BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 03:37 PM

It seems to me that in the 1980's Thatcher and Reagan were the heralds of the death of liberalism. It seemed to die at the same time in many places in the world - Germany, Israel, Canada, and even to some extent in Scandanavia. Liberalism has come back to some extent since Thatcher and Reagan left us, but it's it's a new, business-oriented kind of liberalism, typified by Blair and Clinton - and I'm not entirely comfortable with it. I still call myself a Social Democrat, and I see no place in this world today where democratic socialism has a home.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Gareth
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 03:04 PM

Long may she survive and rant !!! To remind us what damage she did.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 02:54 PM

..sorry, I meant to also say that other than those 2 points, I agreed with just about everything in your post.

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 02:49 PM

Sorry, but it was not "an obsolete training vessel", Alanabit.

& I honestly didnt see much gloating about it, other than the callous & infantile banner headline in the 'Sun'

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 02:41 PM

I never did know all the facts about the Belgrano, but then again, the Foreign Office policy of the time hardly helped them to emerge. I am poorly placed to judge whether or not it was a legitimate act of war. However, the government's unseemly haste in prosecuting Clive Ponting and other botched attempts at cover ups - Spycatcher, Sarah Tidsall affair and the opening lies after the killing of IRA members in Gibraltar, did not increase my confidence in the information we got from them. At any rate, there was no reason to take much satisfaction in the sinking of an obsolete training vessel and the drowning of three hundred people - many of whom were probably teenage cadets. It's a bit like gloating over a terrorist attack on a youth club.

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 01:56 PM

I'm ashamed to admit that I voted for her in '79...on the basis that I thought it was about time we had a Woman P.M.

...shame we didnt get one

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 01:45 PM

The woman who systematically dismantled Britain and sold it off to the highest bidder with her foot on the throat of any one who dared challenge her - no I have no comment!!

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 01:37 PM

The only political comment I ever heard my exceptionally tolerant and non-swearing mother utter was to refer to "that bloody woman"!

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: GUEST,ej cookie gone astray again
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 12:27 PM

war is murder. anyway, the boat was outside the exclusion zone. even if it had been sailing towards it, would that make it ok? not to mention the fact that the whole falklands crisis was an unescessary exercise in political chicanery. honestly, would it matter if the falklands were under argenine rule? it would have been cheaper to re-house the inhabitants of the island and give them SIGNIFICANT compensation. a war never makes economic sense, and don't tell me it was for the good of the people. social welfare never figured that highly on thatcher's agenda.

ej

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 10:42 AM

I can think of several comments but, unlike the Baroness and in a spirit of Quakerly tolerance I will forbear to post them.

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: ScottyG
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 10:08 AM

I heard this in a pub (in Scotland) during the Thatcher occupation of 10 Downing Street.

Britain started out as a KINGdom, with KINGS ruling the lands. Then Britain succumbed to the Romans and became part of the EMPIRE, thus falling under the rule of the EMPEROR. They sent the Romans packing and once again became a KINGDOM with KINGS (and queens.) Now, though the Monarchy is preserved, the Royals do not govern, so Britain is not a KINGdom, nor and EMPIRE, it's a country. (Emphasis on the first syllable, sans the "o".)

SG

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Fiolar
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 10:07 AM

Thatcher and her crew as most people know only endgendered total self interest and balls to everybody else. As a former member of the nursing profession, I and many of my colleagues had to apply for our jobs on at least two occasions when so-called reorganisations tore the Health Service apart. Instead of concentrating on the job at hand, ie, care of patients, many had to worry about whether they had a job. She can now go around the world as an "honoured guest" and earn thousands in fees for speaking at dinners and such like. As for the "society" aspect, I hate to think of the number of hospitals that were closed and the occupants put into "care in the community" which meant for many, walking around the streets all day and sleeping in a doorway at night. The lucky few ended up in prison where at least they had shelter and a warm meal. As for putting her in a home why the hell should the residents of the home have to put up with her?

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 10:00 AM

I can't talk about that women coherently -my anger at the damage she systematically caused this country over her period of office is beyond estimation.

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 08:34 AM

Guest,

Hardly "murdered", it was a little situation called a "War" (and before we get the "it was sailing in the wrong direcetion" - ever heard of "keeping station") - any way, sinking the Belgrano persuaded the Argentinian Navy to keep their Carrier in port and therefore may have saved a lot more lives.

That said, I think her last statement just proves that the old bitch has finally gone ga-ga and should be shipped away to a suitable home asap.

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 08:29 AM

the belgrano. 300 odd murdered.

ej

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: mooman
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 08:26 AM

I disliked Mrs "Milk Snatcher" Thatcher (referring to the discontinuation of milk at school for young children when she was Education Secretary) well before she ever became leader.

I cannot think of anything she did which I could consider good for the UK.

Perhaps the very worst thing she did was to engender a atmosphere of "selfishness" and "self-interest" amongst a very large part of the population during her tenure which has been very hard to shake off since, either by John Major's government or Tony and his cronies.

I think Tony performed fairly well in his recent speeches but, like others have said he is definitely a "control freak" and rather intolerant of any left-wing views within the Labour party. I personally regret the loss of some of these "old labour" values. There was nothing wrong with many of these principles but, unfortunately, a number of rather extreme individuals gave "old labour" a very bad name back in the 70s and 80s which allowed Mrs Thatcher somewhat of a free rein.

She is well past her "sell by" date now and I believe she would serve us all better by keeping her more ridiculous and ill-considered views to herself.

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 07:42 AM

The old git has just managed to 'handbag' herself !! Thank god she's not in charge anymore she'd have compulsory identity cards for muslims. The only positive thing is that every time she opens her trap it does the Tories harm

Subject: Margaret Thatcher-any comments?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 07:34 AM

OK--let's talk about Mrs Thatcher. This is carried over from the Politics: Tony Blair's speech thread.

Steve