kevster Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 When Tony Benn was here recently he said one thing that did surprise me - he admired her. Not for her policies obviously, but for the fact she was what he termed a 'signpost' politician and not a 'weather vane'. He said the 'signposts' pointed one way and stuck to it whereas 'weather vanes' swung around and went in whatever direction the mood was going. In his opinion, and I agree with him, there are too many 'weather vanes' in politics now and not enough 'signposts' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotsAlan Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Makes me feel older. Rip right wing Maggie. The far left will miss their nemisis Happy drinking with Dennis tonight :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Nor should she be held entirely responsible for the most divisive government in my lifetime - others, such as Keith Joseph and Milton Friedman were equally to blame.Good on her for being divisive. I don't necessarily agree with all her policies, but Socialism was ruining the British economy like a cancer. Someone had to step up to the plate and sort out the mess caused by years of self-serving unions holding the country hostage, destroying the economy, and in turn forcing the government to resort to a three-day work week. If she came down hard on them, it is because it was necessary at the time. They were too powerful. On the other hand, I think the reverse has now happened --- but I don't believe unions or strikes are the answer to that. What we need is a better equilibrium between the two extremes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody2 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 She's only been in hell for 12 hours and already she's closed 3 furnaces.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conradthewoollyllama Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I thought this was rather good. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/08/margaret-thatcher-death-etiquette?CMP=twt_gu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarius Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 LOST LOGIN: It is a difficult one. I can not stand the woman, I was an adult during her conservative governments, but generally I would not bitch or abuse somebody who has just died. However if people are going to praise her and describe her as magnificent then I think it is only fair that those who have a contrary view have their say. Depends on why you can't stand her. If you think she was a bad person then there is no reason why respect should be given now she is dead. It doesn't matter whether someone has died or not. Talk about her just in the same manner as if she were alive. Would you think it wrong if people said 'good riddance' about Franco, Stalin, the German Nazis, Pinochet, etc.? Pinochet? - absolutely good riddance. Bastard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 She created the base for the current financial leeches by totally ruining the manufacturing base of the UK. I watched as factories were closed and machinery was sold off and exported to India and China who now produce and export back to the UK the goods that the UK should be producing.Is there any reason to believe British manufacturing -- despite being of higher quality -- could have seriously survived in competition with China and India, given their large supply of cheap labour and Britain's much more expensive labour? By the way, when the British first went to India, parts of it were the world's most advanced industrial centres with far superior manufacturing to anything in Britain, and they had a very advanced economic system. By the end of British rule, India had been de-industrialised and its manufacturing base destroyed. The British -- or, rather, the corporations who controlled the empire -- had forced the Indians to import goods from Britain, and made it illegal for them to make those goods themselves. Gandhi protested by picking up salt at the beach because the British authorities had made it illegal for Indians to collect their own salt; they had to import it from Britain. Why am I mentioning this? I am suggesting that the corporations which ran the British Empire are still alive and well, and they are deliberately de-industrialising us and making us dependent on imports to consolidate their control. It's called thirdworldisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarius Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Although I did not subscribe to her politics, I remember waiting up all night and feeling a bubble of excitement and fear as she was elected Prime Minister the first time. Loathe her or like her- she was the first woman to achieve that status and hold onto it for three terms. That is to be admired. As is her determination to stick to what she held to be true. No other leader has come near to having the bollocks she had, they pale in comparison - Lilly livered, insignificant twats they have bern since. She made the history books, gave us someone we loved to hate, she held centre stage and I admire her for that. It's the end of a political era - the lady was never for turning. RIP Mrs Thatcher - Dennis is waiting for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yee haa yessir! Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Be no tears shed in this house hold, couldn't stand the old bag! Good riddance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Pinochet? - absolutely good riddance. Bastard! Thatcher was a big admirer of that appalling murderer. As expected MF is reflecting just how much a so-called 'NATIONAL' politician polarised the nation. The Grauniad: " Her legacy is of public division, private selfishness and a cult of greed, which together shackle far more of the human spirit than they ever set free..." Spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesypeas Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Marmite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Cockish Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Well she certainly knew how to deny people the oxygen of publicity - so she may have been more successful than me when it comes to controlling things like ill-informed forums. At the same time, she never won a Cleveland Gold medal, did she? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blade Runner Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 RIP Lady Thatcher, good to see that she is getting a state funeral along the same lines as the Queen Mother and Diana Spencer (Without being laid in state, at her own request). I can well remember the state of the UK in the mid 70s, planning our evenings around the power cuts, she stopped all that. One of my parents best friends was a recently retired miner, he had done well for himself because he used his very high wages at the time, to invest in property for rent. He could not understand the unions pushing for this and that when the miners were earning huge wages in comparison to other manual jobs at the time. Spanish Practices that I remember being told about included; All retired miners getting 3 or 4 50Kg bags of coal a week delivered to their house FOC until they died. In my parents friends case he had oil central heating and no fires but he still got the coal and sold it on to his mates. Imagine how many retired miners were getting this, for life and then try and make a business make money with that kind of crap going on. They were really taking the proverbial, a lot like a certain group of drivers on the island at the moment, they too, along with their union dont seem to have a grip on reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I have two questions: 1. Did her policies have a positive or negative impact for the Isle of Man? 2. Could the Isle of Man have become an offshore tax haven if Mrs Thatcher had not been Prime Minister of Great Britain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 RIP Lady Thatcher, good to see that she is getting a state funeral along the same lines as the Queen Mother and Diana Spencer (Without being laid in state, at her own request). She's not getting a state funeral and it was never an option anyway. It's essentially reserved for monarchs yet Churchill was a most deserving exception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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