Breaking news: Margaret Thatcher has died

[The Brain]

RIP Augusto.

[Tamas]

RIP Augusto.

[DGuller]

That's not really the point. Taking hostage of diplomats is one of the clearest possible casus belli and drastically outside international norms. It should have been met with overwhelming force designed to immediately end the reign of the Ayatollahs. Iran will soon be a nuclear state because we feared the pain of ripping hairs out when yanking the band-aid and have opted for the pain of a shotgun blast to the stomach instead. That's really the truth about our handling of Iran, we avoided a messy war and replaced it with a far worse eventuality. The shame of America for our response to the hostage crisis has never fully been washed off.

You're old enough to remember what the world was like in 1979, so don't be silly.  A hostage situation is not the best reason for a superpower showdown in the Persian Gulf.
Now, a shitload of executed hostages, that's different.  But you and I both know that the Soviet Union would not have tolerated military action against Iran, and things would've been ratcheted up quickly at a time when Brezhnev was pretty much mentally incapacitated.

Not to mention that 1979 was just a few years after Vietnam, so the political will to get into a major war just wasn't there.  Not sure the military means were there either;  that was before the age of blowing everyone to bits in a precise way with a joystick.

[Maximus]

How can there be justice in a world where Reagan and Thatcher are dead and Carter lives?

Carter may have lucked out on a die roll.

http://www.metafilter.com/126491/It-was-a-very-exciting-time-when-the-Chalk-River-plant-melted-down

Regarding the thread, she left her mark and it was a good one. Can't ask for more than that.

[CountDeMoney]

Not to mention that 1979 was just a few years after Vietnam, so the political will to get into a major war just wasn't there.  Not sure the military means were there either;  that was before the age of blowing everyone to bits in a precise way with a joystick.

The military capability was certainly there.  It just would've been messy.

[Pishtaco]

RIP 

[jimmy olsen]

RIP

[Syt]

CNN Breaking News:

U.S. President Barack Obama pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher as one of the "great champions of freedom and liberty."

One of the last great Cold War leaders to croak. Leaves only Carter, Schmidt, Kohl, Gorbachev.

[OttoVonBismarck]

The Soviets would not have gone to war with us over Iran anymore than we would go to war with them over Afghanistan.

[Gups]

RIP 

My favourite Spitting Image Thatcher moment is when she takes her minsiters out for dinner...

Waitress: Would you like to order, sir?
Thatcher: Yes. I will have the steak.
Waitress: How would you like it?
Thatcher: Oh, raw, please.
Waitress: And what about the Vegetables?
Thatcher: Oh, they'll  have the steak too.

[Duque de Bragança]

CNN Breaking News:

U.S. President Barack Obama pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher as one of the "great champions of freedom and liberty."

One of the last great Cold War leaders to croak. Leaves only Carter, Schmidt, Kohl, Gorbachev.

You forgot Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

[mongers]

CNN Breaking News:

U.S. President Barack Obama pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher as one of the "great champions of freedom and liberty."

One of the last great Cold War leaders to croak. Leaves only Carter, Schmidt, Kohl, Gorbachev.

You forgot Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

At least one or two of the Italians must be alive ? 

[Viking]

CNN Breaking News:

U.S. President Barack Obama pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher as one of the "great champions of freedom and liberty."

One of the last great Cold War leaders to croak. Leaves only Carter, Schmidt, Kohl, Gorbachev.

You forgot Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

At least one or two of the Italians must be alive ? 

great?

[mongers]

CNN Breaking News:

U.S. President Barack Obama pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher as one of the "great champions of freedom and liberty."

One of the last great Cold War leaders to croak. Leaves only Carter, Schmidt, Kohl, Gorbachev.

You forgot Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

At least one or two of the Italians must be alive ? 

great?

It's not you strong point is it, humour.

[Viking]

CNN Breaking News:

U.S. President Barack Obama pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher as one of the "great champions of freedom and liberty."

One of the last great Cold War leaders to croak. Leaves only Carter, Schmidt, Kohl, Gorbachev.

You forgot Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

At least one or two of the Italians must be alive ? 

great?

It's not you strong point is it, humour.

There are people who think VGE is one of the greats. Poe, remember.