Margaret Thatcher – Discuss!

"Gordon Bryan" With the death of Maraget Thatcher this week, I was wondering how I would tackle the subject on the blog. I knew I wouldn’t simply let it pass without me writing about it, and have been mulling over my approach.

Then this morning the answer came to me. I saw a post from another blog which had a community post ‘discussion’ threads.

That means you raise a subject in a post, just as I’m doing here, and then ask people for their views.

In the course of the comments, I’ll be leaving mine too, so go ahead, give it a go!
Leave your comments below about Margaret Thatcher. Positive or negative that doesn’t matter, but please, ifyou feel like posting with foul language, I will edit the comment (not delete), and post that I have edited it.

My view is that if you feel the need for foul language when writing, you just need to find other words!

Ok, Margaret Thatcher…discuss!

Do leave a comment!

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37 Comments

  • for example, do you think the BBC should ban playing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead? as it rides high in the charts?
    Did Maggie destroy the unions or free the economy from their grip?
    Did she represent self determination in a free market, or did she represent greed for the self?
    Did she advance women’s lib, or harm it?

    And so on, so on!

    • Hahaha, you know, as soon as I heard she had perished, I posted that my Timeline. I caught a lot of hate (and yes I meant hate, not heat ;p) for it in my inbox. “OMG, how can you disrespect the dead that way?” was the most common admonishment.

      And that is all I am going to say about THAT. ;p

      • well, I would ask why did you post it? What’s your response to the hate you got for it?
        Do you reckon everyone who has downloaded it/shared it knows enough about her to make the point? Or are they just bandwagon jumpers?
        cheers,
        G

        • I posted it because I am well aware of the damage she did to Great Britain during her reign of terror. Unemployment was crippling, riots in the streets every day. Those were dark times indeed.

          I imagine there are a lot of bandwagon jumpers and people who have read a couple lines about her and automatically assumed all sorts of things. For some reason, a lot of people here in the states revere her as a saint and I just don’t get it.

          As far as the comments toward me are concerned. I just shrugged and went on to mourn Annette Funicello and celebrate my mom’s 66th birthday.

          • I think you’re right about people reading a couple of lines and then making a judgement. As for her ‘reign of terror’, I would say that she elected via our democratic process 3 times, and there were dark times before she came to power.
            I quite like your shrugging response though!
            Cheers,
            Gordon

  • Just watched Max Kesslar on RT. Didn’t realise what she did with North Sea Oil revenue. Rather than saving it and reducing our debt she speculated the housing market (right to buy etc.) and fueled our debt based economy…

        • ok, I looked at the link, couldn’t last past 3 minutes odd.
          Firstly they dismiss a certain national paper, then make an argument based on a piece from that very same newspaper!
          Shocking debating.
          Then he says the oil was stolen as it was Scottish oil not English oil in the first place.
          That was enough for me I’m afraid.

          They did argue that she used the oil revenue to reduce taxes, which was a bad thing according to them, but Thatcher believed that reduced taxes allowed more personal choice, encouraged desire to improve, and a smaller state.

  • I think that anytime you throw open a blog such as this there are going to be people who loved the woman and others who hated her. Sticking to the facts I think she excelled in European Affairs and kept the Euro Politicians in check so much she was disliked for it. On the Home front she was responsible for eroding workers rights which had been built up over decades and this is true to this day where employers are allowed to infringe workers rights and now we have some of the longest working hours anywhere in Western Europe. Sure the unions did cook their own goose in relation to competing and holding government to ransom, by changing the law and freezing their assets, turning the full force of the Police on ordinary people, staving them and their families, crushing one industry after another and selling off all our assets are all things we are reaping the effects of in 2013 and will do so beyond. Under her power Great Britain saw violence on the street by the population which it had never seen before, Poll Tax being the cause of that, Once she had finished with the Miners she then set about Wapping and the Newspaper Industry. She was a remarkable woman who made her mark on her male colleagues and held her own and some with them. Their payback was to stab her in the back and rid westminster of her which speaks volumes about the modern conservative party.

    • Thanks Bob,
      There are indeed people who love her and those that hate her. I find though, that the haters, on many occasions, seem unable or unwilling to take part in a debate unless it’s simple name calling.
      As a politician, Thatcher would have said go away and come back when you make a case that doesn’t involve swear words, and that has a point behind it.
      Thanks for popping by and leaving your thoughts,
      cheers,
      Gordon

      • I think it’s the size of the impact that makes her such a larger than life figure, because there are those thinking her impact was good or bad who hold her up as a kind of bench mark, for good or bad.

