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Finding Good In Thatcher's Leadership
Not A Liberal Priority:
Finding Good in Her Death?
Cheers!
If the Rapepublicans and Tea Party conservatives are infuriating and mind-numbing, then the Dumbocrats and self-proclaimed liberals are similarly confusing and perplexing.
I've ranted recently against the ultra-right wing "rapepublicans" and all the absolutely idiotic comments they seem to be predestined to constantly make (rape being one of their favorite topics), and now it's time for me to give a bitch-slap to the other side of the political spectrum.
I'm commenting here about the varied reactions to the death of Margaret Thatcher. Particularly liberal reactions here in the United States.
Let's be clear: NO politician/leader is without fault. But some are more fault worthy than others. Hitler, Idi Amin, and Pol Pot immediately come to mind as being in the "more than" category.
A number of people today seem to find it fashionable to lean left with this sad news of Thatcher's death, and play up and reference articles that literally described her as "evil."
One article on the Guardian website was, as I commented to one person today, an interesting article. You can read it here.
It was, however, leftist in approach, yet cloaked with a false sense of 'objectivity.' One statement I found quite agreeable was this one:
"Former Tory MP Louise Mensch, with no apparent sense of irony, invoked precepts of propriety to announce: 'Pygmies of the left so predictably embarrassing yourselves, know this: Not a one of your leaders will ever be globally mourned like her."
How true.
If you read the last paragraph of the article, I would say that I don't disagree with the writer. I was put off, content notwithstanding, by the fact that it appeared on Michaelmoore.com, namesake of one of the biggest (pun not intended) hypocrites on the planet. But I digress…
Another comment was made by someone to a friend of mine that Thatcher "…was friends with Pinochet, and yet thought Nelson Mandela was a terrorist…her moral compass was seriously skewed…"
(This warrants a quick mention that even 'terrorists' can change, given Mandela's history as co-founder in 1961 of the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe group that espoused ideas of terrorism [and said as much] to achieve their goals. )
My response to the comment that Thatcher was 'friends' with Pinochet was this:
"So were the US governments during that time. Nations/leaders must pick and choose which dictators to support. That's ugly, but it's an ugly truth.
US presidents and leaders backed Egypt's Mubarak until Barak and Hillary called for his ouster during the so-called Arab Spring. That's worked out so very well for us and the rest of the world as political disasters continue to unfold there, moral compass aside.
With all due respect, yours is a straw man argument. I'm perplexed as to why so many presumably 'liberal' thinkers are so eager to discount many of the positive aspects of Thatcher's leadership.
What I read and hear is that those who are presumed to be so thoughtful, inclusive, and tolerant are no more so than the 'evil' ones they proclaim as enemies."
Finally, I just read another story from Reuters that was outlining this split between support-for-hatred-of Margaret Thatcher. This is one excerpt from that article:
"Opponents celebrated in London, the English city of Bristol and the Scottish city of Glasgow, cheering her death and toasting to the death of "the witch" with champagne and cider.
"We've waited a long time for her death," said Carl Chamberlain, 45, unemployed, sporting a grey ponytail and sipping on a can of cider in Brixton…"
Really, left wingers? Really, liberals? Really Labour Party supporters? Really, everyone?
What's wrong with people? What's wrong with the world?
I believe that folks intent on bashing Thatcher should re-read history. Then look at the state of affairs as they are today and tell me that being unemployed and drinking in a pub is the result of Thatcher, and not the subsequent 13 years of Labour Party policies.
Bottoms up and cheers!
Bottoms up and cheers!
Rick B. Baker
Rochester, NY
April 9, 2013
© 2013 R. Burnett Baker
