Death of a Neo-Con Icon

The death of Margaret Thatcher the standard bearer of the Neo-Cons (British neoconservatives - fundamentally opposed to the idea of social justice) has already generated so much media coverage, and will continue until that gun carriage procession next week.  Over the next few days I’ll have to turn to a book and 'On Demand' for respite. My neighbour says good riddance. Venerated or vilified, the iron lady cannot be ignored.

The lady's ideology had some unintended consequences in both directions. From my perspective closing the coal mines was a good move for climate change, although my stereotypical view of Maggie suggests it is probably the last cause she would have supported. The following CSpan video of her presentation to the UN in 1989 suggests I am woefully wrong) : Margaret Thatcher on Climate Change and Environment | Climate ...

But her approach to mining communities was ruthless and vindictive. She was neither concerned nor sympathetic about the plight of thousands of families left unemployed. She believed striking miners were simply using an opportunity to undermine democracy; they were the enemy within. 

I don’t think she thought through what impact her actions would have on the wider society. In that respect her leadership was irresponsible. She replaced Britain’s manufacturing base with financial services and we are all living with the consequences of that today. She knew how to demolish but not how to build.

The selling off of social housing, part of the post-war settlement between the State and its citizens, has turned into a chronic shortage of affordable housing today. Stopping the daily half pint of cow’s milk for school children generated widespread wrath and got her labelled ‘Thatcher Milk Snatcher’. As far as I am concerned the stuff that comes from modern day cows with all those added growth hormones, are unfit for consumption by small children; so that one was a good move from my personal perspective.

Going to war against The Falkland Islands earned her a landslide victory at the next election, but in the end her own Cabinet decided the country had had enough of the Iron Lady.  Ironically New Labour ended up following much of Mrs Thatcher’s neo-con manifesto. Oh well, such is the world of politics.

Comments

  1. Carole Pluckrose9 April 2013 at 03:18

    As ever insightful! A canter through the deeds done and a reflection of the unintended consequences interesting in considering what MT will be remembered for. Fasting sounds like its going very well !

    ReplyDelete
  2. AJ9 April 2013 at 19:49

    All I know is dat a was deeeelighted when we were no longer forced to drink that milk anymore at school.

    ReplyDelete

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