Margaret Thatcher dies at 87

[Antonio the Sixth]

Reagan was an ass, but doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level of vileness.

[afleitch]

There was an impromptu 'gathering' in George Square in Glasgow this evening. No arrests.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I am so glad Nelson Mandela outlived the ****.

No.

Margaret Thatcher is a better person than Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela was a communist and terrorists who fought against a fiscally responsible government.

[Supersonic]

I am so glad Nelson Mandela outlived the ****.

No.

Margaret Thatcher is a better person than Nelson Mandela?

It's not a question of whose better.

It's more a case of 'who cares if someone outlives the other'.

[Brittain33]

I'm not; a quick Wikipedia glance informs me that it was disbanded in 1965. Please do tell me more.

Al spoke about this a little further up. When Thatcher became PM, the large urban areas had their own regional governments, such as the Greater London Council, that emerged as a rival power to the central government and provided a platform for Labour leaders. So Thatcher pushed through their dissolution, handing over power to much smaller local authorities that didn't pose a threat to Conservative authority at the center. It's hard to make strict comparisons to the U.S. because the U.K. doesn't have a federal system, but imagine if a Democratic President abolished the state of Georgia and had its powers handed down to DeKalb County, Fulton County, plus the various Republican counties, all of them small enough to avoid making trouble.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

May she rest in peace.

[YL]

There was an impromptu 'gathering' in George Square in Glasgow this evening. No arrests.

... and in Brixton too.  I didn't have a lot of time for her politically (understatement) but this sort of thing makes me uncomfortable.

[opebo]

There was an impromptu 'gathering' in George Square in Glasgow this evening. No arrests.

Did they burn any effigies or anything like that?

[Ban my account ffs!]

RIP.  Even if she was the first world leader to promote global warming alarmism as an excuse to gut the coal mining industry in retaliation for the strikes of the 70s...

I just find it wrong to curse the dead, especially while their family is in mourning.  Though there are exceptions... but I don't think Thatcher is such a case.  In any case, 87 is a ripe old age. 

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Anyways, I would be the first person to acknowledge that my initial reaction - like those (I'm sure) of literally millions of others - was in poor taste and, yes, was perhaps a little on the ugly side. Though I don't (and won't) regret it.

Of course not.

✓ Lack of remorse
✓ Emotionally shallow
✓ Callous
✓ Impulsive

[Antonio the Sixth]

Anyways, I would be the first person to acknowledge that my initial reaction - like those (I'm sure) of literally millions of others - was in poor taste and, yes, was perhaps a little on the ugly side. Though I don't (and won't) regret it.

Of course not.

✓ Lack of remorse
✓ Emotionally shallow
✓ Callous
✓ Impulsive

I think Al may have some personal reasons to react the way he did (which, BTW, I have absolutely no idea, since it was modified before I arrived), so you shouldn't be too quick to judge.

[opebo]

Anyways, I would be the first person to acknowledge that my initial reaction - like those (I'm sure) of literally millions of others - was in poor taste and, yes, was perhaps a little on the ugly side. Though I don't (and won't) regret it.

Of course not.

✓ Lack of remorse
✓ Emotionally shallow
✓ Callous
✓ Impulsive

I don't think she felt any remorse for her crimes, as far as I ever heard.

[Lief 🗽]

"Manchester United announced that they would not be honouring the former PM with a minute's silence prior to their match against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford"

http://sidespin.kinja.com/margaret-thatcher-and-her-attempts-to-destroy-english-f-471243555?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

An Argentine player (Aguero) ended up scoring the winning goal. Heh.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Right, but the BBC is governed by the British government; it isn't a private company. Callaghan's Ministers also had to leave office -- you expect positions to shift when you elect a new government, otherwise what would be the point of democracy? But privately owned leftist newspapers continued to function just as before.

Oh dear.

