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 Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87 
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Post Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
By Richard Allen Greene, CNN
updated 10:07 AM EDT, Mon April 8, 2013


London (CNN) -- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a towering figure in postwar British and world politics and the only woman to become British prime minister, has died at the age of 87.
She suffered a stroke Monday, her spokeswoman said.

Thatcher's funeral will be at St. Paul's Cathedral, with full military honors, followed by a private cremation, the British prime minister's office announced.

Thatcher served from 1975 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party. She was called the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness.

snip

Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/world/europe/uk-margaret-thatcher-dead/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

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Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:13 am
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
I did not realise that there was a thread about this here as well... below is a copy of what I posted to the main GT. Apologies if it seems slightly disjointed, its compiled from several messages. Simon

=======================================================

Mrs Thatcher Has Died

It was announced at 1pm today (Monday 8th April 2013) that Mrs Thatcher has died, aged 87, after suffering a stroke.

Love her, loathe her, the Iron Lady (as she was often affectionately nicknamed, by those who saw her greatness) smashed every glass ceiling and became our first female Prime Minister, as well as one of our longest serving Prime Ministers, not losing any of the three general elections she fought.

Britain is a changed nation because of her policies, but whether for good or bad depends on your point of view.

When I was a young boy (aged about 8) in the 1960's she was a government minister who stopped free milk for school children - and as a result she became known as the 'milk snatcher' (well it rhymed with her surname, 'Thatcher'). At around the same time she famously said in a television interview that she did not expect Britain to ever have a female leader of a political party in her lifetime.

In the event, for better, for worse, she was indeed elected to that very position, and then a few years later won an election to become our leader. Not just in peace, but in a mini-war many thousands of miles away, protecting a British colony from an armed invasion led by the unelected military leader of Argentina.

Whilst Maggie was in power Britain expanded and deregulated its financial services in a way which led to a massive boom... and (several decades later) a massive bust from which we are still reeling. Meanwhile, more traditional industries and the idea of making things which were sold for export seemed to fall out of favour, which has led to our nation's present-day financial enfeeblement. But we did enjoy a decade of cheap fossil fuels from the North Sea... sqandering the value of this 'windfall' income instead of using it to renew our industrial base, communications, roads, railways, etc.

Whilst Maggie was very good for the stock market and the banks her policies were decidedly less benficial for ordinary hard working people who lived in areas (away from London, so 'out of sight') where the industrial base collapsed and unemployment soared so high that even today local communities are still suffering.

Now that she has died there are probably as many people who'd like to see her given the honour of a state funeral as people who'd suggest that her effigy should be put on display at the London Dungeon*, where it could be used in a depiction of how in medieval times witches were burnt at the stake. Visitors watching this re-enactment would of course be encouraged to sing a song which includes the folllowing in its lines... "ding dong, the wicked witch is dead."

Away from politics, she was known as an extremely nice and caring person with an approachable and friendly nature. Someone who it was a pleasure to know.

-----------------------------
*The London Dungeon is a visitor attraction which depicts life in the middle ages... typically the gory side of life!

Those who accept the idea that we humans are farmed by non-physicals who feed off our emotions will understand why punishments in those days often included excruciating and unremitting pain...

Simon - who visited it once.

ps: since compiling the above, I've stumbled into a mind-boggling suggestion that there is a connection between the Falklands war, an ET base and an intelligent, aware, fluidic substance which looked like some kind of black oil goo which in later years was related to the many mysterious and suspicious deaths of Marconi scientists, computer programmers and other staff; the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon; the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the use of Corexit (Core Exit?).

http://cryptocrusher.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/thatcher-dies-falklands-war-revisited/

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Tue Apr 09, 2013 12:48 pm
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
In the early 1980's Brixton in south London was one of several areas which experienced severe rioting which many say was caused by Mrs Thatcher's policies.

On Monday evening (the day she died) there was an impromptu street party in Brixton to celebrate her passing. The old war cries of maggie maggie maggie out! out! out! which was usually called out in an angry tone of voice was updated to maggie maggie maggie dead! dead! dead!, which was said in a happier tone of voice.

What is really bad is that the street party ended in rioting and two people arrested for breaking into a shop and stealing some of the things it was selling.

If on the day of the funeral I am not at work then I will avoid Central London, and possibly even have a day away from London.

Simon

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Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:06 pm
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
Simon - I think that is really sad.

I watched a retrospective on her life on television yesterday. I don't think people really remember just how bad things were in your lovely country when she took power. Garbage in the streets, nationalized industries, etc., etc.

Yes, unemployment soared during her first years in power but look at Britain today.

Was she perfect? Nope - no one is.

