Margaret Thatcher

[mi16]

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.

Why would any person of sane mind celebrate the death of an ex politician who last held the PM's post over 20 years ago?the manifesto of current leaders is not her doing.Now I am no politician, Tory or Thatcherite, but as indicated earlier if the Tory policy of her premiership was so terribly wrong , why has no political party since repaired or even began to repair the damage done?

[macadamia]

Careful. mi16! Here be dragons! Could it be the same reason cubic miles of newsprint, and gigawatts of airtime have been expended in the last 24 hours on this allegedly evil person who said to the country and the world "we are not going down the toilet. We are a can do country, and we will do." I don't recall Labour - or anyone - rescinding her policies. And even when Labour was voted in in 1997, it stuck to the Thatcher formula.

Of course we have sympathy with those who were left behind. In the same way we had sympathy for farriers, herring-gutters, wheelwrights and lamplighters when the demand for outdated and/or expensive processes disappeared.

But Maggie took us, kicking and screaming, into the real world of national and international competition and private enterprise.

As to celebrating her death, I say again "Grave dancers demean only themselves".

[Flynn]

Why would any person of sane mind celebrate the death of an ex politician who last held the PM's post over 20 years ago?the manifesto of current leaders is not her doing.Now I am no politician, Tory or Thatcherite, but as indicated earlier if the Tory policy of her premiership was so terribly wrong , why has no political party since repaired or even began to repair the damage done?

If a certain German leader had survived the last Europe wide conflict, would you condemn people for celebrating when they eventually died? I hated Thatcher with a passion, just as she hated the working man. Her death didn't come soon enough for me.

Todays politics are deeply rooted in Thatcherism and the worship of private enterprise and profit above everything. She destroyed this country and made it one of the most unequal in the world. Before Thatcher we had near full employment, after she decimated British industry, sold everything off to foreign interests, we have had an unemployment level hovering around 3 million ever since.

At her funeral people lining the streets should, instead of flowers, throw lumps of coal in front of the cortege.

Wherever her remains finish up, I hope with all my being they are somewhere public enough I can one day go along and pay my 'respects'.

[macadamia]

Oh yes, before Thatcher we had full employment. Controlled by the Unions, who made certain their block votes commanded the heights of "democracy" and who, when crossed, withdrew labour in arbitrary strikes which came to a head in 1979, when the country woke up, said a resounding "NO" and brought in some fresh thinking and approaches. Unions killed the Print, Dockyards, the Coal and umpteen other industries. Not Mrs. Thatcher. That's why the country kept voting her back. That was a bit closer to democracy than the smoke-filled rooms of the Cartel of Union Barons holding a collective gun to the head tof the British taxpayer.

And, for your benefit, I repeat - Grave dancers demean only themselves. There is no bravery in post mortem bravura.

[secrets in symmetry]

Careful. mi16! Here be dragons! Could it be the same reason cubic miles of newsprint, and gigawatts of airtime have been expended in the last 24 hours on this allegedly evil person who said to the country and the world "we are not going down the toilet. We are a can do country, and we will do." I don't recall Labour - or anyone - rescinding her policies. And even when Labour was voted in in 1997, it stuck to the Thatcher formula.

Of course we have sympathy with those who were left behind. In the same way we had sympathy for farriers, herring-gutters, wheelwrights and lamplighters when the demand for outdated and/or expensive processes disappeared.

But Maggie took us, kicking and screaming, into the real world of national and international competition and private enterprise.

As to celebrating her death, I say again "Grave dancers demean only themselves".

I didn't have you down as an apologist for Thatcherite industrial mismanagement.

Repeat after me...

Germany!

[secrets in symmetry]

Blair and (especially) Brown were the architects of the great industrial sell-off (of what was left). Thatcher destroyed the bulk of our industries before anyone could buy them!

The unions had a big hand in our industrial demise, but she killed two birds with one giant brick.

[macadamia]

A bit of a difference between A. Hitler and M. Thatcher, I'm thinking? I doubt very much whether, even if invited, HM Queen or her predecessors would have attended A. Hitler's funeral, because he was a Bad Man and killed millions of people (as did J. Stalin, Head of East Wing, whose regime was even celebrated by the forward-looking UK union barons and their flock. Her Queen IS attending M. Thatcher's funeral, because HMQ recognises M.Thatcher's contribution. As do the majority of the UK population.

