Baroness Thatcher has died.

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Evangelion said:
My grandfather was an old school Tory who championed Thatcher's policies and went to his grave arguing she was a gift to the nation. Having said that, even he drew the line at the Poll Tax.

Thatcher's legacy will remain divisive. She aggressively accelerated Britain's integration with Europe and set a new standard for economic rationalism which was so compelling that even Labour embraced it.

http://s21.postimg.org/ap53j07zb/Conservatives_say_Yes_to_Europe.jpg[img]

She shaped an era, a nation, an economy, a war, and a society.[/QUOTE]

Excellent post.

I think it's impossible to agree with every decision a PM and their party make, but what the lady stood for and largely what she did resonate with me in terms of my own beliefs, even if I did not experience any of it as it happened.

As you say, what is particularly compelling is that for all the noise people make condemning her, we have as a nation largely accepted her legacy without question. The success of New Labour was built upon the foundations of her leadership, especially ironic given that the aftermath of her leadership was exactly what exiled the Conservatives to no-mans-land for over a decade.

Love her or hate her, she was a fascinating character, not just as a politician, but as a person and within her story is that oft-loved underdog tale; that of a housewife that fought convention and the old guard to ultimately lead them to successive election victories.

Sadly she left office on a rather low note, the Poll Tax was a bridge too far and the beginning of her political end, no doubt. But then I don't believe a formerly great icon should be condemned for their latter day sins; it's better to burn out than to fade away and all that.

If nothing else, I like to think that her complete disregard for Scotland continues to be a factor in their strong independence movement. The irony of which is not lost on me, considering it was the SNP that effectively gave the Conservatives the opportunity to force the 1979 election and then actively supported it.

A sad day in my eyes, because we have lost a figure of historical importance with regards to Britain's modern history. Though I appreciate many will have something to say about my romanticised view of it. ;)
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Combat squirrel said:
RIP Baroness Thatcher

PS: I feel embarrassed as a human, people are celebrating the death of another human, disgusting and those that are should be ashamed of themselves.
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Now, I don't want to take this too off topic, but there have been a lot of examples of people celebrating deaths, so do you disprove of all of this too?
 
I find it strange that some people are rejoicing in her death. Just because you don't agree with her decisions that she made to benefit the country (and now you have the benefit of hindsight) you are pleased she is dead? That's weird!

I could understand people being happy when she lost her position but dead? Seriously?
 
Pudney said:
As for others I'm too young to be properly affected (or feel affected anyway) by her decisions, good or bad. She was a strong woman who stood by her beliefs though, which I think is a good example for people to learn from, irrespective whether you think those beliefs were good or bad.
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Hitler was a strong man who stood by his belief's hardly vilified his actions

Jason2 said:
I earn a lot more than you do an year so I must be doing something right.
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^ Thatcher lives on. I'm alright jack
 
Tummy said:
No, I don't agree. I'm not unhappy she has gone, quite the opposite.What because of something she did over 2 decades ago

I will happily concede she was a very, I struggle for the right word, but she was a woman who broke the mould, a very strong woman, I just disagree with her political beliefts.
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So you'd be happy for everyone who doesn't agree with YOUR beliefs to die.

Haven't we been to war over something similar fairly recently
 
I love how the people saying give her respect were probably never affected by what she did whilst in power. If you were brought up in an old mining town and witnessed how it ripped communities apart I guarantee your views would be the complete opposite.
 
looking through the thread, those 'celebrating' her death rather than actually contributing are a minority - maybe its just they make a lot of noise?
 
K1LLSW1TCH said:
I thought that the UK ended at Birmingham and anything further north was an inhospitable wasteland. :confused: :p
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Not far wrong :( :p.

Devlish said:
Well she has not been politically active for many a year, so how does her death make you glad? Is it what she stood for? Because thats just become stronger as she is now an ideal rather than a person. Whats your logic?
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My logic is I dislike her, I disliked her politics and I won't be sad she has died, I'm not running in to the street celebrating her death, I do have ~some standards.
 
Suarez7 said:
I love how the people saying give her respect were probably never affected by what she did whilst in power. If you were brought up in an old mining town and witnessed how it ripped communities apart I guarantee your views would be the complete opposite.
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The mines weren't making a profit!!! They were a strain on the economy, for we were paying to effectively keep them open, all while the miners wanted a pay rise. She made the right decision. Of course everyone's not gonna like it. That's how life works. You make decisions which benefit the whole of society and not just one particular set of people.

Question, were you even around when she was?
 
Suarez7 said:
I love how the people saying give her respect were probably never affected by what she did whilst in power. If you were brought up in an old mining town and witnessed how it ripped communities apart I guarantee your views would be the complete opposite.
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That way of life was doomed, the industry didnt make a profit and the NUM was flexing its muscles to get a 30% pay rise for miners. Sorry, but it was more about the breaking of the unions than it was abount trying to preserve a way of life that was doomed in another generation or two anyway.
 
Combat squirrel said:
RIP Baroness Thatcher, you were a remarkable woman, your strength helped get the UK through dark times.

I do however fear that today’s people, and a complete lack of knowledge of ALL the details of the Thatcher government, along with a somewhat mob mentality to jump on bandwagons/be 'fashionable', will have leave some people having a different view of her – those with a different view tend to know very little about all she did. She of course made some unpopular choices, but the majority of her leadership she remained focused and got what needed to be done – done, so all credit to her. I’ll sit back and enjoy the irony as people have enjoyed easier lives (up until the recession – hell even during the recession) because of her, yet people hate her for no other reason than…….because someone else didn't like her.

RIP Baroness Thatcher

PS: I feel embarrassed as a human, people are celebrating the death of another human, disgusting and those that are should be ashamed of themselves.
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Exactly.
 
Devlish said:
looking through the thread, those 'celebrating' her death rather than actually contributing are a minority - maybe its just they make a lot of noise?
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People seem to complain louder than they will celebrate.

As I said, I'm neutral on the matter but I'd hardly condone celebrating someone's death, it's not like she committed genocide, she was just a politician with some rather hardline views and actions that ultimately may or may not have changed the country for the better.
 
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