Googled her name, and this is what pops up first: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...rixton-glasgow

Isn't that a little excessive? Can't you put politics aside for a little bit to at least give the family time to mourn?

it is excessive. She was very controversial though. Conservative at its purest

well she was an awful person, reaction is fairly expected. She did worse things to those people than call them names.

yeah she was a radical lady.

Some people's deaths make the world a better place, she being one of them.

She attempted to improve the economy by giving labour unions less power and to reduce taxes on the population.

Too bad Canada is not adopting Thatcherism.

I'm entirely against her political views, but I have some problems with what that article is describing:

She's dead. If you are protesting her policies, it really makes no difference to her now, you should have done that (more) while she was alive. She has a family and friends and people who are grieving, why would you celebrate that? I don't even remember reading things like that when Saddam Hussein was killed. And really, who would you rather have leading your country?

Expressing joy when someone dies whose ideology you disagree with? Why don't you just go and join the Westboro Baptist Church.

Also, she deserves some respect for standing up for her principles and not allowing herself to be pushed over. She did what she thought she had to do to revive the economy and prevent her country from collapsing, despite a large number of people hating her. She was more focused on the "greater good" than whether or not people liked her. Now, you can argue that maybe she was stupid not to "u-turn" and that her actions actually had a negative long-term impact on the country, but that is debatable and even if true, still doesn't entirely take away from that strength of character.

Margaret Thatcher*

I must also agree with starfish. I don't agree with her policies on any level but I still respect her because I don't believe in judging anyone based on one aspect of her life. Sure her policies were extreme but she did it out of love for her country. So how can you not respect that? I also commend her for showing how smart and strong women are. That in itself is a great contribution to the world, especially in places in which women are arbitrarily suppressed. A person's policies don't embody everything a person is.

Originally Posted by Atheist?

Some people's deaths make the world a better place, she being one of them.

I'm sorry what? Honestly how screwed up is this world when people celebrate over the death of an individual. someone who's time had long come and gone. who no longer was in the public spotlight, who no longer had any power or influence, and someone who they did not know on a personal basis.

I haven't looked into the history which has resulted in all of this bad blood between her and a few people, but from what I remember learning in HS history, she was an individual of great character, the first female prime minister, and she held a majorty government for 3 terms. clearly, if her government was being elected over and over again and gaining majority, she must have been doing something right. It is unfortunate though that near the end of her time as PM she did make several controversial moves that resulted in her fall and all the hate, but never the less, the amount of she managed to accomplish in terms of boosting Britians economy and fighting for womens rights was incredible. There are some who even credit thatcher for playing a big part in easing tensions between russia and US during the cold war.

just as rpg51 and starfish said, her policies were strict, and not very friendly to the average person, but sometimes those in power need to make difficult decisions, that may harm some people in their nations, but they make those decisions, hopefully, inorder to improve the nation as a whole.

furthermore, people that have interacted with her on a personal basis seem to think she was a good person. how can someone, who has never met the person, who wasn't even alive during the time she was in power, say such things about an individual. In the end she accomplished more than any of her critics can even hope to come close to achieving. and although her policies during the end of her last term became, controversal, she did a great job in growing the nation as a whole.



..................... .

Honestly, yea nvm I don't see any point bothering with such insufferable individuals who jump to criticize without looking at the bigger picture and the relevance of what they are saying.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!

kinda fitting, doncha think?

Originally Posted by Chevalier

I haven't looked into the history which has resulted in all of this bad blood between her and a few people,

On an international level, it was her enduring friendship and support of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was responsible for the genocide in Chile. He killed thousands and tortured 10 000's (including women and children). Many more were forced out of the country. When he was finally indicted on human rights charges she called his detention 'callous and unjust'. She campaigned for his release as well.

What kind of person do you have to be to be friends with that kind of dictator?

Also, don't feel bad for her (about everyone celebrating), people are always really happy when dictators die. People celebrated on the streets when Pinochet died.

Originally Posted by Nelumbo

On an international level, it was her enduring friendship and support of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was responsible for the genocide in Chile. He killed thousands and tortured 10 000's (including women and children). Many more were forced out of the country. When he was finally indicted on human rights charges she called his detention 'callous and unjust'. She campaigned for his release as well.

What kind of person do you have to be to be friends with that kind of dictator?

Also, don't feel bad for her (about everyone celebrating), people are always really happy when dictators die. People celebrated on the streets when Pinochet died.

I will admit that i wasn't aware of this, but even so, if one was to simply Google the topic they would see that the information that is out there is quite polarizing, at least in my view.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/p...-Pinochet.html

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/world/ch...nd-friend-dies

I also feel inclined to add that at least she had the gal to stick by her morals and those whom her nation relied on once upon a time. It was during his regime that Britian fought and won back the falkland islands, and it was through his help that they were able to do so.
If you take a look at a lot of other governments these days, those that have sponsored uprisings in the middle east and installed dictators them selves. they have completely turned their back on their allies once things went sour. they supported them throughout their regime, made no fuss about any of the human rights violations their allies made as long as that regime benefited them. But when things came out in the open and people began to rise up, they turned their back, and denied everything.
Pinochet was, from what i have read, totally guilty and did a lot of bad things. But Thatcher at the very least acknowledged that he helped Chile out of the socialist movement, and it was due to his help they were able to win that war.

And how in the world was thatcher a dictator? WTF? she didnt kill anyone, torture, or deny the rights of any individual (highly arguable, cus she did in a way with the union stuff) but still, she is no where near as bad as any dictator, and much better, and has done a lot more for her nation, than a lot of recent democratic governments.

Originally Posted by Chevalier

And how in the world was thatcher a dictator? WTF? she didnt kill anyone, torture, or deny the rights of any individual (highly arguable, cus she did in a way with the union stuff) but still, she is no where near as bad as any dictator, and much better, and has done a lot more for her nation, than a lot of recent democratic governments.

I agree...in the history courses, it was along the lines of Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, Slobodan Milosevic...no Maggie Thatcher...

macinsiders, you really are a conservative community huh?


Someone sticking to their morals or their principles is not even close to a good enough reason to respect someone. How does that make sense at all? You should respect someone depending on what those morals were.

It is great to see people being continually critical even after a death. we can't forget about what terrible people do just because they die. I hope they party in the streets when Cheney dies too. How screwed up is the world when we don't celebrate the death of people who harmed many, and we just forget about it?


You all should google her. She didn't just make some hard decisions. They don't call her Maggie Thatcher the milk snatcher for nothing.

Originally Posted by starfish

Also, she deserves some respect for standing up for her principles and not allowing herself to be pushed over. She did what she thought she had to do to revive the economy and prevent her country from collapsing, despite a large number of people hating her. She was more focused on the "greater good" than whether or not people liked her. Now, you can argue that maybe she was stupid not to "u-turn" and that her actions actually had a negative long-term impact on the country, but that is debatable and even if true, still doesn't entirely take away from that strength of character.

"Pallo Jordan, who remembers the days when Thatcher insisted that the ANC was a terrorist organisation, "I say good riddance. She was a staunch supporter of the apartheid regime. She was part of the rightwing alliance with Ronald Reagan that led to a lot of avoidable deaths. In the end I sat with her in her office with Nelson Mandela in 1991. She knew she had no choice. Although she called us a terrorist organisation, she had to shake hands with a terrorist and sit down with a terrorist. So who won?""

>called Mandela a terrorist
>supported apartheid
>Mandela wins
>she goes and meets with him and shakes his hand

Is that how you stand up for your principles?