[M Swanson]

Bravo Mac and spot-on the money. The only things I would add, is that Flynn forgets to mention, that prior to MH's intervention, Britain was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Before calling for the miner's strike, Scargill drew a year's salary knowing that his men and their families would not have an income. I wonder if Flynn will dance on that Commie's grave, when he passes away, for using his members in the most heartless way, to try and oust MH? He cared nothing for, and is responsible, more than anyone else, for the plight of the miners. And the same for Blair too, who took up MH's policies and ran with them, throughout his 12 years governance?

[macadamia]

"Scargill" (noun, substantive) i) A substance found under the shoe after a stroll through a camel enclosure at the zoo ii) A vitriolic combover with a stunted vision of reality. iii) Someone who voluntarily espouses victimhood when other options are available.

[Flynn]

And, for your benefit, I repeat - Grave dancers demean only themselves. There is no bravery in post mortem bravura.

I fought while the hag was alive and in power. I marched with the miners, I stood in Trafalgar Square and watched in dismay as police on horseback bludgeoned innocent people. What did you do?

I'll dance on her grave and a do lot more than just dance as soon as I have the chance.

[M Swanson]

I didn't have you down as an apologist for Thatcherite industrial mismanagement.

Repeat after me...

Germany!

LOL. Come on, now SiS. Let's have an answer to the question posted earlier. If MH's policies were as terrible as you claim, then why didn't the socialist Blair change them? He had years of opportunities to do so, but chose not to and in fact, was a fan of the great lady. Go on, post something of worth and try answering the question, SiS, please. I'll wait ........ shall I?

[Flynn]

LOL. Come on, now SiS. Let's have an answer to the question posted earlier. If MH's policies were as terrible as you claim, then why didn't the socialist Blair change them? He had years of opportunities to do so, but chose not to and in fact, was a fan of the great lady. Go on, post something of worth and try answering the question, SiS, please. I'll wait ........ shall I?

Because Blair was no socialist. He was a Thatcherite. The greatest misfortune that befell the Labour party was the premature death of John Smith and the rise of Blair and Mandelson.

[M Swanson]

I fought while the hag was alive and in power. I marched with the miners, I stood in Trafalgar Square and watched in dismay as police on horseback bludgeoned innocent people. What did you do?

I'll dance on her grave and a do lot more than just dance as soon as I have the chance.

Sorry Flynn, but seriously, you need help. Nothing you could ever do would have touched MH, nor anyone with half an ounce of sense, who used it to support her. Three elections ...... three victories. The only one that is affected adversely by hate, is the poor soul who tries to live with it. I pity you .... I really do.

[macadamia]

Flynn - you have every right to do what you did. That's what a democracy is all about. I chose a different path. I voted for Maggie again and again as she was the only hope of breaking the back of the oppressive and stultifying unions.

However, whatever you did doesn't dilute my message. Grave dancers demean only themselves.

[Flynn]

Sorry Flynn, but seriously, you need help. Nothing you could ever do would have touched MH, nor anyone with half an ounce of sense, who used it to support her. Three elections ...... three victories. The only one that is affected adversely by hate, is the poor soul who tries to live with it. I pity you .... I really do.

Three elections, first won through outright racism to fend off the National Front, the second won through outright jingoism, the third through bribery by selling houses at knock down prices.

[M Swanson]

Because Blair was no socialist. He was a Thatcherite. The greatest misfortune that befell the Labour party was the premature death of John Smith and the rise of Blair and Mandelson.

As was Brown and the rest of the Labour Party, who rallied behind Blair, Flynn? And the voters who elected him three times? My goodness, MH was even greater and more popular than I remember. No wonder, many of her policies are still being used, to this day.

[M Swanson]

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

I'm sure we can afford it.

Or, put another way, John Little. The grand sum of 8p per capita. Cheap at half the price, I'd say.

[Flynn]

As was Brown and the rest of the Labour Party, who rallied behind Blair, Flynn? And the voters who elected him three times? My goodness, MH was even greater and more popular than I remember. No wonder, many of her policies are still being used, to this day.

You seem to be under the misapprehension that we live in a Presidency. We do not elect Prime Ministers, we elect political parties.

[secrets in symmetry]

I voted for Maggie again and again as she was the only hope of breaking the back of the oppressive and stultifying unions.

Your true colours at last? I suppose it's consistent with your lack of understanding of climate change.

[Flynn]

Hope they're going to give us all a day off. If we're paying to put the evil old hag in the ground then we should get the day off.