Thatcher's Politicial Legacy.

[Agelastus]

I think you found what you set out to find. 

Not sure it tells you anything meaningful about her political or social legacy.

Nope; nothing meaningful at all - I couldn't agree with you more. Just what I expected to find, actually.

That's why if I want to discuss anything meaningful I come to Languish and one or two other select, congenial civilised forums.

And yes, despite the (often witty) insults that fly around here, Languish really is a congenial and civilised place compared to the majority of the internet.

[garbon]

Why is it that conservative politicians seem to be prone to dementia late in their lives?  Reagan, Thatcher, and Pinochet all were going mentally long before going physically.

Guilt.

Or one can only burn brightly for so long. So some great years followed by terrible ones vs a lifetime of mediocrity.

[Josephus]

I'm not going to argue the rights and wrongs of Thatcher's policies. My point was to suggest to derSpiess why I think she is loathed so viscerally by so many Brits. Arguing - as you seem to be doing - that she was right and what she did was necessary doesn't really change anything.

But they don't seem to get that and that's why political discussion on here is becoming so increasingly frustrating. There is only one side to their arguments all the time.

[Josephus]

That sounds very reasonable to me.  The problem isn't with people criticizing the deceased, but with crowing about their death.  It can be tough, depending on the figure, to avoid crossing that line.

You crowed in the Chavez thread though (post #8)

[Josephus]

Why is it that conservative politicians seem to be prone to dementia late in their lives?  Reagan, Thatcher, and Pinochet all were going mentally long before going physically.

Guilt.

Or one can only burn brightly for so long. So some great years followed by terrible ones vs a lifetime of mediocrity.

Fair enough.

[garbon]

I'm not going to argue the rights and wrongs of Thatcher's policies. My point was to suggest to derSpiess why I think she is loathed so viscerally by so many Brits. Arguing - as you seem to be doing - that she was right and what she did was necessary doesn't really change anything.

But they don't seem to get that and that's why political discussion on here is becoming so increasingly frustrating. There is only one side to their arguments all the time.

Who is this monolithic group with only one side on Languish? I think we tend to have a lot of diverse opinions here - though it is true that for the most part there's little from the fringe crazies.

[Jacob]

Who is this monolithic group with only one side on Languish? I think we tend to have a lot of diverse opinions here - though it is true that for the most part there's little from the fringe crazies.

We've got some libertarians here.

[Admiral Yi]

But they don't seem to get that and that's why political discussion on here is becoming so increasingly frustrating. There is only one side to their arguments all the time.

I completely get it.  If you give people free money long enough, they stop seeing it as a kindness and start to view it as an entitlement.  Then they get pissed when you stop.

[Josephus]

Right. I'm off to wind down by killing some zombies.
In closing, I will say this. There is one aspect of Thatcher that I do like and admire. And that is the iron will that bred her nickname. Far too many leaders today, of all stripes, say one thing and do another, bend like flowers in the wind to the opinions of the pollsters and lobbyists. The minute they're elected they start thinking of how they're going to win the next election. Thatcher, from what I gather, was resolute and stuck to her guns despite criticism, even from within her own party at times. For this I'll give her credit. As a famous man once said, "I'd rather you were black or white than anything in between." She was mistaken, yes, but at least consistent in her views and ideology. For that I'll tip my hat to her.

[garbon]

Who is this monolithic group with only one side on Languish? I think we tend to have a lot of diverse opinions here - though it is true that for the most part there's little from the fringe crazies.

We've got some libertarians here.

For the most part.

[Jacob]

Another Thatcher legacy: Hong Kong to the PRC with a minimum of fuss.

What's the languish verdict on that?

[Valmy]

Another Thatcher legacy: Hong Kong to the PRC with a minimum of fuss.

What's the languish verdict on that?

I think it was a travesty that the UK did not allow anybody who wanted to leave to get UK citizenship.  150+ years of being sorta loyal British subjects should have at least afforded the people of Hong Kong that much.  That was done before she became PM though IIRC. 

As it was I thought she got as good a deal from the PRC as could be expected, it was not like she had much leverage.

[Sheilbh]

I think it was a travesty that the UK did not allow anybody who wanted to leave to get UK citizenship.  150+ years of being sorta loyal British subjects should have at least afforded the people of Hong Kong that much.  That was done before she became PM though IIRC. 

I think it was done after. I think Chris Patten (the last Governor) in the 90s called for passports for most if not Hong Kong citizens and the government rejected it.

Yeah it was handled pretty well, but I think a lot of the credit for that goes to Deng. As Valmy says Britain had no leverage.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Agree with Valmy about the passport business. As it happened it didn't really matter as the PRC played pretty fair. It ran the risk though of being in the same category as our failure to let European Jews into Britain back in 1938/9.

[Razgovory]

Who is this monolithic group with only one side on Languish? I think we tend to have a lot of diverse opinions here - though it is true that for the most part there's little from the fringe crazies.

We've got some libertarians here.

Yeah, you get those if you don't fumigate.