While the BBC is owned by the state, it is supposed to be independent of the government of the day (and all sorts of safeguards and guarantees have existed over the years to theoretically keep things this way). The post of Director General is no way comparable to a member of the Cabinet, in other words. Milne was nevertheless sacked (in a complicated round-about way) by the Thatcher government at the beginning of 1987 because he was a nuisance.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That's because it was replaced by the Greater London Council (GLC). You can read a very good short history of the GLC (and the Thatcher government's role in its demise) here.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

(which, BTW, I have absolutely no idea, since it was modified before I arrived)

Oh, it was just a reference (an incredibly obvious one) to the Wizard of Oz.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I will be moderating this thread HEAVILY. Be warned.

Thank You, Alfleitch. Thank you.

I cried today. That is all I can say. I cried. I am devastated by the loss of the woman I admired more than any other.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

"She did not lead Britain. She saved Britain."

[Leftbehind]

Definitely changed the world, regardless of your opinion of her.

Well you could grant that to all manner of horrific leaders so I suppose that's a fitting legacy.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I considered being solemn, but after seeing how the right reacted to Chavez's death I can't help but feel a bit of joy inside, however much I remind myself that she's still a human being.

[BluegrassBlueVote]

"Manchester United announced that they would not be honouring the former PM with a minute's silence prior to their match against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford"

http://sidespin.kinja.com/margaret-thatcher-and-her-attempts-to-destroy-english-f-471243555?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

An Argentine player (Aguero) ended up scoring the winning goal. Heh.

Awesome.

[Supersonic]

I considered being solemn, but after seeing how the right reacted to Chavez's death I can't help but feel a bit of joy inside, however much I remind myself that she's still a human being.

Why do you feel joy when a women who has been out of power for 23 years, and was suffering with alzheimers, has died?

"Manchester United announced that they would not be honouring the former PM with a minute's silence prior to their match against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford"

http://sidespin.kinja.com/margaret-thatcher-and-her-attempts-to-destroy-english-f-471243555?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

An Argentine player (Aguero) ended up scoring the winning goal. Heh.

Awesome.

That's quite amusing, aha.

[All Along The Watchtower]

The double standard by the Right re: Chavez and Thatcher is utterly ridiculous.

On Chavez: "Good riddance to the evil Commie dictator!"
On Thatcher: "Please have class and respect the dead!"

F-ck that.

[You kip if you want to...]

I will be moderating this thread HEAVILY. Be warned.

Thank You, Alfleitch. Thank you.

I cried today. That is all I can say. I cried. I am devastated by the loss of the woman I admired more than any other.

lol, sad.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I considered being solemn, but after seeing how the right reacted to Chavez's death I can't help but feel a bit of joy inside, however much I remind myself that she's still a human being.

The double standard by the Right re: Chavez and Thatcher is utterly ridiculous.

On Chavez: "Good riddance to the evil Commie dictator!"
On Thatcher: "Please have class and respect the dead!"

F-ck that.

Do you not understand that Chavez was a thug who forced his policies through as any dictator would? Do you not get the basic fact that Thatcher lost her share of political battles, while Chavez always won because he was the Nixon of South America? Thatcher was a democratic leader, and like her or not, deserves some respect, as does Obama, Jack Layton, or any other democratic leader. You are the hypocrite. Hypocrite is the only nice thing one can say, in fact. You are just being repulsive. Take a page from Ed Milliband (who I think will be the Labor version of Thatcher come 2015)...

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I will be moderating this thread HEAVILY. Be warned.

Thank You, Alfleitch. Thank you.

I cried today. That is all I can say. I cried. I am devastated by the loss of the woman I admired more than any other.

lol, sad.

Grow up.

I considered being solemn, but after seeing how the right reacted to Chavez's death I can't help but feel a bit of joy inside, however much I remind myself that she's still a human being.

Why do you feel joy when a women who has been out of power for 23 years, and was suffering with alzheimers, has died?

"Manchester United announced that they would not be honouring the former PM with a minute's silence prior to their match against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford"

http://sidespin.kinja.com/margaret-thatcher-and-her-attempts-to-destroy-english-f-471243555?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

An Argentine player (Aguero) ended up scoring the winning goal. Heh.

Awesome.

That's quite amusing, aha.

Ironic. I guess Argentina gets the last laugh this time.

[You kip if you want to...]

So this just happened like 10 minutes from where I live. Seen it on twitter.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHW8lAyCAAAXbqV.jpg:large