Sychophantic nonsense

[flecc]

Oh how sick I am of some of the nonsense being currently spouted about Margaret Thatcher.

I expect some sycophantism at times like this of course, but how many times must someone wrongly say how her being a prime minister blazed a trail for women worldwide, just said once again by Julia Gillard, PM of Australia.

Being a national female leader is in fact so common that there have been over 50 such women, and some of the most famous preceded Thatcher by years and even decades. Some examples are Mrs Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), vice president Evan Peron of Argentina and the woman originally dubbed The Iron Lady many years before Thatcher, Golda Meir, prime minister of Israel.

Some of the wafflers on TV news really should swat up their history first, Margaret Thatcher merely followed other famous women, both in gaining high office and in some of her policies.

 

[neptune]

I am not sure if Margaret Thatcher is having an official state funeral. Even if not, it looks like it will involve Westminster Abbey and a large presence by the Armed Forces. So we are no talking a bargain basement job. Still, no worries, I have no doubt the Bedroom Tax will pay for it.

 

[melspea]

it looks like it will involve Westminster Abbey

I'm not going back to the UK to attend her service but I'm thinking it's St Paul's I'm not attending?

Mel

 

[D8ve]

What would She have wanted. private enterprise bidding and go for the lowest price tender.
Hmm £20 for some wood and bin bag should do it then....

 

[Jimod]

What would She have wanted. private enterprise bidding and go for the lowest price tender.
Hmm £20 for some wood and bin bag should do it then....

One or two people up here would do it for less than the £20.

Although I'm not too in favour of rejoicing in the death of a human.

 

[Scimitar]

Although I'm not too in favour of rejoicing in the death of a human.

That would be fine if I could find much proof she was.

 

[trex]

RIP Maggie.

The tory party you've so much influenced has luckily moved on from those short-sighted policies of yours and your sycophants. Norman Tebbit is one that jumped to my mind.

 

[neptune]

I switched on the TV last night. I was confronted by scenes of a state funeral. People were openly crying in the street. Women were beating their breasts, and screaming something about the death of their "Glorious Leader". Even members of the armed forces were openly weeping. I thought that Margaret Thatchers funeral had been brought forward a day. My wife then pointed out that we were watching a documentary about North Korea.

 

[50 Hertz]

I've got mixed feelings about Maggie. She had the guts to take on issues which needed fixing and didn't lose her nerve in the face of hostility or deep unpopularity. You knew exactly what she was about and took your choice whether to support her or not. The same cant be said for the worthless, self serving weathervane politicians of today.

I do believe that some of her actions whilst in office have caused irreparable damage to the country. Her attacks on industry and privatisation of essential services being two examples. Whatever she did, it isn't right to make light of her death or for jokes to be born out of her demise.

ps. She's only been in Hell for 48 hours and already shut down three furnaces.

 

[jazper53]

Oh how sick I am of some of the nonsense being currently spouted about Margaret Thatcher.



Some of the wafflers on TV news really should swat up their history first, Margaret Thatcher merely followed other famous women, both in gaining high office and in some of her policies.

Yes, but she was our Iron lady. In the 70s when the unions held the Government, and country to ransom. Industry was broken, we were a nation in terminal decline and the winter of discontent is still fresh in my memory. There is a lot I disagreed about Thatcher's policies but the country needed a strong leader to reverse the downward spiral that Britain was in 1979. LOVE HER OR HATE HER ,she made a difference, and should be respected, and I personally mourn her passing.

ps. My politics have always leaned on the side of socialism with a small 's', as they still do today.

 

[AlMel]

What I don’t like is the presidentialisation of a parliamentary democracy.

I don’t like presidential systems. There is only one in the EU: France. Every other country separates the role of head of state from that of head of the Executive. The most powerful politician must bow before someone else: the person who whether monarch or president incarnates the nation as a whole.

I may be wrong on this, but I doubt any other parliamentary democracy organises state or pseudo-state funerals when even long-standing ex-prime ministers or federal chancellors pass away.

I think this is another example of the Americanisation of British politics and I fear, of British society. It’s a great shame, for Britain has been a great exponent of parliamentary democracy. It is still the country where the most powerful person is seen to work in a town house and live in a flat above. It should remain a country where a prime minister, once out of office, reverts to being a private citizen. I find it ridiculous to hear a Carter, a Clinton or a Bush still addressed as ‘Mr President’; are we to have Major, Blair or Brown still referred to as ‘Mr Prime Minister’? What will happen when Mr Prime Minister Blair dies, will it be another great state occasion?

Exceptions there may be, but they surely should be very rare and for very exceptional people, for those recognised by the great majority of their nation and by others as having either combatted great evil or brought peace or both. In recent British history I can only think of one: Churchill. He made many a mistake for he was but human, but without him hell would have spread and endured across vast swathes of the planet. But that’s another subject.

Thank you, flecc for making me think through this.

 

[hopper_rider]

I wonder if there would have been such elaborate arrangements if there were a party of a different colour in charge.
Nye Bevin who set up the NHS had a normal funeral.

Seems money can be found when its a cause that is supported.

 

[flecc]

Yes, but she was our Iron lady. In the 70s when the unions held the Government, and country to ransom. Industry was broken, we were a nation in terminal decline and the winter of discontent is still fresh in my memory. There is a lot I disagreed about Thatcher's policies but the country needed a strong leader to reverse the downward spiral that Britain was in 1979. LOVE HER OR HATE HER ,she made a difference, and should be respected, and I personally mourn her passing.

ps. My politics have always leaned on the side of socialism with a small 's', as they still do today.

My thread wasn't about Margaret Thatcher of course, but about the wrong attributions that so many are making. Since you mention her strong will though, this was simply a common characteristic of women in positions of power and far from unique. I've mentioned strong female leaders who preceded her and could have added Indira Gandhi as another who ruled a difficult country of 20 times our population with an equally iron will. As a politician Margaret Thatcher will have been very aware of them and their achievements and had even spoken with some of them, once again emphasising what I'm saying about her lack of any uniqueness. As for bringing about real lasting change in Britain, Clement Attlee achieved far, far more and in much more difficult times.

Sycophancy is the norm when people die, they all automatically become good and sadly missed, but much of what has being spouted about Margaret Thatcher is completely over the top and loses touch with reality. The state funeral is an extension of this gross over reaction.
.

 

[mike killay]

I felt much the same about Diana.

 

[50 Hertz]

A similar situation arose following the tragic murder of Saint Diana who was run off the road by Prince Philip using a motorcycle with the late Queen Mother riding pillion. The magnitude of Diana's achievements and influence was inflated to such an extent that men and women who, up until that point in time had never paid her any regard, stood blubbering in the street whilst TV cameras were pointing at them. Disgusting behaviour, they needed a damned good slap to bring them to their senses.

 

[Croxden]

I felt much the same about Diana.

Diana Ross dead???

 

[Scimitar]

Diana Ross dead???

Diana Dors, shirley?