Live2Ride Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/world/europe/uk-margaret-thatcher-dead/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 What a great lady! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 What a great lady! My dd has sat this morning reading about her... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I am going to make sure my kids know about her. It is widely believed that the Iron Curtain would not have fallen without the increased pressure and resolve of MArgaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Pau. She was the last survivior. WHat a wonderful example! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I was unaware. Thanks for posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susann Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 What a wonderful woman and leader. I always loved the relationship between MT and Reagan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Just so you know: she's a highly controversial figure in her own country. Many will not mourn her passing. She is very far from being a universally-admired national hero. I'm not going into more detail in this post or later, in order to avoid becoming political. This obituary gives a flavour of how divisive her legacy is. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Just so you know: she's a highly controversial figure in her own country. Many will not mourn her passing. She is very far from being a universally-admired national hero. I'm not going into more detail in this post or later, in order to avoid becoming political. This obituary gives a flavour of how divisive her legacy is. Laura That is so interesting. I had no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aslana Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I adored her because of her "Just because I'm a woman does not mean I'm letting you get past me" attitude. I absolutely did not agree with her on some human rights issues (like gay rights), but the rest of the stuff? Oh yes. She truly was an Iron Fisted Iron Lady. Of course, this is coming from an Anglophile American. So I realize my opinion means not much. But I loved her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 True, Margaret Thatcher remains a hugely divisive figure in the UK. People tend to love her or hate her. While I am hardly a political soulmate of Mrs Thatcher, I think she largely changed the UK and the world for the better. She re-set British politics, and in my estimation rescued the rival Labour Party from being a welfare-state party that (had they held power during the 80s) would have driven the economy into the ground. Instead Labour emerged in the post-Thatcher era transformed into a modern and responsible ruling party. I don't think that would have happened without Margaret Thatcher upsetting the balance. Was she acerbic and confrontational? Sure. Absolutely! The name "Iron Lady" was well earned. But could she have made the changes she did without breaking heads? I hardly think so. Taking on the powerful unions took resolve, and (as sympathetic as I might be to working people) the unions were killing the economy. It was ugly, but necessary IMO. Standing up to the IRA was the right thing. And took courage. Fighting the Argentines, when many said it would be better to let the Falkland's go, also took courage. And the British victory in that war brought down a terrible dictatorship. One could argue the fall of the right-wing junta in Argentina was the first in a series of steps that set South America on the road away from dictatorships and towards democracies. The united front with the United States, and her relationships with both President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, was pivotal in ending the Cold War and bring an end to the Soviet Empire. While not "my cup of tea" in some ways, I think Mrs Thatcher provided a necessary "kick in the pants" that was sorely needed at the time. Was it painful at times? No doubt. Was it also edifying? Again, I think it is beyond question. She was a tough person at a time when her nation (and the world) needed someone with some guts. And she had them in spades. Margaret Thatcher has my full admiration. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I agree with what Bill said. While there are definitely those who will not mourn her passing, I think she left a huge mark on the political climate of Great Britain and she is a commendable lady. I appreciate her ability to stand firm on her decisions when a lot of people would have faltered. What a life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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