That shut the old windbag up!

Provost Harrison · March 22, 2002, 18:39

Yes, that's right, Margaret Thatcher has been forced to withdraw from public speaking due to suffering a series of minor strokes weakening her significantly. She never spewed anything other than hatred and unpleasantness, and although I wouldn't want a stroke to happen to anyone, this is a bit of a blessing in disguise. The curse of the UK for the 80s and the Tories ever since, she is now silenced! Hurrah!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_...00/1888094.stm

Bereta_Eder · March 22, 2002, 18:43

I am glad she steps out of public speacking. I think it's a step forward for the UK and for Europe and for al

Provost Harrison · March 22, 2002, 18:45

No need to whisper. It's a move forward for humanity!

Bugs ****ing Bunny · March 22, 2002, 18:45

They'll probably still wheel her out at the Tory party conference, all wired up to an iron lung and dribbling slightly.

Provost Harrison · March 22, 2002, 18:47

I hope that we will one day discover immortality. Preferably the day after Thatcher pegs it

Stefu · March 22, 2002, 18:50

This has made me wonder - visceral hate Brits, at least on this forum, seem to feel against Maggie Thatcher seems to eclipse even American far-right-wing hatred against Clintons. What's the cause?

Bugs ****ing Bunny · March 22, 2002, 18:51

Do you have a few weeks to spare? The list of grievances is rather long.

Stefu · March 22, 2002, 18:53

If we'll just have the most grave offenses.

Provost Harrison · March 22, 2002, 18:54

Dare I say it but Poll Tax

Brought the nation out on the streets. Amongst others.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · March 22, 2002, 19:01

Despite a massive economic boom, the poverty levels shot up while the richest just got richer.

3.5 million unemployed, even after they'd cooked the books.

2 elections won largely due to sordid colonial sabre-rattling.

Overt use of the police and security services for political ends.

Poll tax- the most vicious and pointlessly evil tax ever.

Rampant persecution of minority groups.

The Battle of the Beanfield

The Battle of Orgreave Coking Works.

The fact that she didn't believe in society, and said as much.

Repressive laws passed against "promoting homosexuality".

Case · March 22, 2002, 19:02

Is the British Labor Party offering to pay her medical bills?

laurentius · March 22, 2002, 19:04

And the big question is: Will the mummy return?

hopefully not

Bugs ****ing Bunny · March 22, 2002, 19:05

The current British Labour Party would probably pay her bills, redecorate her home and orally pleasure her if they thought she might say something nice about them.

David Floyd · March 22, 2002, 19:17

Oh let's be fair - she was Reagan's puppet, just as Blair is Bush's

Bereta_Eder · March 22, 2002, 19:21

I'll try to find this myth about greek sailors sailing next to the shores of the british island in ancient times.

They came across some lycanthropes and I have a feeling they may have been the ancestors of Thatcher

Dammit, if all brits where like you...

The EU would be even better *weeps tear from his fascisto-EU eye*

KrazyHorse · March 22, 2002, 19:23

You people don't know hatred.

Come ask the average Canadian how they feel about Brian Mulroney...

Case · March 22, 2002, 19:34

...or ask a New Zealander about any of their leaders from the mid 80's onward. Jennie Shipley (sp?), the PM before the current one, had a 2% approval rating at one stage

KrazyHorse · March 22, 2002, 19:39

The Tories went from a majority government to a 2 seat "party" in a single election. By that time Mulroney had handed off leadership to his sacrificial lamb Kim Campbell, our first female PM, who wielded power for a grand total of 134 days.

Case · March 22, 2002, 19:47

Quote:

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
The Tories went from a majority government to a 2 seat "party" in a single election. By that time Mulroney had handed off leadership to his sacrificial lamb Kim Campbell, our first female PM, who wielded power for a grand total of 134 days.

*thumps head*
How could I have forgotten that!

*End Is Forever* · March 22, 2002, 20:25

...and about time too. If she still cared about the Conservatives and their electoral success, she'd have shut up long ago. Unfortunately, she still seems to think that she's bigger than the party. I was very glad to see Tim Collins on Question Time say "thankyou, but goodnight"; maybe we can actually move forward now.

