Margaret Thatcher dies at 87

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

So this just happened like 10 minutes from where I live. Seen it on twitter.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHW8lAyCAAAXbqV.jpg:large

I can't imagine the Irish reaction right now...

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

So this just happened like 10 minutes from where I live. Seen it on twitter.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHW8lAyCAAAXbqV.jpg:large

Where is the flame coming from?  Or is that not a flame?

[Supersonic]

So this just happened like 10 minutes from where I live. Seen it on twitter.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHW8lAyCAAAXbqV.jpg:large

Not many people.

[afleitch]

So this just happened like 10 minutes from where I live. Seen it on twitter.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHW8lAyCAAAXbqV.jpg:large

Oh Liverpool trying to get in on the act as they always do

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Do you not understand that Chavez was a thug who forced his policies through as any dictator would? Do you not get the basic fact that Thatcher lost her share of political battles, while Chavez always won because he was the Nixon of South America? Thatcher was a democratic leader, and like her or not, deserves some respect, as does Obama, Jack Layton, or any other democratic leader. You are the hypocrite.

OK, you're not a hypocrite. You just have no idea what you're talking about.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Do you not understand that Chavez was a thug who forced his policies through as any dictator would? Do you not get the basic fact that Thatcher lost her share of political battles, while Chavez always won because he was the Nixon of South America? Thatcher was a democratic leader, and like her or not, deserves some respect, as does Obama, Jack Layton, or any other democratic leader. You are the hypocrite.

OK, you're not a hypocrite. You just have no idea what you're talking about.

Did Thatcher shut down opposition news services? I did not think so.

[You kip if you want to...]

Do you not understand that Chavez was a thug who forced his policies through as any dictator would? Do you not get the basic fact that Thatcher lost her share of political battles, while Chavez always won because he was the Nixon of South America? Thatcher was a democratic leader, and like her or not, deserves some respect, as does Obama, Jack Layton, or any other democratic leader. You are the hypocrite.

OK, you're not a hypocrite. You just have no idea what you're talking about.

Did Thatcher shut down opposition news services? I did not think so.

No, just other opposition organisations.

[Keystone Phil]

"Manchester United announced that they would not be honouring the former PM with a minute's silence prior to their match against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford"

http://sidespin.kinja.com/margaret-thatcher-and-her-attempts-to-destroy-english-f-471243555?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

An Argentine player (Aguero) ended up scoring the winning goal. Heh.

Awesome.

And who is Aguero's father-in-law? England arch nemisis Diego "Hand of God" Maradona.

[afleitch]

Do you not understand that Chavez was a thug who forced his policies through as any dictator would? Do you not get the basic fact that Thatcher lost her share of political battles, while Chavez always won because he was the Nixon of South America? Thatcher was a democratic leader, and like her or not, deserves some respect, as does Obama, Jack Layton, or any other democratic leader. You are the hypocrite.

OK, you're not a hypocrite. You just have no idea what you're talking about.

Did Thatcher shut down opposition news services? I did not think so.

No, just other opposition organisations.

Like?

[Mechaman]

Article with Gerry Adams.  Really fascinating.

[morgieb]

RIP. There's no doubt the impact she had on her nation.

[Niemeyerite]

Reagan was an ass, but doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level of vileness.

That's true.

But, RIP anyway. She already payed all her vileness with the Alzheimer, I'm not happy today.

[You kip if you want to...]

"Ding Dong the witch is dead" steadily climbing in the music charts. Up to 31 on iTunes in 12 hours.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Message from Simfan:

"If Britain was a dictatorship, the BBC would be carrying reports of the the spontaneous celebrations of the life of The Rt. Hon. Margret Thatcher in Wales and Northern England"

Also:

Before Thatcher, Britain, great nation it was, was a post-imperial basketcase whose standard of living and functionality of government was markedly lower than many of its peers on the Continent. To gain a sense of what she did, what Britain would have been without her, just imagine the winter of 1979... repeated regularly to this day. It is thanks to her that Britain again stands proud on the world stage.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Tell Simfan that I don't think anybody here is claiming that Thatcher actually made Britain a totalitarian state.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I love how we still get messages from Simfan. His commentary is still worth reading.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Did Thatcher shut down opposition news services? I did not think so.

As has been pointed out upthread, she had the Director General of the BBC sacked for political reasons in 1987, which is effectively the same thing.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Also tell Simfan that Thatcher may have in some sense 'saved' some aspects of British 'greatness'--I'm leery of ever not using scare quotes around these sorts of words in the context of nations and politics--and that, again, nobody is claiming that she made life worse for everyone and everything in Britain, but the idea that her way was the only or even best way to do so will naturally strike anybody on the left or in the center as, shall we say, spurious.

I'm glad we still get messages from him too.

[Old Man Svensson]

The double standard by the Right re: Chavez and Thatcher is utterly ridiculous.

On Chavez: "Good riddance to the evil Commie dictator!"
On Thatcher: "Please have class and respect the dead!"

F-ck that.

We on the Left would do well to realize that we are doing the exact same thing. After seeing so many of my fellows hold Chavez up as a saint in the wake of his death, after all the objectively horrible, tyrannical things he did to mar his good record, I'd say our half of the spectrum is in no position to get up on the podium, especially not to wish death on the Right as I saw earlier in this very thread.

No matter how strongly I opposed Thatcher's policies(and those of her partner Reagan on this side of the world), I say RIP and wish her family well. All I can do now is ask that my fellow leftists - the ones attempting to excuse their behavior by comparing the situation to Chavez, at least - remember that two wrongs don't make a right. We're supposed to be the ones taking the good moral high ground here, so please, at least try to have a sense of decency. And if you can't bring yourself to do even that, then please, shut up and stop insulting our name and ideals.

[You kip if you want to...]

It's easy for Americans to sing her praises as you didn't have to actually live with her or the consequences of her premiership.

[Paleobrazilian]

It's easy for Americans to sing her praises as you didn't have to actually live with her or the consequences of her premiership.

A conservative-leaning Briton could say the same about a failed Labour PM. That's how politics work.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Question... how much has been actually undone?

[Supersonic]

It's easy for Americans to sing her praises as you didn't have to actually live with her or the consequences of her premiership.

A conservative-leaning Briton could say the same about a failed Labour PM. That's how politics work.

Quite.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Really? They was two democratic elected politician, who both favoured their vote segment over the good of the country and both lacked any respect for informal check and balances and was willing to change the election structures to weaken their opponents. Chavec was nothing but a left wing version of Thatcher, no matter how much his supporters would hate to hear it.

There's a lot of truth to that, yes.

[Supersonic]

Really? They was two democratic elected politician, who both favoured their vote segment over the good of the country and both lacked any respect for informal check and balances and was willing to change the election structures to weaken their opponents. Chavec was nothing but a left wing version of Thatcher, no matter how much his supporters would hate to hear it.

I can understand why you would say they 'both favoured their vote segment', though how did Thatcher lack respect for checks and balances? She had a clear majority in every Parliament under her tenure. Also, how did she change the 'election structures'? It's not like the electoral system changed at all, which, her left wing opponents were badgering on about for a good while after 1983. PR and all that jazz.