A question for non British people

[Rafe]

English here. Thatcher was one of the last great idealists able to defeat those who threatened the balance of power without compromise. Powerful rulers are needed to control the people. Although she had some shortcomings, I believe her to be one of the great British Prime Ministers. Not like the pragmatists today who would bend their policies for the sole purpose of being elected or remaining in power.

A democracy does not involve a government controlling the people, far from it. A good leader listens to the people, works with them, makes compromises if necessary. In fascist Italy, she'd have been fantastic. Pay a visit to any former mining town anywhere in the North, Scotland or Wales, look at the desolation she has caused and then come and say she was a great PM

I live in the north around those mining communities as a matter of fact. Still, I believe the right action was taken to suppress the power-hungry trade unions and other sympathy strikers. A good leader listens to the mood of the people but also knows when it is necessary to prevent the people from growing too powerful and dictating policies to suit their own selfish ends. Also democracy as we see it today is packed with politicians who have no strong ideals in the slightest, are voted in not on their ability to govern but by how charismatic they are. If you wouldn't want a plumber performing a surgery then why would you want an incompetent and deceitful yet popular person as leader of the country. Idealism should be intrinsic to politics and Margaret Thatcher, although questionable at times, showed qualities of a great leader that can maintain order and stability from strikers and the like. Also I think that the qualities you used to describe a great leader are unrealistic. It is very rare to possess all the virtues of a great leader without sacrificing anything, like compassion for order.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[GBlair88]

Speaking as someone too young to remember her term in office first hand I would have to say she should at least be respected for sticking to her guns and doing what she felt was right for the country. Rather than trying to suck up to everyone in an attempt at winning votes.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

Kudos to her for being a female head of state in the 80s, but apart from that, I don't care for her much at all. She was like a British Reagan, and one Reagan was enough.

One more thing--I'm older than most of you, and I've slowly come to accept that a lot of what I grew up with is before your respective times, but really, I have to get this off my chest:

 

[OniaPL]

Have heard of her, but sadly I don't care about her.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Thatcher was one of the worst people ever.

I've exressed my opinions on the Conservatives and her before and I don't feel a need to go dredging up everything about poll tax, selling everything to private companies and her general disregard for anyone below the top tax band, but suffice it to say I will be one of the people lining up to cheer and clap and celebrate when she dies.

She was a borderline fascist, and representative of the absolute worst of the upper-class and the Conservative party.

 

[GotMalkAvian]

Pretty much anything I've ever heard about her was negative. Then again, I've only really heard British people discuss her.

 

[Duruznik]

Israeli here. I know next to nothing about her, except she was a iron-fisted leader who disbanded workers' unions that had political status, or something similar. I was under the impression she was considered to have done the right thing, but in a non-democratic fashion. Or something. I do know Brits are to this day pretty hateful of her.

 

[Lyndraco]

While I have heard of her, she was before my time. However, the historians I've heard talk about her, while not being thrilled with some of her moves, usually defend her just because most of them feel she had to be the way she was to be respected as a woman leader. Which, reading these posts, may have backfired... But then again, that may just be the opinion of my American high school history teacher. We always had American history to cover, we never talked much about the rest of the world :-(

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Thatcher was one of the worst people ever.

I've exressed my opinions on the Conservatives and her before and I don't feel a need to go dredging up everything about poll tax, selling everything to private companies and her general disregard for anyone below the top tax band, but suffice it to say I will be one of the people lining up to cheer and clap and celebrate when she dies.

She was a borderline fascist, and representative of the absolute worst of the upper-class and the Conservative party.

This (except about expressing opinions on the Conservatives...i haven't)

Thatcher is the reason our country's infrastructure is in tatters, which directly lead to the decline of our industry. She's the reason that we don't make anything anymore. Also she widened the North/South divide. She ruined this country's future.

 

[catalyst8]

When she dies myself & all of my friends who have even a vague political & economic awareness are literally going to dance in the street singing 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!' You may think I'm exaggerating, I can assure you I'm not.

I vividly remember that poisonous psychotic ****. She was responsible for destroying Great Britain's economy for the benefit of her cronies like her banking chums & her arms dealing son. She ruined public transport, public utilities, & had a bloody good go at the public health service.

She's also a murderer. It's a matter of official Whitehall record that the Falklands War could have been avoided; Argentina had already conceded to Great Britain, & their cruiser The Belgrano was sailing back to Argentinian waters, but Thatcher overrode the advice of Whitehall & the Navy & ordered a nuclear sub to sunk it. She had an election coming up, & due to the Official Secrets Act the truth behind the sinking of The Belgrano wouldn't legally be public record for many years.

She's a spiteful, racist, arrogant, callous piece of worthless excrement who did untold damage to Great Britain. A true psychopath.
Thatcher, die you ****, you fucking **** die!

Is Thatcher Dead Yet? [http://www.isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk/]

 

[slackbheep]

If that GM was really being helpful he just would have pointed him to Google and WolframAlpha.

 

[Death_Korps_Kommissar]

Recently, shooting began on a film about Margaret Thatcher starring Meryl Streep as the 'Iron Lady' (if you're interested, Iron Lady is the name of the film). Since Thatcher is now knocking on deaths door I'm guessing that the film is going to be more of a homage than a insult, but Thatcher was truly a woman without humanity or goodness, killing every ounce of community and industry in Britain and sending men out to a war which (in my opinion) could of been avoided.

So here's the question to all you non Brits, if you had heard of Thatcher before now, what was your opinion on her?

EDIT: If you are British express your anger for the ***** having a film made about her

Oh and a lot of people are talking about their reasoning for hating Thatcher, here's mine I was born 4 years after she left office, my family on my fathers side were both coal miners and industrial workers. When I go up North to see them it feels like something's been lost, it's just painful to see.

I'm Irish, i'll see if you can guess ;P

 

[catalyst8]

I'm Irish, i'll see if you can guess ;P

Give me a hand & perhaps we can murder the *****.

 

[Death_Korps_Kommissar]

I'm Irish, i'll see if you can guess ;P

Give me a hand & perhaps we can murder the *****.

Well she's well known over here due to the way she dealt with the IRA. Mostly letting hunger strikers die. Since a lot of stupid people down south here still support the IRA they're like Fuck thatcher!
But i don't like her for her political position and being an evil *****.
All I want is Frankie Boyle to be head of the funeral.

 

[A Sense Of Decorum]

I'm British, but i'm only 18 and fantastically ignorant of political history, although my mother did regail me with stories of how the heartless demon from the bowels of beelzebub himself destroyed entire communities by just, closing the mines. Just like that.
Apparently she also took lunchtime milk away from school children *shrugs* I don't know if that's a crime punishable by being quartered and strung or whatnot but it seemed to annoy my mum fairly enormously.

I quote Jo Brand "'The Lady Thatcher', It sounds like a device for removing pubic hair.'

Back to OT: No, I don't like Thatcher, but i'm probably bangwaggoning slightly on my elders' opinions here, but If I knew more, I probably STILL wouldn't like her much, if at all.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Find a list of shows that paint Thatcher in a good light.

Now, a list of shows that paint Thatcher in a bad light.

Any source will do.

Why does the latter TOWER over the former? Especially when the former is usually from people who didn't live under her?

By The Way: Section 28 is one of hers:

a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

Tough but fair, you would say?

 

[Dwarfman]

thatcher, thatcher. that is very familiar sounding name. was she in a pink floyd song at any point? i dont even know.

The album is The Final Cut. Many of the songs focus on the Falklands conflict.

 

[Ren3004]

I had heard of her, but to be honest... I had no idea she was generally hated in Britain.