Margaret Thatcher dead at 87, stroke (2 Viewers)

[SylviaB]

I wasn't talking about her approach to unionism so much as her obsession with privatisation and her closing of mines which lead to tens of thousands of workers being out of employment.

Western countries moved away from industrial economies without thatchers of their own.

Wouldn't put it past her,

idiot

though I didn't say that.

You might as well have.

The poll tax and ensuing riots.

The poll tax? Ha.

Even with a poll tax, the rich had a higher marginal income tax rate and paid the majority of all taxes.

 

[Okashi]

Thatcher didn't start the war in the Falklands...

She sent troops to defend a British overseas Territory that still expressed will in remaining with the UK.

Structural change must happen in economies. Manufacturing won't survive in most developed countries anyway so rather start the change earlier than later with the Asian boom.

 

[SylviaB]

"If today’s Guardian readers time-travelled to the late 70s they might be irritated to discover that tomorrow’s TV listings were a state secret not shared with daily newspapers. A special licence was granted exclusively to the Radio Times. (No wonder it sold 7m copies a week). It was illegal to put an extension lead on your phone. You would need to wait six weeks for an engineer. There was only one state-approved answering machine available. Your local electricity “board” could be a very unfriendly place. Thatcher swept away those state monopolies in the new coinage of “privatisation” and transformed daily life in a way we now take for granted. "

 

[SylviaB]

Policy Goals


Foreign Policy
Standing up to the Soviet Union
Standing up to other tyrants
Standing up to Europe and protecting British Sovereignty

Economic Policy

Privatizing nationalized industries
Liberalizing the financial sector
Significantly cutting tax for the rich
Significantly cutting tax for everybody
Significantly cutting tax for big businesses
Significantly cutting tax for small businesses
Significantly cutting public spending
Reducing red tape and regulations
Restricting the power of the trade unions
Tackling council overspending

Social Policy

Allowing council tenants to buy their own homes
Restricting immigration
Tackling crime and drugs
Tackling welfarism
Fighting political correctness
Fighting the decline in moral values
Improving education

This can then be divided into Goals Achieved and Goals Not Achieved:


Goals Achieved

Foreign Policy

Standing up to the Soviet Union

Economic Policy

Privatizing nationalized industries
Liberalizing the financial sector
Significantly cutting tax for the rich
Significantly cutting tax for big businesses
Restricting the power of the trade unions

Social Policy

Allowing council tenants to buy their own homes

Goals Not Achieved


Foreign Policy

Standing up to other tyrants
Standing up to Europe and protecting British Sovereignty

Economic Policy

Significantly cutting tax for everybody
Significantly cutting tax for small businesses
Significantly cutting public spending
Reducing red tape and regulations
Tackling council overspending

Social Policy

Restricting immigration
Tackling crime and drugs
Tackling welfarism
Fighting political correctness
Fighting the decline in moral values
Improving education