[mi16]

You get what you vote for.

[John Little]

That is true. But if the choice is not very wide then you may have to vote for something you don't really want in order to avoid getting something you really really don't want.

[M Swanson]

Don't fret John Little. Leave it to the likes of Owen Jones and his Communist, Trot, family background. He and his ilk will no doubt deliver the democracy goods. As history tells us.

Anyway, I'll look back later, when the Hinge & Bracket hour is over.

Have a good one, folks.

[John Little]

Aye - awa and enjoy yer book.

Uncle Toms Cabin is it?

I've telt ye already, I do not fret.

Stop projecting on me.

[secrets in symmetry]

That is true. But if the choice is not very wide then you may have to vote for something you don't really want in order to avoid getting something you really really don't want.

Indeed. I've voted for "the one most likely to beat Fat Eck (or his patsy)" in Holyrood and Council elections for years.

[secrets in symmetry]

That's a good point actually. The last thing we need is another polarizing government, and certainly not a dictatorship of the workers.

We need a government of the people, for the people and by the people. Y'know - Democracy.

Not for the workers. Not for the rich. Not for the market.

For us.

Wonder if we'll ever get one?

Perhaps Obama would consider the job once his two terms in the White House are up.

[tonkatojo]

[QUOTE=ducati;1019619]

Great idea, and only leftys fund the scro...er

The problem with your ideals are the so called "scr...er" will more than likely have paid for the pittance your lot want to pay them at some time in life, TBW was paid in taxes for the damage she did why pay for her funeral, as I said your lot should pay as well as her family ( I have prepaid my funeral expenses so no one has to) and have a contribution box if any others want to put up.

[Flynn]

Her funeral is set to cost the taxpayer £8,000,000. In honour of the ideologies of the cadaver they should have put it out to tender in the private sector. I reckon Cory Environmental could have done it for a couple of grand.

[John Little]

Well Flynn - that's only the weekly benefits of 150,943 people.

I'm sure we can afford it.

[squidge]

There are a lot of people complaining like M Swanson that people are being hateful towards a woman who was a wife a mother and a grandmother. The thing is we did not know Margaret Thatcher as a Wife, a mother or a grandmother, we knew her as one of the most divisive prime minister of modern times. I admire some things about her, her drive to succeed in the face of sexism and snobbery is impressive. Her policies, her legacy is shameful. You know, we should not speak poorly of the dead but her dying does not absolve her of responsibility for the long term damage she did to our society. It does not change the role she played in condemning many people to a life of poverty and long term unemployment, it does not change the fact that the current government are continuing what she started. Have sympathy with those who loved her as a wife, a mother and a grandmother, a friend also but lets not be surprised that many people can only be glad to see the end of a woman who they believe destroyed a way of life they loved and were proud of.