No MGM. there was nothing democratic about the way Thatcher acquired power.

As the Spycatcher book made clear. The right wing elements in this country subverted the democratic process. An unholy mix of the security services and Murdoch's evil empire. That's how they ditched Edward heath and captured the tory party. That's how she smeared and defamed the Labour government.

That's why she moved heaven and earth to suppress the book.

One of the most shameful things Blair did was to leave untouched the electoral system that that gave Thatcher nearly 60 percent of the parliamentary seats with less than 40 percent of the vote.

The areas in the the country that weren't voting for her felt the violence of her wrath. You southerners were quick enough onto the streets after a few months of the poll tax. Scotland had suffered that for an entire year already.

One of the most distressing things was to hear the very people , the very generation who had fought fascism, parrotting fascist nonsense - fifty pakis living in one council house all claiming benefits, and filling up the hospital wards. Most tories were bitterly ashamed of what she did to their party. But it was bloody difficult arguing with success. It was like the Germans generals - after Blitzkreig had succeded in toppling France, just a few short years after they had failed for four years.

None of which matters. If you didn't live in the afflicted areas of England - you simply have no idea of the trauma these places suffered. Sneering at the people who saw their communities devastated is not nice. Its like if you went to some earth quake zone - and sneered at the people left trying to pick up the pieces, with no option but living amonst the rat infested ruins.

Doubly so, because these were settled communities that people had lived in for many years and hoped that their children would live in too. Places with their own culture and values. Incidentally also the very places from where sprang many of these ballads and folksongs that you love.

But like I say, it doesn't matter. what is strange is that an aien culture feels that it has a handle on it - when we clearly don't.