Margaret Thatcher

[Maggie/915]

History topic

Maggie Thatcher died today

A very controversial figure.

She attracted hate and respect in possibly equal measure!

Her policies changed our lives forever!

[Symptoms]

Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice!

[Symptoms]

I said elsewhere on the Forum just a moment ago, "Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice! Off to Hell she goes.

Poo, you beat me to the post by seconds Maggs.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Symptoms

[Maggie/915]

Sarah Millican says that the miners can dance today!

Ross Noble is moaning that in rural Austrailia he is going to miss the street parties.

Brian Appleton says

Maggie Maggie Maggie

Out Out Out.

[ex Bedlingtonian]

Sorry, I find this deeply offensive. Whatever you thought of her, now is not the time.

[Maggie/915]

Brilliant Shappi Khorsandi says sniff but she gave us alternative comedy.

I keep thinking of Spitting Image ' and what are the vegetables having'

Reply 'they will have the same as me'

[Maggie/915]

Beat you by five minutes Symptoms.

Just as we'll we all have a sense of humour!

[Symptoms]

I'VE JUST BEEN ON THE HOTLINE TO LUCIFER AND HE'S MAKING SURE THE FIRES ARE WELL STOKED FOR HER ARRIVAL. HE TOLD ME HE IS GETTING THE COALS FROM ONE OF THE PITS SHE CLOSED (HE CAN MINE FROM BELOW YOU KNOW) AND HAS NOW PLENTY OF STOCK TO ENSURE SHE BURNS FOR ETERNITY.

I HAVE RESERVED SEATS UP HERE FOR ARTHUR SCARGILL AND TONY BENN FOR WHEN THEY ARRIVE IN THE FUTURE SO THEY CAN BASK IN THE GLOW; MICHAEL FOOT HAS ALREADY TAKEN ONE OF THE FRONT SEATS. LET THE SHOW BEGIN.

[threegee]

Really shabby Sym!

Whether you agree or disagree with what she did you demean yourself as a human being by taking that attitude to the death of a frail old lady.

You also show an intolerance to the rights of countless millions of people who believe that what she did was very necessary to the survival and long-term well-being of our country. In their honest moments that includes just as many people left-of-center as right.

[ex Bedlingtonian]

Beat you by five minutes Symptoms.

Just as we'll we all have a sense of humour!

You think you are being funny.

[Maggie/915]

The issues are important and serious.

I agree with her being afforded every respect but she did upset an awful lot of people.

People often use humour to help them when they feel helpless.

In politics everyone is under the microscope, sadly all to often they fail to live up to a high ideal.

Contrast our industrial base with Germany.

I would welcome comments about her that are positive, I am sure lots of people have lots to say.

That is our democracy

[ex Bedlingtonian]

I have no problem with people debating her policies, it is Symptoms attitude I found offensive. It is now over 20 years since she left politics, and I can't see her successors in either party having done any better.

[Symptoms]

"Really shabby Sym!" Not at all GGG. You can't pick and choose; surely you're not suggesting that when monsters get old they should be given a free pass. How about mourning, Pinochet, Franco, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, Hirohito, Hess, and so on.

"You also show an intolerance to the rights of countless millions of people who believe that what she did was very necessary to the survival and long-term well-being of our country." Guilty as charged ... the countless millions (???) of poor deluded souls did swallow that tainted bait and have gagged on the foul taste of it ever since.

Of course, the selfish who followed her spiteful rantings, and now their silly heirs must be distraught, but for all 'right-thinking' folks the Sun is burning really brightly today.

[threegee]

"spiteful rantings"? hhmm....

My real problem with the ultra-left propaganda about Mrs T is that it influences kids who weren't around at the time. Had they been they'd likely have seen for themselves what an almighty mess we were in due to the likes of Scargill. No one else had the guts to stand up to the almighty unions who were holding us all to ransom - neither the Labour Party or the Tory wets like Heath. It had to be done, and if it was so bad why was not a scrap of it ever undone by Labour?

But none of this was personal - it's only the loony-left who want to personalise it. If you can't win a logical argument then try to label and demonise - always a good substitute for actual thought!

Her bold free market reforms and curbs on union power - that caused so much controversy in the 1980s - are now accepted as conventional wisdom by all mainstream British political parties.

Well said you lefty BBC journo!

[Adam Hogg]

All I have to say is she will not be missed in my household, as thanks to her and her cronies (Michael Heseltine and Ian Macgregor) my family lost their jobs and i could not get a job in the field I wanted to.

Also well said: http://news.uk.msn.c...ath-a-great-day

[Maggie/915]

In the House of Commons our MPs disagree and then go and have a drink together.

Perhaps we should do the same.

Slogans like 'Coal not Dole' add simplicity to the argument.

Questions like 'Did she start a class war' would divide us all.

Strong government with a dark side!

An MP once said to me the solution is always difficult, you clean up the river for the fish and the factory closes and people are out of a job. So what is the answer?

