Thatchers Dead

[VictorCharlie]

I think Thatcher has a better reputation in the US b/c she is often paired with Reagan in our culture. I knew from reading this board that UK citizens were not as impressed but I didn't realize how polarizing she was and how bitter the hatred was.

[El Kabong]

I think Thatcher has a better reputation in the US b/c she is often paired with Reagan in our culture. I knew from reading this board that UK citizens were not as impressed but I didn't realize how polarizing she was and how bitter the hatred was.

Wait til Carter dies...THEN the celebration begins

[VictorCharlie]

I think Thatcher has a better reputation in the US b/c she is often paired with Reagan in our culture. I knew from reading this board that UK citizens were not as impressed but I didn't realize how polarizing she was and how bitter the hatred was.

Wait til Carter dies...THEN the celebration begins

While an abject failure I don't think his tenure was long enough to warrant a big reaction. Him and Ford are kind of after thoughts.

[El Kabong]

It was satisfying when Ted Kennedy died

[Nameless]

Personally, from what I know and what I've read,I think that she did create way more vicious and terrible things to the UK than the good she did prove out to be. As far as I am concerned, it's a very good friggin' riddance. And I am not saying this as a matter of left or right.

[Gandalf]

Ken Loach has the right idea regarding the funeral of the horrid old hag, just privatise the damn thing! Ideologically she would have loved it!

Ken Loach wants Thatcher's funeral privatised - Yahoo! Movies UK

It makes me laugh when people suggest she fixed a broken Britain. She sold the country and the place is paying the price even today. You privatise everything then everything costs more as you need to make profits and keep shareowners happy. Those adults who voted Thatcher in back then for short term selfish motives are old now and see a society that is obselete and where their children struggle to find decent work. Unless you are Kirkland, you really haven't seen any gains from that cultural butchers job. This is the legacy of Thatcher.

A service based economy is a hoax that right wing nutters tried to spoon feed people on courses at Universities and which in turn was perpetuated by the media. All it means is that you have to work in a supermarket, or a shop, or sell insurance, or pretend to look busy in front of a computer. It is an economy based on little of any real substance. Only the few can find the gateways to advance themselves in such an environment. Property is increasingly beyond reach, wages don't increase in real terms, social advancement is null, utilities cost a fucking fortune, unions are practically dead thus no wage negotiation, unemployment in real terms remains high and is always so as they fudge the books, the little that you get is so that the few can always have more.

A service based economy means that the only way to pretend to grow is to charge a fortune for basic services as you have nothing to give other nations. You import more food, mine less, import all your electronics etc. Unless you have lived overseas you never really understand just how awful the UK is. Thus fixing a washing machine, getting a hair cut or anything posing as a service is really just there to fleece you of the little cash you have. There is no other way to make money. I get my hair cut for 3 pounds, an old washing machine long past its warrantee fixed for free by LG, and can get the bus to Seoul for a fiver. This is how it should be done and damn cheap bills too. It's almost impossible to spend money at times. Thatcher means that none of these things are possible for English people. They cannot export, have no competitiveness and thus rely on rip off services and outrageous utilities.

The UK doesn't grow largely because it is sold. Everyone lives on credit and everything that could be sucked dry has been. Finance? Lovely jubbly! That is Thatcherism. Make them spend more by giving them less and pretend to grow by giving credit. Then of course it all eventually implodes and really a country like the UK is pretty dead. Everyone knows it and the anger against Thatcher is a reflection of that sad realisation. It is all gone. It's an irrelevant place except for poodle dog posturing.

[Memphis]

Ken Loach has the right idea regarding the funeral of the horrid old hag, just privatise the damn thing! Ideologically she would have loved it!

Ken Loach wants Thatcher's funeral privatised - Yahoo! Movies UK

Im sure she would. She is in fact dead, isnt making any money, its going to cost 'us' a bomb to maintain. Perfect for privatisation.

[Kirkland Laing]

I think Thatcher has a better reputation in the US b/c she is often paired with Reagan in our culture. I knew from reading this board that UK citizens were not as impressed but I didn't realize how polarizing she was and how bitter the hatred was.

Wait til Carter dies...THEN the celebration begins

While an abject failure I don't think his tenure was long enough to warrant a big reaction. Him and Ford are kind of after thoughts.

Jimmy Carter was a strong, principled leader. Far more so than any of the guys who followed him.

[VictorCharlie]

I wouldn't describe him as strong or principled but regardless still an abject failure.

[Kirkland Laing]

I wouldn't describe him as strong or principled but regardless still an abject failure.

He could have invaded Iran -- the GOP, most of the media and a lot of Democrats were screaming at him to do it -- after the revolution. It would have guaranteed him a second term but he chose not to as it would have been a long term disaster even worse than Iraq was.

He could have kept interest rates low and that would have given him a second term too. All previous prezzes who struggled with inflation, LBJ, Nixon and For dofr instance, had the Fed chair cut rates before elections to make sure they got re-elected even though this fucked the economy long term,. Carter actually appointed a Fed chair he knew would crank up interest rates to whatever needed to end inflation once and for all, and he went into the election campaign with rates heading for 20%.

No subsequent president ( or any of the guys preceeding him in the modern era) would have done either of those things. Either one would have cost Carter a second term, but the guy had the courage to do what was right for the country even though he knew he was committing political suicide.

[VictorCharlie]

Cool story but lets not derail the stirring debate over Thatcher.