Margaret Thatcher dies at 87

[Silent Hunter]

You can't deny that she was a Titan of global politics for good or ill. My condolences to her friends and family.

[Silent Hunter]

Tweed already posted the Greenwald piece which is very important. It is very damaging for supporters of a deceased politician to write hagiographies, rewrite history by propagandizing him/her, and exploit his/her death to push their own ideologies, while at the same time denying opponents the opportunity to critique under the guise of "respect for the dead."

But I'm glad that the "terrorist" Mandela outlived her at least.

Completely agree with both this and the piece. When am I, as a critic of her, allowed to speak ill of her policies again? Is there an official waiting period I'm supposed to adhere to unless I open myself to calls of insensitivity? Is it tomorrow, a week from now, or even a month?

Not official, but after the funeral would be polite, I'd say.

[Silent Hunter]

Coalition hadn't implemented the changes to incapacity benefit then.

[Silent Hunter]

I didn't like Mrs Thatcher, but some of the reaction is overdoing it. She's not the worst PM we've ever had, not by a long shot.

[Silent Hunter]

I will accept that Lord Liverpool was worse.

I think you can add Baldwin and Eden to the list as well.

[Silent Hunter]

She was a rare combination, uncompromising and effective. 

She remade the UK.

That is a statement we can all agree on, whether we like that remaking or not.