Thatchers Dead

[Memphis]

So its not true that the coal industry was dying a slow and painful death long befiore Thatcher came along? Its not true that it was costing a shit load of money to help it limp along?

All Ive heard/read so far is Thatcher fucked things up for me/us/insert place name here. Without any real explanation as to why it was all her fault.

The coal industry was in decline thanks to an unwillingness to invest and while there is still plenty of coal in the hills and vales of the country today, Thatcher decided to forget about trying to remain self sufficient and to have the resources to look after ourselves, and instead went for the cheap option and effectively told the British coal mining industry to go fuck itself. You know the way our bills go up every year, along with the profits of the privatised energy companies.....there's even talk about energy blackouts next year unless we can negotiate a new deal on importing natural gas. Guess who you can thank.

You know the way that train prices just keep going up and up every year, along with the profits of the companies who have a captive audience who have to commute to work, and have no choice but to pay their prices? Privatisation. Guess who you can thank.

You know the way there are so many towns and cities now where people don't really know their neighbours, people are always having to move about to find work, or live in estates where they're stuck with no money in a rut that is impossible to escape? Is it a surprise that many people in these dead end areas turn to alcohol and drugs, and then to crime to fund these vices? Guess who you can thank.

Deregulation of the markets and an encouragement of the entrepreneurial spirit that has allowed a few people from humble beginnings to make it big. A good thing, right? Yet for those small number of people who get to join the entitled elite whose families have been rich for centuries, the gap between those who make the leap and the majority who didn't have the lucky break/ great idea/ willingness to be ruthless getting to the top is just getting bigger and bigger. Guess who you can thank.

And the Falklands....they're on the other side of the world FFS. Why spend millions on a ridiculous confrontation with Argentina for a set of islands that should have been released along with the rest of the empire decades previously.

I can't say that Thatcher has affected me personally, except in encouraging me to never trust a Tory. I have an uncle who is a miner, but it is in the social impact that she had on the North, Wales, Scotland, Ireland that really galls me. If I had a magical gun that allowed me to go back and shoot one person in the 20th century....Hitler would not be such an easy choice as it might appear.

Nice reply. You managed to do all that without poking fun of me for not doing the odd politics module.

[VictorCharlie]

Considering Missy usually rolls into a thread, throws around some sarcastic and witty retorts then strolls out leaving me wondering what color panties she has on; that was a pretty concise and well thought out post.

[superheavyrhun]

Nice reply. You managed to do all that without poking fun of me for not doing the odd politics module.

Sorry mate, never did politics so I can't give you any insight into what they teach about Thatcher. I would imagine that the Thatcher module in Liverpool University might be ever so slightly different to the one they teach down in UCL. I'm not poking fun, if that's what you think, it just galls me that she sacrificed vast swathes of the country without apology or regret.

On another happier note - "Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead" from the Wizard of Oz (I think) is looking good for being number one in the charts this weekend!

[Howlin Mad Missy]

Nice reply. You managed to do all that without poking fun of me for not doing the odd politics module.

Sorry mate, never did politics so I can't give you any insight into what they teach about Thatcher. I would imagine that the Thatcher module in Liverpool University might be ever so slightly different to the one they teach down in UCL. I'm not poking fun, if that's what you think, it just galls me that she sacrificed vast swathes of the country without apology or regret.

On another happier note - "Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead" from the Wizard of Oz (I think) is looking good for being number one in the charts this weekend!

Died at the Ritz. Nice to see the familiar we're all in this together tory attitude never left.