The World Is Rid Of The Milk Snatcher

[andyoutandabout]

Well, ma Mama always told me not to speak ill of the dead, but in Maggie Thatchers case, I can't help myself.
I know it's wrong and I feel slightly guilty, but way back then in those 'colorful' eighties, she was despised by working class folk across the land. (see the film Billy Elliot for the vibe of the moment).
I still have a court summons for not paying the grossly unfair poll tax - maybe i'll get it framed.
Oddly enough, I left England to go traveling the day she resigned from office. Friends rang me up and said 'she's stood down, you don't have to go now.'
Even more oddly, she died on my Birthday.
Andy

[CanDman]

Well, ma Mama always told me not to speak ill of the dead, but in Maggie Thatchers case, I can't help myself.
I know it's wrong and I feel slightly guilty, but way back then in those 'colorful' eighties, she was despised by working class folk across the land. (see the film Billy Elliot for the vibe of the moment).
I still have a court summons for not paying the grossly unfair poll tax - maybe i'll get it framed.
Oddly enough, I left England to go traveling the day she resigned from office. Friends rang me up and said 'she's stood down, you don't have to go now.'
Even more oddly, she died on my Birthday.
Andy

Well happy birthday Andy.......here's a song just for you....and the late Maggie.......rip

Mama - Mama Tour - 1984 - Genesis - HQ

CanDman

[Dan Filetti]

She was despised because she broke the Unions, and privatized government held assets.  I personally think Maggy Thatcher was one of a few reason that Great Britain is not today called just Britain. 

Dan   

[movenon]

Can't say I know much about her but it's pretty clear from this article that she was not well thought of.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306165/Margaret-Thatcher-death-parties-The-Lefts-sick-celebration-Brixtons-streets.html

[Tiger]

You really had to live under 'the iron ladies' heel to understand the impact this woman (and her government) had on the working/middle class people!!! She was the U K's Nero...closed the coal mines and imported coal from Poland!! Closed the shipyards and had both merchant and Royal Navy ships built in Korea!! Waved good bye to the utilities...Water and Hydro sold off to the highest foreign bidders...as she fiddled and f****d around ...

I could go on but...

The one thing that I did admire about her was she did have the balls of her convictions...be she right or wrong!!!...just ask the Argies!!!

John...expat happily living in Canada

[Dan Filetti]

Can't say I know much about her but it's pretty clear from this article written by left wingers at the daily mail that like to state opinion as fact,  that she was not well thought of by left wing idiots.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306165/Margaret-Thatcher-death-parties-The-Lefts-sick-celebration-Brixtons-streets.html

There, I fixed it for ya. 

She was at least as polarizing as was Reagan, those that did not like her, were vehement about it -as evidenced by the article you posted. 

Dan   

[Dan Filetti]

You really had to live under 'the iron ladies' heel to understand the impact this woman (and her government) had on the working/middle class people!!! She was the U K's Nero...closed the state owned and unprofitable/ bloated coal mines and imported coal from Poland!! Closed the state owned and unprofitable/ bloated shipyards and had both merchant and Royal Navy ships built in Korea!! Waved good bye to the state owned and unprofitable/ bloated utilities...Water and Hydro sold off to the highest foreign bidders...as she fiddled and f****d around ...

I could go on but...

The one thing that I did admire about her was she did have the balls of her convictions...be she right or wrong!!!...just ask the Argies!!!

John...expat happily living in Canada

There, I fixed it for you.

Oh, and if it were not for her, you'd all be bailing out Greece, (and Italy, and Spain -just you watch) because you'd all be a part of the miserable experiment that is the Euro common currency. 

Dan 

[CanDman]

You really had to live under 'the iron ladies' heel to understand the impact this woman (and her government) had on the working/middle class people!!! She was the U K's Nero...closed the state owned and unprofitable/ bloated coal mines and imported coal from Poland!! Closed the state owned and unprofitable/ bloated shipyards and had both merchant and Royal Navy ships built in Korea!! Waved good bye to the state owned and unprofitable/ bloated utilities...Water and Hydro sold off to the highest foreign bidders...as she fiddled and f****d around ...