I lived in South America during the Falklands War. I know that the US government (particularly Alexander Haig) were most unhappy that the Iron Lady was adamant about keeping these islands.

She is a fascinating person and I firmly believe that she is due respect from all of us. She stood up for her convictions - right or wrong but she, at least, had convictions unlike so many politicians today.

RIP Maggie!

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Tue Apr 09, 2013 6:27 pm
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
She was one of a kind leader, like her or lump her she was the most powerful women in the world for a very long time!

She told her RULING Government through her will that a Military fly by, which she is 100% intitled to, she said NO, it's a waste of money!

RIP to one of the few good leaders of this world, she deserves a fly by IMHO.

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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
I am not so sure of her goodness for the world at large - BUT - as a woman she made a serious statement to men and that is to be lauded!

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Wed Apr 10, 2013 11:33 pm
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
One thing about Mrs Thatcher which irked / still irks me is how well she got on with many despotic global military dictators, including Pinochet, the hated Chilean military dictator who she offered temporary sanctury (as the article at this link explains)...

http://www.wideasleepinamerica.com/2013/04/the-ironic-lady-margaret-thatcher.html


The article linked below was written by someone from Ireland and shows bias, nevertheless it also paints a very different picture of the lady than the version that Maggie's supporters would paint themselves.

I should add that I do not support the writer's views on the Falkland Islands, and very much agree with those who say that we were right to send the task force and reclaim them. What I regret was the withdrawing of the icebreaker from South Georgia a short while before the invasion (I seem to recall that it was done to save money) as it gave the impression that Britain no longer cared about the islands. I also feel that had there not been an invasion then by now Britain, the islanders and Argentina would have come to some sort of sovereignty sharing agreement based on friendly mutal co-operation. But of course in the 1980's Argentina was a military dictatorship - and the invasion hardened hearts.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34556.htm


Apparently the song "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" from the hit musical "The Wizard of Oz" has entered the British pop music charts top ten, and there is a facebook campaign to get the song to No.1 in the charts!!!!!

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ding-dong-the-witch-is-dead-closer-to-number-one-spot-as-it-reaches-midweek-top-ten-following-margaret-thatchers-death-8566042.html


It was said on today's local TV news that the police may detain known trouble makers in advance of the funeral, so ensure that there is less chance of any trouble on the day itself.

Meanwhile, this weekend will see many street parties to celebrate Maggie's demise, including one in Trafalgar Square, London.

I have every intent to stay well away... not my scene.

Simon

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Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:53 am
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
simple simon wrote:
One thing about Mrs Thatcher which irked / still irks me is how well she got on with many despotic global military dictators, including Pinochet, the hated Chilean military dictator who she offered temporary sanctury (as the article at this link explains)...


From things I've seen / heard in the media in recent days I now have an understanding... Pinochet was in charge of Chile when left wing rebels were trying to destroy the country. They were kidnapping and killing people with free abandon - just like in Mexico today.

Pinochet's government was truly ruthless. Human rights were abused, but then what the rebels were doing also abused people's human rights.

However, he also instituted similar economic reforms as Maggie did in Britain and apparently the Chilean economy boomed.

Do two wrongs constitute a right?

Were innocents victims as well?

Its not easy, like all illnesses sometimes the cure can seem very painful.

Simon, glad to not have been in Chile at the time.

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Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:03 pm
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
Simon - Ronald Rayguns also supported Pinochet.

Not only Pinochet, but Baby Doc Duvalier, for a time Ferdinand Marcos, Noriega and Suharto to name but a few "friendly tyrants" supported by the neo-cons.

We forget those days to our peril, IMHO.

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Sat Apr 13, 2013 6:32 pm
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
Bluebonnet wrote:
Simon - Ronald Rayguns also supported Pinochet.

Not only Pinochet, but Baby Doc Duvalier, for a time Ferdinand Marcos, Noriega and Suharto to name but a few "friendly tyrants" supported by the neo-cons.

We forget those days to our peril, IMHO.


Blue, whilst these types of tyrants always run brutal regimes I think we also need to remember that they faced oppositions who also thought nothing of kidnapping, torturing and killing.

(As an aside, its my understanding that the situation in Mexico today is not much better, with brutal gangs running the country, with an almost civil war being waged to try and control them. But I suppose that things in Mexico could be worse... I have Syria in mind!)

I am not trying to absolve the tyrants for their crimes, as they still did not always need to be so brutal. I remember an occasion when Marcos was filmed opening an new housing development and all the official pictures showed what looked like very respectable apartment blocks. But the reality was very different, as illicit footgae taken from different camera angles showed that the blocks were only partly built / not ready for habitation. So, in effect this was a PR excercise and in reality he did not give a sh*t for the people. It is for events such as this that these tyrants deserved their being hated.

