What Did Thatcher Ever Do For Us?

Generali

PaulF81 wrote: »

She sent in the SAS to break a prison siege.. Top marks.

http://www.sasspecialairservice.com/sas-peterhead-prison-scotland.html

That's a new one for me! Thanks PaulF81.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I was a child of the 80s, but in an apolitical household, so had no strong views either way. 1997 was the first election I voted in, when as a student it was Rah Labour! and Boo Hiss Nasty Tories (from a load of well off middle class students pretending to be working class because their nan once sat on a bus next to a miner).

So it was interesting when I went to teach English in Warsaw, as Thatcher and Reagan were spoken of in reverential terms that I was completely unused to. I didn't know much about Eastern European history at the time, but even my younger pupils born after the fall of the Berlin Wall knew her name as a friend of Poland.

ILW

Moby wrote: »

So you've never heard of sociology then?

Think you mean envy.
Once you accept that some people are going to be richer/taller/thinner/better looking/cleverer etc etc than you, it makes life a lot less stressful. You can ten concentrate on how better yourself.

PaulF81

ILW wrote: »

Think you mean envy.

Greed of the undeserving.

lemonjelly

I still wonder why she is held in such esteem as an economic miracle worker.

As a PM, who sold off billions of state assets, she still presided over 2 recessions in those 11.5 years.

So why is she lauded so?

andy.m_2

Because with a bit of tough love the issues were pulled back quick smart.

PaulF81

lemonjelly wrote: »

I still wonder why she is held in such esteem as an economic miracle worker.

As a PM, who sold off billions of state assets, she still presided over 2 recessions in those 11.5 years.

So why is she lauded so?

Perhaps those who benefit from a health service, a decent pension and a globalised economy for a start. If you think the the privatised rail service is run badly, imagine what it would be like run under an incompetent, unionised civil service with more focus on personal gain and promotion through attaining short term 'metrics' than improving efficiency.

Kennyboy66

Generali wrote: »

To my mind, she was the first mainstream politician to embrace the modern form of environmentalism: not a policy reaction to an ongoing problem like the Victorian sewers or the Clean Air Acts but a recognition that there could be serious long-term implications to our actions (e.g. The ozone layer hole & global warming):

.

This seems like backfit to me but then some people will credit her for getting rid of smallpox worldwide (eradicated in 1979) just by virtue that it happened while she was PM


Facing down the Unionists in Northern Ireland and signing the Anglo - Ireland agreement for me.

Many of her policies in Ulster were wrong headed and counter - productive, but this one thing at least started the peace process.

Interesting to see that this was opposed from a range of people from Gerry Adams, Ian Paisley, Enoch Powell, Ian Gow, Mary Robinson, Tony Benn, Charles Haughey to the SDP alliance.

If you can upset all of them, hats off to you.


Ironically even the one thing she got right, she subsequently regretted (in 1988) - but then despite all the myths she is full of contradictions.

Kennyboy66

lemonjelly wrote: »

I still wonder why she is held in such esteem as an economic miracle worker.

As a PM, who sold off billions of state assets, she still presided over 2 recessions in those 11.5 years.

So why is she lauded so?

I'm no fan but most recessions are unavoidable as they are mainly worldwide events.

N1AK

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Look at the wimps we have today. We need a Maggie character now to kick the UK out of its current malaise, and its dependency culture.

We aren't facing issues nearly as polarising today as we did when she came to power and frankly for all the talk of wanting no nonsense straight talking politicians when we get the chance to vote we consistently don't choose them.

In many ways Thatcher was a 'war time' prime minister. She took on the Unions, won, and in the process deeply divided the country and many communities. Yes we face issues with welfare, for example, today but I doubt many people really think it is an issue that deserves the same kind of response from government (or that it requires it).

In many ways Thatcher began the process of bringing all parties closer to the middle-ground; we still have entrenched political views today but the number of people who will unquestioningly vote for 'their' party has decreased. The Conservatives and Labour both have to appeal to a wide swathe of the population to win.