  • I’m all Thatchered out now (must get on and get a life …), however …

    I think that for all her faults, probably the worst of which was keeping perfectly able women out of the Cabinet and making the ‘poor’ poorer, she was an extremely hard-working person who’s mission was to leave a better Britain. She tried to motivate people and to ensconce the belief that if one worked hard, then one would reap the benefits. Clearly this doesn’t work for everyone.

    Her work ethic was epic. On a couple of hours sleep – or as in the case of the Grand Hotel bombing, none – she was able for anyone who tried to take her on. I remember watching the news with awe as she appeared, fully clothed, at 3.30am. It emerged that she got no sleep that night, but there she was at Conference next day, espousing like a good ‘un.

    She had the courage of her convictions and she had good manners (I like people who hand-write letters). Compare with the likes of Berlusconi if you think she didn’t do us proud on a world scale.

    PS Did you know that Harold Wilson’s Labour government was first to withdraw school milk?

    • I would agree with your points that she worked hard and believed that anyone who worked hard should be rewarded. Also that she tried to motivate, and wanted to improve her country.
      Strong work ethic, courage of convictions, yes.
      I suspect that she ended up believing the hype around her too much, and that’s what did for her politically in the end.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

    • Quote: On the Home front she was responsible for eroding workers rights which had been built up over decades and this is true to this day where employers are allowed to infringe workers rights and now we have some of the longest working hours anywhere in Western Europe.

      I was not referring to the internal leader selection of whatever union please re-read what I did say. I was however referring to the fact that Strike Action was made more or less illegal, to pass a law to freeze an organisations assets which were raised by workers paying union fees which helped to provide strike pay, sick pay, legal representation, and a unified front, the government of the day tried and in many cases prevented such benefits. When frustration boiled over the Governments answer was to put Police on the streets to effectively crush peoples rights. This was the point where policing in the UK changed for good and coupled with so called Anti Terrorism laws ordinary citizens find themselves disadvantaged by the myriad of legislation.

      Those are workers rights earned over many decades now lost in the ether of modern employment laws weighted against workers.

  • If nothing else, GreatG, this is a great way to get lots of interaction on your blog! It seems that politics bring out the WORST in everybody. I don’t know much about Margaret Thatcher, so I won’t put my 2c in here, (and reveal my ignorance) but I’ll enjoy watching you field the comments that undoubtedly you will be flooded with. (good luck!) 😉

    • sometimes Amy, I think people are afraid to discuss politics, similarly with religion, and that’s because it’s easy to upset, or get upset, with someone you are friends with. The easy way to avoid that problem is not to discuss those subjects.
      My own view is that discussion is a healthy way to challenge your own views and those of others!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • I am sorry for her passing for her family and yet since we are all ONE and all Eternal, this is just a shifting and not an ending. I respected her work and her viewpoints and I wish her all the best on whatever comes now. 🙂

    Kathy

    • Hi Kathy,
      That’s the first time I’ve heard that viewpoint in the discussion of Margaret Thatcher, so I thank you for it, and for stopping by!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

    • Hi Kat,
      I enjoyed the post on your blog – very nicely written, covering the main angles, and accesible to those maybe wanting to find out about her if they didn’t know much, and there are plenty of those!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • I was only a child when she was in power so I can’t comment too much on her policies. However as a women to go and totally dominate all those ego driven males from the upper crusts, she must have been very brave and very driven.

    I live in the north of England and I remember she wasn’t very popular in this area. However I have heard that she worked very long hours and did really care about “her” country. Although she’s not particularly my cup of tea, I was never disrespect her in death.

    • In a way I’m not surprised by the vitriolic hatred spewing out. She was hated like that by many when she was in power, and the technology of today makes it all too easy to make a glib comment about her death, often by people who know little about her, and are maybe not prepared to look at both sides of the story.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

    • Hi Suzi,
      She certainly blazed a trail! I have read many people say she did little to advance women, and was quoted as saying she owed nothing to feminism. That sounds the kind of thing she would say, that she progressed because of her ideas and hard work, with her gender being irrelevant.
      I do feel she made things easier for women, in that it became much more readily accepted to have women at the top of any field, rather than being a ‘novelty’ or ‘allowed’ by men.
      Thanks for leaving a comment!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • Very clever, Gordino! Post a Question and blog in the comments. Brilliant. I’ll have to try that one day. 🙂