Simon

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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
A few youtube films about Mrs Thatcher.

This first film is a tribute and comes from the mainstream and well respected broadcaster Sky News

Margaret Thatcher: The Most Loved And Vilified PM




This next film was also broadcast on Sky News, although it was uplifted by a different youtuber. It is a short news feature that was filmed in a mining community which suffered serious economic distress as a result of the coal mines being closed. I've been told that whilst Mrs Thatcher did close many coal mines, with many people people suspecting that it was at least in part an act of revenge for strikes in the 1970's which brought down the government the previous time the Conservative Party was in power, the reality is that more coal mines were closed by the Socialist governments under premiership of the late Harold Wilson.

Margaret Thatcher Death Celebrated By Critics - 8/4/13




This next film is from the debate in the House Of Commons (British Parliament, lower house) a few days after her death was announced.

Glenda Jackson launches tirade against Thatcher in tribute debate.



Simon

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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
UK bids farewell to 'Iron Lady' Margaret Thatcher

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

LONDON -- Some had slept in the streets to guarantee a good spot to watch her body pass by on a gun carriage, but others said they were glad she was gone: Margaret Thatcher’s funeral proved as divisive as the 11 years she spent as Britain's prime minister.

To her supporters, the “Iron Lady” was the greatest British premier of modern times -- rivaled only by World War II icon Winston Churchill. For them, Thatcher was a leader who transformed the country’s ailing economy, won a war against Argentina over the Falkland Islands and blazed a trail for women as the first female prime minister.

To her detractors, she was responsible for mass unemployment, the decimation of traditional industries like steel refining and coal mining and a culture that celebrated greed.

A funeral procession to London's St. Paul's Cathedral was marked by cheering but also some booing from crowds of people lining the route. At one point, supporters and opponents almost came to blows with insults and threats exchanged, ITV News reported.

Right-leaning journalist Melanie Phillips said in a tweet, "Watching the funeral, finding it hard not to feel we are today somehow burying England."

About 2,300 guests attended the 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) funeral service, including Queen Elizabeth and other members of the U.K. royal family.

There were also representatives from 170 countries -- such as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and current leaders from more than a dozen states.

Many British politicians, including past premiers Tony Blair and John Major, and more than 50 guests associated with the Falklands, including veterans of the conflict, also attended.

In his address, the Bishop of London Richard Chartres spoke of Thatcher’s “formidable energy and passion” and “a life lived in the heat of political controversy.”
Chartres said there was a place for debate about legacies and the impact of political decisions, but it was not at her funeral.

“This is a place for ordinary human compassion of a kind that is reconciling,” he said. “It’s also the place for the simple truths that transcend political debate.”

snip

Read more here: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/17/17789204-uk-bids-farewell-to-iron-lady-margaret-thatcher?lite

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Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:14 am
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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
Happily the funeral was peaceful.

Afterwards I watched a Sky News reporter outside St Pauls Cathedral playing 'cat and mouse' with a protester waving a home-made placard about 9/11.

The TV station had at least two camera people and everytime they switched from one to the other (full face view / side of face view) so the protester walked to a new position to ensure that he could still be seen in the background!!!

Now Maggies' body has gone to be burnt to ashes in a crematorium and Britain continues in deep introspection over a former leader who changed so much. For good, or bad. For many younger people her passing has resulted in more than a simple history lesson; the very public reactions of those who have much to thank (or hate) her for has well and truly brought her legacy to life in a way that paper books and electronic media can not.

Meanwhile, the people of eastern Europe continue to celebrate a foreign lady who helped free them from the shackles of the hated Iron Curtain!

Simon

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Post Re: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87
simple simon wrote:
Happily the funeral was peaceful.

Afterwards I watched a Sky News reporter outside St Pauls Cathedral playing 'cat and mouse' with a protester waving a home-made placard about 9/11.

The TV station had at least two camera people and everytime they switched from one to the other (full face view / side of face view) so the protester walked to a new position to ensure that he could still be seen in the background!!!

Now Maggies' body has gone to be burnt to ashes in a crematorium and Britain continues in deep introspection over a former leader who changed so much. For good, or bad. For many younger people her passing has resulted in more than a simple history lesson; the very public reactions of those who have much to thank (or hate) her for has well and truly brought her legacy to life in a way that paper books and electronic media can not.

Meanwhile, the people of eastern Europe continue to celebrate a foreign lady who helped free them from the shackles of the hated Iron Curtain!

Simon


:heart

Simon - that is beautiful. Thank you!

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Thu Apr 18, 2013 5:48 am
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