Conservatives in the 80's

[Daz_Hockey]

Hi everyone,

I'm gonna be a bit political here, but being just a wee nipper when Maragret Thatcher was in office for such a long time in the UK, my memory is a little vauge, and to be honest it would be nice to get an external view of her, her party and Thatcherism in general.

Personally, my opinion is this:

Maggie single-handedly ruined pretty much every working-class industry, closed most of the coal mines, privatised and closed down as many hospitals as she possibly could, Waged war to add several years on her CV as the first female prime minister, and overall was a horrible little woman who was generally out of touch with the people.

A lot of people in big business admire her for her hard approach in crushing unions and her capitalist stance, but I'll never forgive her for ruining so many working-class people's livelyhoods.

I know on an external front she had a very good relationship with Ronald Regan and Nikiel Gobachov, but from an impartitial view, what do you think of her and thatcherism in general?

 

[#juan]

I find it enough just to keep up with politics at home, let alone cultivating an interest in that of other countries. I never paid much attention to Margaret Thatcher until the Argentinians invaded the Falklands. It quickly became apparent that she wasn't going to just give those islands up. The Falklands were half a world away from England. The supply lines were impossibly long but Britain prevailed and won them back. As far as I can tell, the Falklands are a scrubby bunch of islands with little to offer except a lot of sheep, and one of the worst climates around, but they were still British. After that war was won, it seemed that Thatcher was immensely popular at home. I know nothing about Thatcher further than what I've written.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

RE: Conservatives in the

cheers for that Juan, I heard the other day she was basically a 19th Century Liberal, Sorry I was just under the assumption that the 80's being the era of Thatcherism she might have had a major effect everywhere else, I mean, I know she tried to repeal the Hong Kong agreement, I am surprised she didnt try to do the same with the westminster act

 

[#juan]

All right wingers loved her

I've read a bit about her this morning and I get the feeling she was just to the left of Ghenghis Khan. Maybe not that bad, but she was no shrinking violet. She upset some Canadians when she chided us for not going to Iraq with Bush.

 

[Toro]

RE: Conservatives in the

Then why was she re-elected twice followed by John Major?

Britain would have an economy like France and Germany today if Maggie hadn't reformed the economy. Well, actually they did, back in the 1970s, only worse.

Britain is, I believe, the only first world country to be bailed out by the IMF (but perhaps I'm wrong on that since my memory is faulty.) The IMF leant money to Britain in the 1970s because the country was facing an exchange rate crisis.

It was also a time when garbage was piling up in the street because the trash collectors would go on strike in support of the dock workers. The unions had way, way too much power, and Maggie broke that power, for the good of Britain.

In 1979, the Tories' slogan was "Labour isn't working" with posters of lines of unemployed.

Tony Blair is nothing like the old Labour Party leaders, who breathed Marxist rhetoric. Blair is really a Liberal Democrat, at least when compared to the old Labour. Labour was unelectable before Blair took over. There's a reason for that.

 

[Hank C]

80s hmmmm...Reagan was the best president since I started voting. Although Herb Bush is pretty close.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

Re: RE: Conservatives in the

Then why was she re-elected twice followed by John Major?

Britain would have an economy like France and Germany today if Maggie hadn't reformed the economy. Well, actually they did, back in the 1970s, only worse.

Britain is, I believe, the only first world country to be bailed out by the IMF (but perhaps I'm wrong on that since my memory is faulty.) The IMF leant money to Britain in the 1970s because the country was facing an exchange rate crisis.

It was also a time when garbage was piling up in the street because the trash collectors would go on strike in support of the dock workers. The unions had way, way too much power, and Maggie broke that power, for the good of Britain.

In 1979, the Tories' slogan was "Labour isn't working" with posters of lines of unemployed.

Tony Blair is nothing like the old Labour Party leaders, who breathed Marxist rhetoric. Blair is really a Liberal Democrat, at least when compared to the old Labour. Labour was unelectable before Blair took over. There's a reason for that.

sorry to revive this thread (but hey, I have been in hospital 3 weeks), Toro, Garbage wasnt the only thing piling up in britain then, graves were undug, bodies also piled up.

I also think you have to consider 1. the "wag the dog" tactic, the falklands won Maggie another 4 years in office, 2. Labour were pitiful until John Smith came along.......and died, so John Major had a free run for a long time until Tony Blair came along, and since he's been in the tories have basically done worse than labour in the 80's.

The thing I find strange about the woman was this:

she pretty much stood in the middle ground, a 19th century Liberal if you will, but here ecomomic policies were based on that of the hated Enoch "rivers of blood" Powell......also, unlike most Liberals of the 19th century she was a crazy imperialist.

Basically she kicked Britain up the arse, Britain (barring the Slave/empire bit) has ALWAYS been about trade, the East India company and Hudson Bay company for example, introducing a free-market philosophy pretty much dragged Britain to a near-decent standing in the world.

but many working class people lost their homes and jobs because of it, infact, I think her keeping the National Health System was the only thing that set her apart from most right-wing Tories.

I thanka you

 

[Said1]

Interesting thread. What comes to mind most when I hear the name Thatcher is the joke ending with the punch line that went something like this "don't falk with me Argentina". I was pretty young when she was in power, but haven't those effected by her conservative economic policies recovered and adapted? Job security is a thing of the past where I'm from, we'll never get the riches of the 50-60's back - IMHO.

That reminds me of Ross Perot and a few lines in his speaches about the "working man", probably the only truth in much of what he said....that I remember anyway.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

RE: Conservatives in the

My mum still quotes the 70's line (when she was education minister "Thatcher, Thatcher, the milk snatcher" - she removed free kids milk in school.

The causal effects of her are still being seen, unemployement is worse than the 70's when millions striked and caused the dead body situation in the first place, it's british mindset I suppose, in Canada you have Provence to provence health care, but it's all encompasing here, GST for example, all the sums in your head removed here (although she changed it from 15 to 17.5%) cus it's taken off before sale, it's lazyness I suppose, but yes, a lot of people here are still very bitter.

Not me of course, I agree with the free market...in certain instances

 

[I think not]

I remember the "Iron Lady" well, she was a bitch to everybody in Europe but she did everything to protect the interests of her country. She sacked every lazy union cocksucker and put the UK on the road to recovery. If it wasn't for her, you would of been along the lines of Portugal today. Good for her.

 

[BitWhys]

RE: Conservatives in the

I'd have to say all things considered out of the Thatcher-Reagan-Mulroney connection she was the sharpest of the bunch.

 

[Said1]

Re: RE: Conservatives in the

I'd have to say all things considered out of the Thatcher-Reagan-Mulroney connection she was the sharpest of the bunch.

:lol:

 

[#juan]

She brought that group's I.Q. up about twenty points when she joined it. :roll:

 

[Said1]

She brought that group's I.Q. up about twenty points when she joined it. :roll:

Well, thanks. You're making me blush.





:lol:

 

[Toro]

Re: RE: Conservatives in the

I'd have to say all things considered out of the Thatcher-Reagan-Mulroney connection she was the sharpest of the bunch.

You cannot put Mulroney even remotely in that group.

 

[BitWhys]

right

like I'm the first to do it. :roll:

 

[Toro]

right

like I'm the first to do it. :roll:

You're about the 1,000,000th to do it.

 

[Finder]

Thatcherism!? disgests me.

 

[BitWhys]

right

like I'm the first to do it. :roll:

You're about the 1,000,000th to do it.

If you're talking economics, you're right. Mulroney never made it out of the echo chamber but in matters of administrative reform he at least had it in him to almost keep up with the pack. Not that he managed to sniff the right trees or anything but he DID try to make NPM his own.