Margaret Thatcher dies

[MrGongGong]

Make no mistake, the left have never forgiven Thatcher for defeating the socialists and the Robber baron trades unions that were crippling the country. She undoubtably rescued Britain (particularly Scotland) from the effects of the meltdown of industries that had a noble past, but no future.

A classic case of
"the operation was a great success but the patient died"

Some rescue........

Maybe the greatest "achievement" is in fooling people into thinking that there are only ever two ways of doing things ?
So if you object you are somehow in favour of Stalinist style genocide
such a lack of imagination from a country that created so many great inventions .... and we have been sadly stuck with this poverty of imagination ever since

"The Left" (where is the academic perspective these days ?)

[eighthobstruction]

Between 1979 and 1997 the Government raised, in cash terms, almost £70bn from privatisation, and approximately £80bn from taxation of North Sea oil (a much larger sum in today's money). I ask again: where did all that dosh end up? It does not appear to have gone on long term investment for the country's good.

Definitely....throughout both Thatcher and Major govt's NHS and Education Depts run down and were secondary to Monetarist policies (that's where the money went) So much so that schools were actually collapsing through neglect and had gone beyond the ability to repair. This is why NLabour had to spend so much on infrastructure (that they did some of it by PFI was a STUPID action), they also had to increase Doctors and Nurses/Professional health workers (That they created a large pool of Management was STUPID)....there was no compassion from the Tories for people waiting 3-5 years for hip replacements in South Yorkshire, nor for the children in damp classes with buckets catching the rain, coming to school breakfastless because the family was on the dole (those children are now adults, and if they care little for the morals of the Tory strongholds and well-healed, who can blame them....they were taught well by the Tories, that decades of hard work in unpleasant industries, for only moderate wages could be rewarded by industrial desolation across a whole swathe of Northern England, joblessness of 30% ) I feel no compassion for Thatcher and her like, none at all....No, No, No....to quote Maggie....

[mangerton]

Between 1979 and 1997 the Government raised, in cash terms, almost £70bn from privatisation, and approximately £80bn from taxation of North Sea oil (a much larger sum in today's money). I ask again: where did all that dosh end up? It does not appear to have gone on long term investment for the country's good.

I have been reading the comments of the usual suspects with great interest. I have refrained from comment, but my feelings about thatch have been made plain in previous posts over the last two years.

Rauschwerk, the answer to your question is that a very great deal of the £150bn you mention above was used for unemployment benefit, as it was then known, given to people thrown out of work by thatch's policies.

As Harold Macmillan pointed out, she sold the family silver, just as Gordon Broon was to sell the family gold.

[french frank]

I do think it is a very sad reflection on the prevailing tone of these boards that a perfectly standard wish that a deceased individual should RIP is considered to be "highly provocative" and I think that it was quite wrong of FF to remove it from the thread title. She says it is about being even-handed. I disagree. I think it is far from that. I am angered that it has been removed, as are others. What would have been even-handed would have been to leave the thread title alone and let posters debate the rights or wrongs.

Tough.

I removed amateur's 'Ding dong' thread title which, as everyone surely realises was a reference to 'Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead' and which offended her supporters. I removed RIP which offended her detractors. To complain that I replaced both with a plain title (neither overly respectful nor disrespectful) merely says you want to have it your way.

[Beef Oven]

A classic case of
"the operation was a great success but the patient died"

Some rescue........

Maybe the greatest "achievement" is in fooling people into thinking that there are only ever two ways of doing things ?
So if you object you are somehow in favour of Stalinist style genocide
such a lack of imagination from a country that created so many great inventions .... and we have been sadly stuck with this poverty of imagination ever since

"The Left" (where is the academic perspective these days ?)

MrGG, liberate us from our poverty of imagination. Set out your vision, with the 3 or 4 key steps required to get there. Nothing too complicated, just the broad-brush outline.

With thanks in advance

LvB

[MrGongGong]

Tough.
.

Good stuff French
Don't let the scriptwriters win .........

[MrGongGong]

MrGG, liberate us from our poverty of imagination. Set out your vision, with the 3 or 4 key steps required to get there. Nothing too complicated, just the broad-brush outline.

With thanks in advance

LvB

Come on you've been listening to Holger ...... it should be obvious

[Beef Oven]

Come on you've been listening to Holger ...... it should be obvious

Do not bring that near-genius' name into this sorry exchange.

Now come on, come out into the open. Set out your vision in a paragraph (if you can't, and I'm embarrassing you, please acccept my apology and understand that it was not my intention to make you uncomfortable).

[MrGongGong]

Do not bring that near-genius' name into this sorry exchange.

Now come on, come out into the open. Set out your vision in a paragraph (if you can't, and I'm embarrassing you, please acccept my apology and understand that it was not my intention to make you uncomfortable).

I don't have a "vision"
the problem is usually people who do have one

BUT

the world would be a better place if we stopped always seeing everything as a competition and rather as a series of collaborations
competition is fine if you are in a football match
but bloody useless if you are in an orchestra
and I know which of those is more important (to me at least )

(and if I might add Holger is not a "near" genius he is a complete god amongst men / women and the entire animal kingdom IMV)

[eighthobstruction]

ff do you think you can arrange for it that all my posts are displayed in the most desirable manner ? I suggest the top of every new page. I really don't think my posts and views get enough prominence. The fact they are haphazardly distibuted amongst the others seems deplorable.

[MrGongGong]

ff do you think you can arrange for it that all my posts are displayed in the most desirable manner ? I suggest the top of every new page. I really don't think my posts and views get enough prominence.

I guess you learnt that from Thatcher ?


"It's all about meeeeeeee"

[Beef Oven]

I don't have a "vision"
the problem is usually people who do have one

BUT

the world would be a better place if we stopped always seeing everything as a competition and rather as a series of collaborations
competition is fine if you are in a football match
but bloody useless if you are in an orchestra
and I know which of those is more important (to me at least )

(and if I might add Holger is not a "near" genius he is a complete god amongst men / women and the entire animal kingdom IMV)

I agree. The world would be a better place if we approached life as a series of challenges that need to be solved by collaborations.

But I don't get the sense that it's how our creator made us. A fundamental flaw in the domain assumption.

[eighthobstruction]

"Our Creator"....????

[MrGongGong]

:

But I don't get the sense that it's how our creator made us. A fundamental flaw in the domain assumption.

There is no creator
and we are by nature more collaborative than competitive in my experience
it doesn't take a genius to encourage that side of humanity

[Beef Oven]

(and if I might add Holger is not a "near" genius he is a complete god amongst men / women and the entire animal kingdom IMV)

You're actually thinking of Beethoven, but Holger is...........well, you almost nailed it