Some people are just waiting to be offended, they read the news and see clearly what is wrong, but what is the answer.

As I said at the start this Lady created a Marmite effect. Love, hate, respect!

The question of humour occurs on almost every forum of this site.

There is a lot that could offend but we all accept the sincerely held viewpoints of others.

[Cyril]

Well we ALL have opinions on the Mrs Thatcher I was born and bred a minors son and lived in a mining community when we still had one so yes I agree what they did to the miners was at times tantamount to draconian measures, however IF they had backed down to the Unions I think we as a country would be a lot worse off and IF we had any other than Mrs Thatcher in charge at the time of the Falklands conflict they would be speaking Argentinian now, and in my opinion the reasons are she was a true brit and a Woman. These are my opinions I at the time admired her spirit and determination it has,nt been since regardless of who has been in power.

RIP

[ex Bedlingtonian]

As I said at the start this Lady created a Marmite effect. Love, hate, respect!

Totally agree, but despite everything, there has to be some element of respect.

[ex Bedlingtonian]

Well we ALL have opinions on the Mrs Thatcher I was born and bred a minors son and lived in a mining community when we still had one so yes I agree what they did to the miners was at times tantamount to draconian measures, however IF they had backed down to the Unions I think we as a country would be a lot worse off and IF we had any other than Mrs Thatcher in charge at the time of the Falklands conflict they would be speaking Argentinian now, and in my opinion the reasons are she was a true brit and a Woman. These are my opinions I at the time admired her spirit and determination it has,nt been since regardless of who has been in power.

RIP

Well said. Edited April 8, 2013 by ex Bedlingtonian

[Symptoms]

"... the selfish who followed her spiteful rantings, and now their silly heirs ..." are still at it. On the same day she crokes the Bullingdon elite trigger the grab for the crutches and wheelchairs of the disabled under the guise of suggesting that these benefit claimants are involved in some sort of Philpottian plot. Same old Tories.

I hope that the kids of today are influenced by stories of Tory behaviour towards the weak and how their Blitzkrieg across the industrial North wrecked lives and communities. GGG, you know fine well this isn't "... ultra-left propaganda ...", just go to any high street in any 'old' industrial community to see her legacy; it really wasn't the NUM, GMB, Aslef, and a host of other Unions who did the distruction - they NEVER had the power to do it.

Anyway, I felt so elated after hearing the news that I took the woof out for a walk on the beach, it was ESPECIALLY sunny and we both had a strange spring in our step ... Oh, the joy!

Mods ... thanks for stitching the two threads together but I reckon the better Topic Title is mine.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Symptoms

[keith lockey]

She may be dead but her party is still in power.

[johndawsonjune1955]

i am an ex miner and we all know what she did to the miners, families, and communities, and the knock on effect it had on other industries too.

turned one against the other when some trickled back to work.

i stayed out till the end tho, but those that trickled back to work before the end of the strike gave all they could to breaking point and i hold nothing against them and never have done to be truthful.

the strike was held at the wrong time and other collieries should have supported the strike as soon as whith their brothers then things would not have turned out as they did.

But as for Thatcher still that Lady aint for turning now, she off. however, she did one good thing for me and many others in the right to buying your council home.

Its wierd really, her death on the day the Tory posh boys and girls introduced this new scheme that began today to hit the disabled as part of their welfare reforms.

Her death has overshadowed the publicity on this new cruel and thoughtless new scheme.

Hopefully we will hear more on how it is hitting the disabled and see the Tory posh boys and girls are nothing but punishing people for being in this position. They should be ashamed.

However, thats my thoughts and hopefull in the near future it will be welcome back LABOUR and they will put thing right, we'll hopefully to some extent.

By Maggie Thatcher, sorry, but i won't miss you as many others won't.

Edited April 8, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955

[wonky]

poor margret..its a sad day when someone dies but as expected there will be diferent feelings where this one is concerned..personaly..if it wasnt for thatch i wouldnt have been forced to emigrate and my life would have been so much more diferent,,its not so long ago that she was in power and we are all still reeling from the mess she left behind..at the end of the day we all make mistakes and it takes a big man to admit it..its just a shame her dad didnt put her in a bucket of water at birth and kept his mistake to himself..i know its wrong to speak ill of the dead but i am willing to take my karma on the chin for this one.

i remember a story from years gone by when there was a statue of her erected in grantham and the local council street cleaner knocked her bronze head off with a shovel because he couldnt stand looking at it any more..he should have been given a medal that bloke..my hero..

[Maggie/915]

On Twitter Kathryn Tickell has an article that is a personal viewpoint on Margaret Thatcher and her policies, I have tried and failed to post it on here. Tim Chipping is the author

The NE jokers have said that Thatcher was only in Hell for a few hours and already she had closed down three furnaces.

Once again humour used in a way that could inflame controversy but if you lost out during her reign you may find it helps

[keith lockey]

Why Maggie T wont get into Heaven...

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)

My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you?

She'll tax God on all those rooms.

(And yes I know it says mansions in other versions.)