Margaret Thatcher is dead

[GordonA]

Every one is entitled to their opinion of this woman, therefore, as the eldest son of a Scottish Coal Miner, who worked in one of the most dangerous industries in the world, in order than people like Thatcher could enjoy comfort in their homes, only to have the Trades Union which looked after his interests, totally emasculated by this woman's hatred of anything/anyone whom she deemed to be of a lower class than her, I certainly found her to be an extremely biased, bigoted person, and perhaps should have concentrated on being a housewife, rather than a dictatorial, self-serving politician !!

The following was written 2 years ago, rather a long piece of reading, let's see how many so-called Thatcherites will read it in it's entirety.

Jas B
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

British society is still feeling the effect of her divisive economic policies and the culture of greed and selfishness which she championed..

Unemployment tripled under her leadership, Thatcher proceeded to crush the resistance of the unions and solve the "who rules" question that had done for her Tory predecessor, Ted Heath. The result was dramatic, not only in the huge boost to inequality and the income of the well-off, but also in the US-style decline in the share of GDP going to wages and salaries – which fell from a peak of 65% in 1975 to 53% last year, this while corporate profits swelled.

Too many Britons felt they were discarded, like so much unwanted waste, by an economic policy that regarded the winding down of manufacturing industry and the tripling of unemployment as mere collateral damage in an otherwise just war. There was a hardening of the heart in those years, a thinning of the subtle, almost invisible threads of neighbourliness and common interest which ultimately tie a society together. Greed seemed to replace compassion as a core value.

Recession hit the North and manufacturing industry hardest and factory output dropped by more than 30 per cent. Unemployed workers were told by one her ministers Norman Tebbit to get on their bikes to look for new jobs. The manufacturing industry was decimated and has never recovered as Britain moved to a service economy.

She was hell bent on bringing so called democracy to the trade unions, but was quite happy to keep the House of Lords as an unreformed closed shop.

The roots of today’s current financial chaos can be traced directly back to October 27, 1986, when the biggest revolution in the financial markets took place. Thatcher saw London being overtaken as the centre of world finance by New York and she decided that its problem was over-regulation. Bonuses went through the roof as “greed is good” became the mantra and the markets became a casino. The legacy: Ultimately, the credit crunch. Weak banking regulations led to the irresponsible lending that triggered today’s crisis. World leaders now call for stricter rules.

Thatcher’s market-led policies saw the sale of 20 state-controlled companies including British Telecom, British Gas, Rolls-Royce, British Airways, the British Airports Authority, Associated British Ports, British Steel, the Regional water companies and the Electricity distribution companies. Sales were marked by huge advertising campaigns, which ended with a £5.4billion cut price sell off.

She said she wanted to open up share ownership to all. But most people who bought shares in the newly-privatised firms sold quickly to make a quick profit. The proportion of shares held by individuals rather than institutions did not actually increase. The legacy: With the family silver sold off, market forces now set the price of essential services. Meanwhile as the City of London got richer on public share sell-offs and massive bonuses for cost-cutting, the Yuppy was born into a "me first" society.

When Thatcher came to power she started a revolution in home ownership by allowing council tenants to buy their own homes. Under the right-to-buy scheme, a discount was given taking into account rent paid over the years. Speculators took advantage of the deals on offer in high demand areas like London and filled their boots by arranging deferred payment deals. The legacy: The disappearance of council homes put great strain on the limited public housing stocks remaining making it harder for poor families to find places to live. And as repossessions soar, there are now 1.7 million desperate people on council house waiting lists.

Thatcher stood for private enterprise, she showed utter contempt for the extra 2 million people she put out of work when she was prime minister. Thatcher's Britain was a place of sink or swim, and the family was seen as life-raft enough. Her government’s promotion of Victorian values, believing if the rich became richer they would give more to the poor and the virtues of home ownership, backed up by its intolerance of more ‘diverse’ lifestyles or family forms I remember the very nasty war on single parents.

[Mrs Hyacinth Bouquet]

I'm just sickened by it all.  You don't have to have liked her. You don't have to have agreed with her decisions. You can think whatever you want of her but please don't slag her off. She is deceased and can not defend herself.

Colwyn, you are saying that I'm "demanding" respect for her. You are wrong.  Just give a little thought to the fact that if you, as is possible, as it is for the rest of us, were to pass away tomorrow morning. As you are now, in your conscious state, would you be rejoicing if you were to think that a couple of hours after your death, a lot of your acquaintances were slagging you off and really bad mouthing you? I don't think you would and I would hope that they wouldn't.

As for amca.....I have no words!

[amca]

As for amca.....I have no words!

Me? What have I done?

[Scunner]

Other CBF topics are available

[GordonA]

If one was to use the fact that the leader of any country was/is considered a great Statesman/women, in order to tear ones hair out, & wear sackcloth & ashes on the death of such a person, surely the demise of Adolf Hitler should be, or should have been, a cause for sadness worldwide, if not, the premise that Thatcher will be lauded in the future as one of the world's greatest political leaders, is a total farce !!!!

[desmartinson]

Love her or hate her she will take her place in History as the first British Woman Prime Minister and one that was as tough and maybe tougher than any man.  I did not agree with all the things she did, but I had to admire some of her strong decisions.   Just like Winston Churchill who was once hated for turning the troops on the Miners and who was voted out after the War, one day in years to come she will be looked up to by future generations as a great Woman and a great leader.
I too am shocked at the comments about her on Facebook which totally took me by surprise. 

well said Jacqui.

[kevin3]

Her policies caused me and my family great hardship and very nearly cost me my house.I was an engineering maintenance foreman with ICI on a site that employed  approx 12,000 people.within 2 years it was down to a few hundred.All those sacked people had families and commitments.She ripped the heart out of the Midlands engineering tradition and decimated apprenticeships (our future engineers) in order to frighten people still in work to toe the line and not ask for more.So today I will choose to be diplomatic. !!!

[desmartinson]

If one was to use the fact that the leader of any country was/is considered a great Statesman/women, in order to tear ones hair out, & wear sackcloth & ashes on the death of such a person, surely the demise of Adolf Hitler should be, or should have been, a cause for sadness worldwide, if not, the premise that Thatcher will be lauded in the future as one of the world's greatest political leaders, is a total farce !!!!

I wondered when you would appear on this topic Gordon. a friend of mine on CBF  who happens to be a labour supporter described you as the most obnoxious person he has met, I think he was been rather kind.

[desmartinson]

Other CBF topics are available

probably not for the next couple of days Scun.

[JohnF]

I'm just sickened by it all.  You don't have to have liked her. You don't have to have agreed with her decisions. You can think whatever you want of her but please don't slag her off. She is deceased and can not defend herself.

Sorry... but are you suggesting that we disregard the damage she did to the UK, especially the area known often as "north of Watford"?  As far as I can see the contents of this thread have all been fair comment - and that's what an online forum is all about, peoples opinions.  You may not like them, or disagree with them, but they have the same right as you to post those opinions. 

JF