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#1002780 04/08/13 11:57 AM
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She died this morning after a stroke.Never a favourite of the working class, taking most of the power from the unions and making many of their efforts to get a fair wage and conditions illegal.That's how I remember her anyhow.


We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde
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She was tough


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In all fairness though I never voted for her, she acted bravely in the falkland's War, even when President Regan advised her against the conflict.She had a tough decision to make.


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Oh dear. The end of an era for sure. There was a lot of fallout during the Iron Lady's reign, but you had to hand it to her: She had guts.

Donna


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Apparently some of her former cabinet colleagues, considered her sexy!
Not sure which angle they were looking at her from.I suppose it was a power thing. Never thought of Maggie being a sex symbol.



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Yes, power can definitely be a turn-on. smile Consider people like Henry Kissinger; definitely not an Adonis, but he certainly had a fan club. wink
And look at a lot of rock stars as well. wink

Actually, from a purely aesthetic point of view, I find Maggie wasn't at all unattractive.

Donna



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I'll beg to differ Donna lol.I think she was in a very favourable position to make the most of her appearance.
Travis


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grin I guess I can look at it more pragmatically. wink For example, she had lovely skin, quite nice eyes, wonderful cheekbones, and indeed, in her youth, was quite attractive. As she aged, perhaps she could be described as a 'handsome' woman. wink


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She did the right things for the country rather than the popular things.....a lesson that is needed in the USA.


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Impeccably manicured, not from the ruling classes as many of her colleagues were.I think she probably had to fight hard to achieve her position with all the bigotry prevalent in her party.
She married well though!


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I married well, that and my good complexion got me where I am today.


You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

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She will never be forgotten....especially by the miners, the unions and the kids who's milk she stole.
The huge multinationals who benefited from her privatisation of anything that could be privatised owe her a huge debt of gratitude for selling them the family silver at a huge knock down discount price.
She did allow the sale of council houses which was a plus but it turned into a big minus as she broke her "guaranteed promise" when she forgot to build any new ones with the money received. I remember the strikes and the unemployment and the hatred she showed...and received.

NOT A FAN.......they say she had advanced stage dementia.....I suspected that much forty years ago. She forgot about the poor and under privileged even way back then....they wont forget her and her likes.

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Before I retired I ran a shop and in the midst of the miners strike which was a long and bitter battle, we saw and heard stories of mining communities suffering badly.
I remember a bobby coming into the shop boasting how much money he was making from the overtime he received when the miners were out demanding a fair crack and a living wage. He'd booked a holiday, talked about a new garage.

As a footnote to her death,in Brixton an area of London they had a street party when her death was announced. Cruelly rearranging the wording on a local cinema's film listings to the words."Margaret Thatcher is dead lol"

Last edited by Travis david; 04/09/13 09:14 AM.

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Aw, Well,
Margaret Thatcher is a part of History. Someone had to keep the trains running on time. Somebody has to do the dirty work. A lot of people want a Nanny and then don't like their Nanny. It appears Margaret took no prisoners. Kinda like a Marine Sargent. Too bad the Wall Street Occupiers never met Margaret Thatcher. But, they will someday !!

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All you left wing commie pinko labour leeches grin ....convince me that Britain and the rest of the world was worse off after she became prime minister, and that she ruined some kind of magic kingdom that existed before her arrival.





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In America, the right wingers, Confederates and Reaganites loved her for supporting the policies of Ronald Reagan. Like Reagan, she believed the middle class had gone far enough and that it was time for the rich to take back the wealth that the lefties had been spreading around with their policies supporting the unions and the masses.

Love them or loathe them, Reagan and Thatcher succeeded in redistributing wealth from the middle class to the ruling elite and are largely responsible for the economic conditions we live under today.


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You wouldn't put the Shuck on me would you Dan? You missed History and Civics didn't you Dan? The U.S. Constutition allows you to advance as far as you can go, no restrictions except your own. As that great communicator once said, There is nothing to fear but fear itself. So what's holding you back, Dan?

There are those that constantly Bitch about the System, but still use the system. So I say, if you don't like the system, stop using it !! But don't blame everybody else but yourself for your problems because nobody is holding you back!!


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She had "the Eyes of Calligula..and the Mouth of Marilyn Monroe"--Former French Pres. Francois Mitterand.

Cue up Aretha's "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"...& RIP, Mz Maggie!

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Totally revisionist Dan.

She never had an agenda to transfer wealth from the middle class to the elites. Show me where you got this piece of history.

What she did do was de regulate industries and sell off state owned assets. I'm not saying all this de regulation ended up well (it did create an environment that allowed the bankers to succumb to their greed and create the current mess---but the final chapter is yet to be written on this)

Before she became Prime Minister, Britain was economically sick and not well respected by Europe or the rest of the world. She left it in far better shape than when she arrived.