And a few comments...

Stefu,

Quote:

This has made me wonder - visceral hate Brits, at least on this forum, seem to feel against Maggie Thatcher seems to eclipse even American far-right-wing hatred against Clintons. What's the cause?

Some bear genuine political grudges; there's no doubt she did some pretty awful things during her tenure. I'd put Alex into this catagory. However, it's definitely become "cool to hate" Thatcher.

B*B,

Quote:

3.5 million unemployed, even after they'd cooked the books.

There's no doubt that unemployment under Thatcher was much higher that it ought to have been. However, some of the economic reforms put into place, although they caused higher unemployment at the time, have in the medium term been immensely beneficial to the overall prosperity of the nation. In particular, good money after bad was thrown at several dying, inefficient, sunset industries (that employed large numbers despite appalling losses) during the late seventies and this was ended. At the time, this caused a massive rise in unemployment, but how much investment (and new jobs!) were lost because huge sums of money were effectively thrown into a black hole, mainly due to the influence of the Unions?

Quote:

2 elections won largely due to sordid colonial sabre-rattling.

The left have to look at themselves here. Thatcher won two elections because, however bad people might have thought the Conservative policies were, the alternative was far, far, far worse. I shudder at the thought of Michael Foot as Prime Minister, or another four "winters of discontent". It wasn't anyone on the right who described the 1983 Labour manifesto as the "longest suicide note in history", was it?

Quote:

Poll tax- the most vicious and pointlessly evil tax ever.

I quite agree. Thatcher was (rightly) deposed after that. It was a hopeless, appalling regressive piece of stupid taxation - that the vast majority of Tories disagreed with as well.

I would be interested to hear what Foot or Kinnock planned to do with the "rates" though. They certainly needed reform, but in the event they were replaced by something far worse.

Quote:

Repressive laws passed against "promoting homosexuality"

Again, I agree completely. Section 28 was a stupid, bigoted law. It was also wholly pointless - vague and unenforceable.

red_jon · March 22, 2002, 20:30

I'm too young to remember the Thatcher years and everyone I know hate her. Is there anyone in Britain that actually likes her?

*End Is Forever* · March 22, 2002, 20:58

Thanks Jon, great illustration of the "cool to hate" phenomenon.

Lancer · March 22, 2002, 21:17

If you believe in karma, or 'what goes around comes around' or simply hold the notion that one shouldn't make fun of or take advantage of anothers disadvantage and thereby tempt fate then...

You know you're all screwed.

If you don't believe...

Then you'll find out your screwed later.

:Grim reeper smiley:

Chris 62 · March 22, 2002, 21:23

From Iron lady to Iron lung.

How the mighty have fallen.

Immortal Wombat · March 22, 2002, 21:26

Quote:

Unfortunately, she still seems to think that she's bigger than the party

In terms of political clout, she probably is.
Maggie says: Do this.
Blair: Does opposite.

Tories say: Do this.
Blair:

*End Is Forever* · March 22, 2002, 21:40

Blair has been an avid disciple of Thatcher... certainly in terms of learning how to win elections.

I agree, however, that a politically active Thatcher is an asset to Labour. She has consistently undermined Conservative policy ever since she was replaced by Major.

TCO · March 23, 2002, 00:02

I find the remarks by people like PH about Maggie Thatcher's health say more about him than about her. They show him as a mean-spirited ungentlemanly person.

I think she has more stones than he does.

Urban Ranger · March 23, 2002, 00:41

Didn't you say some pretty bad things about Clinton? Hmmmm?

Lonestar · March 23, 2002, 00:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Didn't you say some pretty bad things about Clinton? Hmmmm?

Yeah, but he deserved it.

TCO · March 23, 2002, 01:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Didn't you say some pretty bad things about Clinton? Hmmmm?

I'm not going to dance on Clinton's grave. I'll leave that kind of behavior to y'all...

BTW...doesn't it seem like a little bit of what pisses y'all off is that she's a strong woman? Honest question...