Margaret Thatcher dies - 87 years

I will certainly concede that Obama has more than a few skeletons in his presidential closet already (I walked right into that one) just as I'm sure you'll admit that those who are not mourning Thatcher's passing have more motivation than just her economic policies for their stance.

For the record, I do not feel strongly one way or the other on Thatcher's death. I'm shedding no tears but neither am I enthused. I simply believe that to be supportive of war, wherein innocent life is consistently lost, while chastising others for voicing their opinions on a single death is just a teensy bit contradictory.

This witch doesn't deserve a thread on GL. I don't like to celebrate anyone's death but can't say it didn't brighten my day upon hearing the news of her passing.

Swanhends wrote:No expert at all on the situation, but didn't Thatcher just speed up a process that the forces of economics had already set in motion anyway?

The UK is a capital abundant/labor scarce nation - based on comparative advantage they were always going to end up with an economy based on knowledge rather than manufacturing, no?

The manufacturing jobs were always going to disappear sooner rather than later unless the government intervened to protect them...the consequences of which: higher prices, lower domestic consumption, transfer of consumer surplus to producers/government etc

I tend to agree with this. I'm not from the UK, so I shouldn't judge them for some of their reaction to Thatcher's death, but I can't help feeling they don't see the bigger picture behind her politics.

The "traditional" working class jobs that there were in the UK would have struggled to compete with the same jobs in emerging economies where the same jobs could be done cheaper. Add the effect of globalization - which was starting to speed up back then - , i.e. the easier, faster and wider spread of products and services across the world and, to me, moving from manufacturing-based economy to knowledge-based economy for a nation like the UK seems the right choice. Thatcher's mistake was that she tried to do it too quickly, but it is a little bit sad to see the people in the UK hate her so much.

I have read plenty of pages on Liverpool, United (Red Cafe), Newcastle forums about her today to not only get a biased view. (Well, she had been discussed a lot in Liverpool threads about when she'll f*ck off to hell, which is understandable as she was one of the major reasons in cover up of Hillsborough).

Some interesting facts I found out about her:

Her policies and brazen ways devastated large communities

Gifted manufacturing to other countries

Poll tax was her baby

She supported Chilean dictator Pinochet, and Khmer Rouge.

Opposed sanctions against Apartheid South Africa. I have also heard she once called Mandela a terrorist.

Her policies against Argentina were jingoistic

Her dehumanizing treatment of Irish prisoners in after-match of the Falkland war.

Selling all the social housing.

The miners issue (half of the jokes about her death of her being cremated and not enough coal for that )

creating a wealth gap between south and North of England....that's why she's so polarizing.

One I'm done school on friday, I'll start reading more. very interesting, but I've only ever heard bad things about her, and (read).


**in before someone said you can't judge her because you weren't born in her era and aren't from england. if you say that, then I suppose we can' judge Adolf either.

Yuri Yukuv wrote:The north is unemployed because they are not competitive enough, they just wanted everyone to sink with them in the same ship. The miners wanted to bring the country done by force and intimidation.

and what exactly were their options? mining and heavy industries were the backbone of the region since the 18th century, entire communities were based around the workforce there and families were raised on nothing but participating in these industries and had very little opportunity, or willingness because of community pressure, to go on a different career path... then along comes thatcher and decides to cut all support for this

i'm sure you'll come up with some bullshit libertarian excuse about why it's all the workers' fault though... they should have just gone to university and become engineers, clearly their skills weren't in demand and this is absolutely their own doing, the glorious free market^TM has never screwed over anybody

Swanhends wrote:No expert at all on the situation, but didn't Thatcher just speed up a process that the forces of economics had already set in motion anyway?

The UK is a capital abundant/labor scarce nation - based on comparative advantage they were always going to end up with an economy based on knowledge rather than manufacturing, no?

The manufacturing jobs were always going to disappear sooner rather than later unless the government intervened to protect them...the consequences of which: higher prices, lower domestic consumption, transfer of consumer surplus to producers/government etc

yes, but what you do is phase them out and attempt to reeducate the workforce, not sell off entire industries in the span of 5 years and say "tough shit lol, lrn2computer" to the thousands of people who have spent their entire lives mining and welding

She also opposed German reunification. Burn in peace, witch.

Remember when she owned the Germans after the 1990 WC loss in the semi's.

"At least we have already beaten them 2 times this century" or something similar haha.

Good read on her economic legacy:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/04/margaret-thatchers-macroeconomic-legacy

DEAD DEAD DEAD

El Jefe wrote:DEAD DEAD DEAD

What are you doing? trying to prove you are a degenerate? you're a bit late to the party then

Only just noticed this section. Saw this thread. Put me in a good mood. Thought I'd share my happiness.