And Jim, your talk of her stealing milk from children is simply retarded rhetoric... mmmm "labour leeches", "retarded rhetoric" ... my alliteration is firing on all cylinders today grin


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Ray, I'm not going to debate or trade insults and invective with a guy who attributes an FDR quote to Ronald Reagan and thinks the U.S. Constitution imposes no restrictions on individuals. Nobody's challenging your long-held beliefs and prejudices. Go ahead and enjoy them. But surely you can't expect rational people to accept and applaud your peculiar views.



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Big Jim...before you take me too seriously, I do understand why you don't like her

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/09/scotland-margaret-thatcher-mission-impossible


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John whilst I will not be holding a street party to celebrate her death like some folks I will not be shedding any tears.
I have seen the suffering she caused back then and still see it every day. The mining towns and villages that used to give us performers a good living by performing in their numerous miners clubs were once thriving places but now are ghost towns. The great clubs that used to put on such great entertainment are nearly all closed or on their last legs.
Re the milk thing...well I was referring to her policy of stopping free school milk for our kids. This was a way of ensuring that ALL kids were guaranteed at least milk every day. she put a stop to it....and at the same time made the rich even richer and the poor even poorer and jobless.

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Between the second quarter of 1979 and the fourth quarter of 1990, the average annual growth rate of the economy was 2.3 per cent, no better than Britain’s postwar norm


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2 to 3 percent growth in the economy is what governments aim for.Any higher than that leads to inflation which leads to union demands for higher wages, which leads to strikes and less production,a vicious circle.

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The controversy now raging from some quarters is, why should the tax payer fund her multi million pound state funeral?
The funeral will need a huge security operation and at the moment,David Cameron has tightened up on state benefits leaving many families in hardship."Mrs Thatcher was a wealthy women,her estate should pay for her funeral"


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Prime Minister Thatcher:

1) made the world far safer by being one of the PRIMARY figures who brought Russia and the US together

2) broke union power that was tremendously detrimental to the economy which resulted better economic performance, and of all things, better relations between business and its workers as the extreme left's stranglehold on unions was broken. The previous Labour government policies did NOTHING for unemployment in the late seventies. Travis...you must remember The Winter Of Discontent. Having said that, I also realize it took a long time for her policies to bring unemployment and inflation down...

3) sold off inefficient state industries, and eliminated subsidies to others so that they actually had to compete and not rely on taxpayer funding. Raised lots of money for the treasury by doing so, and eliminated a huge chunk of annual support payments to these companies.

4) stood up to both the IRA and the Argentines. Both actions were good for Britain. The Falklands is obvious, but as she stood up to the IRA, she was also working to bring the IRA mess to a close by setting up the building blocks that eventually DID bring peace to Ireland

5) she won 3 consecutive elections, something so rare...

6) she wrested all kinds of concessions from Europe. She was famous for only supporting their proposals if Britain could get something extra out of it

7) the Chunnel was approved and mostly built under her watch

8) she was the most respected international leader in her time, in fact, NO British prime minister before or after, with the lone exception of Sir Winston Churchill, was more respected in the internation arena than she was.

9)she was the first British Prime Minister in China, and she negotiated special status for Hong Kong...which had a profound effect on China and its view towards capitalism

10)pay for women was dramatically increased

Now I know she was far from perfect, and there were certainly elements of society that did not prosper as others did, but she certainly created a society that allowed people who wanted to succeed do so.

I know that is a loaded statement, because there is obviously a subset in there who could not succeed even if they wanted to, but she refused to allow anyone to hand over their personal responsibilities to the state.

Here's a quote that illuminates her thoughts

" I think we have gone through a period when too many children and people have been given to understand "I have a problem, it is the Government's job to cope with it!" or "I have a problem, I will go and get a grant to cope with it!" "I am homeless, the Government must house me!" and so they are casting their problems on society and who is society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through people and people look to themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then also to help look after our neighbour and life is a reciprocal business and people have got the entitlements too much in mind without the obligations"

As far as a state funeral, she deserves it...and the planned attendance of the Queen, who has only ever attended Sir Winston's funeral, knows this. History will remember her with far greater respect and kindness than that shown by those classless elements who celebrate and have wished for her passing.



RIP Maggie. You have my respect.





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Humm,
I am reminded of that old saying, don't know who first said it, is HELL IS FOR HERO'S. If so Maggie is in hell where I will join her one day ! No don't ya all worry, I will save a place for you!


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The prosperity Mrs Thatcher brought to Britain was selective and in may cases subjective, divisive and temporary.
She did leave Britain "very much better", but for some. She also left it in recession, with unemployment, inflation and interest rates rising and in sections of the community where whole areas depended on say mining, steel etc' devastation! Which they never recovered from.In particular, Scotland, the north east of England and Yorkshire.