    Meanwhile, I think we all should have a modicum of respect for the dead. I was never a fan of the Thatcher/Reagan years, but there were still people doing what they thought best for the countries they loved. I could DEFINE my politic of the time by the polar opposite of most of their positions, but the time to attack and complain has passed. She was an amazing historical figure who was freely elected. History will likely be kinder to her than it will to George Bush. Can he be tomorrow’s question? 😉

    Great conversation here!

    cheers,

    Mick
    http://www.MickAmusing.com

    • Hi Mick,
      In fact the idea of the discussion thread was something I saw on another blog, and it seemed such a good idea I had to try it!
      It’s good fun!
      I think the fact of her being freely elected, and 3 times at that, is an important one to easily overlooked by those bringing the hatred, and I have no doubt she thought she was improving her country. History will definitely be kinder to her than to Bush, I take it you mean Dubya and opposed to Daddy Bush? Don’t suppose Senior left too much of a mark. In the same way that Reagan and Thatcher seem to be linked legacy wise, the same will be said I suspect of Dubya and Tony Blair – in one word – Iraq!
      Off to bed now, will post on your blog tomorrow, deep thoughts from a shallow mind!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

    • I find the whole thing amazing.
      If it was a song written with lyrics that used fould language towards her, then that *might* be different, but a song from the 1930s from a film should not be banned.
      The last I heard was that it wouldn’t be banned and would be played on the chart show.
      What would Maggie have said about it?
      “Foolish, I give it no thought, more important things to worry about” – I suspect that would have been the limit of her attention to the matter!

  • I was shocked to the core that Margaret Thatcher’s death provoked such an outpouring of hatred. I had no idea she was hated so much but then I do not take too much notice of politics or certainly didn’t then.

    What I do remember were the power cuts that we had in the early 70’s as a result of the constant strikes that she did something about when she eventually became Prime minister.

    I had a small baby then and it made life very difficult having to find alternative ways to warm bottles of milk and food. I believe that she freed the county and economy of their grip which was a good thing.

    As for banning the song that is being downloaded by teenagers who weren’t even born when she was Prime Minister I think would be a bad move and only draw more attention to it.

    The outpouring of hatred and disrespect is another sign of the culture we have today.

    Sandy

    • I think you’re spot on about it being a reflection of our culture.
      Most politicians that disagreed with her said simply that they disagreed while noting the impact she had.

      The hatred comes in a large degree from bandwagon jumpers, who like to take controversial positions for the sake of it, anarchists, and people who simply don’t know any better.
      Take the people fighting the police in the streets about it – what’s that all about? Why does Margaret Thatcher’s death see you need to go and fight with police with a mask on?
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • with all respect Gordon we do not know the real facts behind the trouble in London late today. Certainly Peaceful Protest is our free right, violent protest is not, Modern Style Policing in large numbers using crowd handling techniques such as kettling have been proving to actually incite unrest and without actually seeing the circumstances of how and why there appeared to be unrest earlier media footage is not reliable, certainly the main news did not report any arrests.

    • That’s true Bob, yes. I meant to say that these trouble makers are in amongst people who simply want to make a point. It is undeniable that the troublemakers do come out of the woodwork at any opportunity, and there will be trouble on the day of the funeral if thay can. I’ve never experienced the ‘kettling’ technique, but do understand that it can cause incredible frustration amongst non violent protestors.
      Part of the trouble is that it’s the trouble makers that have led to the use of that technique. If there was no kettling, would there be no trouble. No, not in my opinion.
      What’s your view of the bandwagon jumpers/trouble makers?

  • On another note lets not forget the costs involved here, current estimates look something like this:

    How much is it going to cost?

    The funeral is expected to cost up to £10million with the taxpayer bearing the brunt of the costs. It has been confirmed a “contribution” to the cost of the funeral will be made from Lady Thatcher’s estate. The official cost to the public purse will be released after the service has taken place.

    The security operation alone is set to cost £5million. Police across the capital have been ordered to cancel any leave they had planned for Operation True Blue next ­Wednesday.

    Personally I think that this is wholly excessive especially given the current economic position of this country, how many hours does it take ordinary Taxpayers to generate close on 10 Million ? What could this amount of money be better spent on ? I think that the Yuppies in the city which Mrs Thatcher helped to make vast sums should bear the costs of this extravaganza !

    • I do think the ‘all but name’ state funeral is odd, with The Queen going etc. That sets all kinds of precedents and I think is worthy of question