I could go on but...

The one thing that I did admire about her was she did have the balls of her convictions...be she right or wrong!!!...just ask the Argies!!!

John...expat happily living in Canada

There, I fixed it for you.

Oh, and if it were not for her, you'd all be bailing out Greece, (and Italy, and Spain -just you watch) because you'd all be a part of the miserable experiment that is the Euro common currency. 

Dan 

You know something Dan....... I always thought that Cliff Claven was just an actor......but he's real. I had know idea just how informed you were....I must say.......I love your integrity and focus for the truth !!! 

C(cliff)man

[Windmill]

Noticeable that none of us Brits on here have commented..........it's just too contentious an issue. There's always two sides to anything like this, good and bad. The anti's will take this as an opportunity to insult her memory/actions/family and the supporters will largely keep their own counsel.

Personally, although I lived through it too, it's now history- let it lie. 

[ribbert]

Political leaders with the balls to do what NEEDS to be done are rare and never popular. If your business / country is going to the wall and the previous management has allowed it to get to crisis point, drastic measures are required and that always pisses people off. People believe governments are bottomless pits and can't go broke although the Greeks may not agree with that.

With decades since to appraise the effects of her reforms the general consensus is that if she had not taken the initiative with her reforms and had the nerve to see it through Britain would have been in terrible shape and probably still would be.
What she did not only took enormous strength but showed great vision.
Politicians the world over govern with one eye on re election at the expense of good management. Telling the voters what they want hear, giving the voters what they want, even if there is no money to pay for it and allowing renegade groups to hold the country to ransom.  A succession of these governments do long lasting damage to an economy until a Thatcher comes along as says "enough," we can fix it but it's going to be tough and everyone's fine with that until it affects them.
Certain demographics fixate on that detail and lose sight of or don't understand the big picture.
There was also her role in ending the Cold War, a world changing achievement.

[andyoutandabout]

Think I'll go with the Mail on this.
Or the overwhelming public comments with 10K plus ratings.
Or the fact I too lived through it, to fight another day, fortunately in another country, like a load of other expats who saw the writing on the wall.
Andy

[andyoutandabout]

See, I even figured out how to do a poll. Obviously option 3 is just a regulation, so don't get side tracked by that.
Make your voices heard.
Andy

[Dan Filetti]

I'm fine with others having a different take on things.  It does not bother me a bit that other think she was not great, or even 'horrible' or whatever.  Where I do have an issue with is how it's seemingly ALWAYS the left that has the folks that feel free to stray far from good taste.  Dance on someone's grave anyone?  

When Bill Clinton (the darling of the left) dies, watch how viciously ANYONE who says a bad thing about him, gets shouted down and counter-attacked.  Seemingly, it's allowable to stray from good taste and decorum, only if your celebrating the death of a conservative.  Drives me up the wall.

Carry on, be of poor taste, it's on you folks!

Dan

 

[fintip]

Saw this, thought of this thread...

[nurse]

I was too young to understand the ramifications of what her actions did but my parents remeber!!  My dad was a lorry mechanic and saw lots of changes, most of which were not positives.  She had those who thought she was great (generally those who stood to make money from her actions) and those who hated her (everyone else!).

But she did pave the way for the uk and particularly London to become arguably the most desirable financial capital of the world.

The poll tax thing is a bit of a joke.  Since then far worse and far more crippling taxes have been introduced but because they give it a fluffy name like (national insurance - a massive percentage of which is actually just a tax) and spin it in such a way that it convinces most people it goes on health care and pensions, nobody even raises an eyebrow.  Yet back in the day there were all sorts of riots (I do remember some of those!)

Given that she was the first elected women leader of country she did pave the way for others.  It was argued she had bigger nuts than most of the men in her government!

I personally think Maggy Thatcher was one of a few reason that Great Britain is not today called just Britain. 

Dan   

Britain is still GREAT, we just don't feel the need to shout about it so much these days! times are hard and all that.  That and the fact that declining education standards mean that many citizens now struggle to write and spell such long werds!!!