Above all, not only was she bad for the country during her premiership, she continues to be bad for the country today even in her passing.
The causes of the present slump - unrestricted credit, deregulation and too much financial speculation - all date back to the 1980s as is well documented.
No successive government dared reverse these decisions: testament to her legacy, but a curse we all share.
I had no personal dislike for Margaret Thatcher,although I never voted for her or for that matter any Tory leadership.
She stood steadfast against the Argentinian's in the Falklands campaign and likewise resolute in the devastating problems in Northern Ireland.
I well remember Sir Winston Churchill's funeral, a person I still admire as perhaps the greatest statesman this country produced.
Should MT be exalted in the same manner,I think not.

Last edited by Travis david; 04/10/13 01:17 PM.

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Originally Posted by John Voorpostel
Prime Minister Thatcher:

1) made the world far safer by being one of the PRIMARY figures who brought Russia and the US together

2) broke union power that was tremendously detrimental to the economy which resulted better economic performance, and of all things, better relations between business and its workers as the extreme left's stranglehold on unions was broken. The previous Labour government policies did NOTHING for unemployment in the late seventies. Travis...you must remember The Winter Of Discontent. Having said that, I also realize it took a long time for her policies to bring unemployment and inflation down...

3) sold off inefficient state industries, and eliminated subsidies to others so that they actually had to compete and not rely on taxpayer funding. Raised lots of money for the treasury by doing so, and eliminated a huge chunk of annual support payments to these companies.

4) stood up to both the IRA and the Argentines. Both actions were good for Britain. The Falklands is obvious, but as she stood up to the IRA, she was also working to bring the IRA mess to a close by setting up the building blocks that eventually DID bring peace to Ireland

5) she won 3 consecutive elections, something so rare...

6) she wrested all kinds of concessions from Europe. She was famous for only supporting their proposals if Britain could get something extra out of it

7) the Chunnel was approved and mostly built under her watch

8) she was the most respected international leader in her time, in fact, NO British prime minister before or after, with the lone exception of Sir Winston Churchill, was more respected in the internation arena than she was.

9)she was the first British Prime Minister in China, and she negotiated special status for Hong Kong...which had a profound effect on China and its view towards capitalism

10)pay for women was dramatically increased

Now I know she was far from perfect, and there were certainly elements of society that did not prosper as others did, but she certainly created a society that allowed people who wanted to succeed do so.

I know that is a loaded statement, because there is obviously a subset in there who could not succeed even if they wanted to, but she refused to allow anyone to hand over their personal responsibilities to the state.

Here's a quote that illuminates her thoughts

" I think we have gone through a period when too many children and people have been given to understand "I have a problem, it is the Government's job to cope with it!" or "I have a problem, I will go and get a grant to cope with it!" "I am homeless, the Government must house me!" and so they are casting their problems on society and who is society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through people and people look to themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then also to help look after our neighbour and life is a reciprocal business and people have got the entitlements too much in mind without the obligations"

As far as a state funeral, she deserves it...and the planned attendance of the Queen, who has only ever attended Sir Winston's funeral, knows this. History will remember her with far greater respect and kindness than that shown by those classless elements who celebrate and have wished for her passing.



RIP Maggie. You have my respect.





Your rhetoric is so wrong in oh so many ways that I cannot be bothered dealing with each point and inaccuracy one by one so will just draw your attention to this article which is a more accurate reflection on the Thatcher legacy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/08/margaret-thatcher-editorial Now that quote you gave can be shortened to "I am alright sod everyone else." which remains the Tory philosophy.....born out of privilege, greed, selfishness and uncaring.
I think you will find that when it comes to sex discrimination and equal pay Barbara Castle and Harold Wilson were the ones who brought out legislation to change things. Thatcher did little if nothing to further the cause of women.....some even say she made things worse for women.......she did not even have one female minister in her cabinet....despite there being several female candidates who would have done much better than their male counterparts. You confuse dogged determination with obstinate stubbornness and a poor grasp of reality....which she had in spades and was her eventual downfall.

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I have never seen or known a British politic figure to divide the nation as much as Maggie Thatcher.
Currently there is a re release of the song Hey Ho the Wicked Witch is Dead, heading towards the number one spot in the British charts.
This will give you an idea of the ladies popularity in some quarters


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I deplore such actions.........It is better to show dignity and respect than to behave in a loutish manner......even when the person who has died was hated or was evil. Holding a street party to CELEBRATE death or releasing a record like Hey Ho the Wicked Witch is Dead brings those people down to a worse level than the person they are protesting about.
I prefer to remember her for what she did....and hope that serves as a warning to the new generations to never to make the same mistake by electing someone like her again. Sadly people have short memories and are too stupid and gullible when it comes to politics....they elected Cameron who is just as bad.

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Well I agree.Regardless of your feelings or political leanings the lady has caring family and are of course mourning her death.
If I was to predict a scenario for the future I would say that Cameron will divide our nation even more with his policies aimed at the more vulnerable citizens and his comeupance will be registered at the next election.


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Well put Big Jim...even though you and I see her differently, it is important to accord her the respect she is due.

I suspect that should we engage in debate, we will each move toward the other's point of view. I have the luxury of objectivity that allows for impartial judgment. You have direct experience with her policies.


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John you do not have impartiality or objectivity.....your views are based on perceived values that have no bearing on what actually happened.
Thatcher was a middle class snob. She was so out of touch with reality that she did not know right from wrong.....even when her own party tried to steer her in the right direction she was having none of it. She was delusional and had no thought or care for the underprivileged.
Her "sermon on the mount" speech said it all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mound
http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107246
After the speech during the polite muted applause more out of respect than agreement the moderator thanked her and said "I know that all here will pray for you" .....meaning that she was so wrong and out of touch that she needed prayers.

She then embarked upon a crusade of closing down efficient mines, steelworks and the shipbuilding industry amongst many other heavy industries. She privatised publicly owned services like transport, gas, electricity, water etc etc etc. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/29/short-history-of-privatisation
The effects of this was catastrophic. Poorer services, more expensive, no control, loss of jobs plus a whole host of other things not to mention allowing the new owners to "print money" whilst we all suffered.....and still suffer as a result.

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Big Jim, for you to say that she closed "efficient" mines, steelworks, shipbuilding etc" is simply wrong. They were based on old, outdated plants and technologies, heavily unionized workforces, and the industries themselves were serving declining markets. Note this was not only a British problem. What she did was eliminate state subsidies to these industries and broke union power, and she forced them to compete with the world.

By privatising industry, she eliminated their subsidies as well and she lined the state coffers with the proceeds.

These moves allowed her to reduce income tax rates from a top rate of 83% .... 83!!!!!!!!... which was causing a lot of wealth to leave Britain and many to become tax exiles... down to a more palatable level.

I know that the northern part of England and Scotland itself did not fare well...but I believe that OVERALL, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland were better off because of her. That you yourself did not benefit financially is too bad. I mean that. But part of that is simply because of what you do.

I also believe that had Labour continued to rule, that GB would have become an economic basketcase. EVERY socialist government has realized that state capitalism, socialism etc simply does not work because there is absolutely no need or incentive to improve, compete, innovate etc.

Russia, China, Cuba... every communist regime understands this, and China has taken that lesson to heart and WILL BECOME the predominant world economic power in a few decades. Yes, they took shortcuts by stealing intellectual property, keeping wages and exchange rates low to make their country attractive as a source of cheap goods etc, but that is simply a time honoured approach. Japan and Korea both started this way.

Bottom line? GB as a whole was better off because of her.


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Sorry John you have it all wrong.......these things WERE profitable were not state subsidised and were not outdated....unless you count the railways which are even more expensive to use, outdated, more heavily subsidised and even less efficient now they are in private hands.

You make the mistake that all capitalists make in assuming that Socialism and Communism is the same thing. They are not communism is just a dictatorship and has all the flaws of Capitalism but CAPITALISM will always remain the same...a system based on privilege greed selfishness and exploitation........Capitalism always fails to notice the folk at the bottom who for many reasons cannot compete in the rat race and has to work on an uneven playing field.......yet Capitalism rewards the wealthy at the expense of the workers. The gap in wealth distribution is getting ever wider. The poor are getting poorer and the rich richer.
On a personal note I did all right despite Thatcher......sadly I know many mining villages that did not and I saw family feuds and infighting in the community because of her policies.

I am no experts in finance and politics but I do know right from wrong and when I see people suffer because of some rich powerful business being greedy and refusing to give a fair days pay for a fair days work I get angry.....especially when the rich guys have wealth that the people they exploit can only dream of.

Right now they are putting a bedroom tax on the poorest and most vulnerable in society and at the same time giving the rich a huge cut in tax.....disgraceful whichever way you look at it.

Re 83% tax...well that was then......and these folk were making so much money they could afford it.... now today most rich folk and large companies do not pay any tax at all.....thanks to tax evasion and avoidance loopholes. Some of them like the bankers who got us all into this mess are even paid huge multimillion bonuses for failure. If they paid even part of their dues then we would not be in the mess we are in.

Bottom line she crippled the UK......and all but killed Scotland, Wales and huge parts of England......where she will always be hated cause we are still suffering.....mind you she did protect the rich.....at the cost of the poor....whilst you may see that as good I see it as evil.



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