For the umpteenth time, I said that expressing discontent with her tenure - and even herself - is fine. What I object to is the appalling treatment of the situation over the past two days. Throwing celebrations when this may be a hard time for family...really?

I haven't condoned any of at behaviour. I was addressing another post.

I fail to see how throwing parties and celebrations over a dead woman will get anyone anywhere but I fully understand why.

How is her daughter being gay on the same wavelength as her son being a criminal?

The celebrations are a difficult area for me. Personally speaking I don't think I could ever celebrate someone's death, I found it quite disturbing when people were rejoicing at the deaths of Osama Bin Laden and Gaddafi, they're still human beings at the end of the day with families and friends, and the same applies here - death is a very difficult aspect of life and I don't think there's cause for a party to be thrown no matter who the person is. But having said that I can understand why some people may be doing so, let's not forget how many people's lives this woman ruined, many of whom will have experienced decades of misery as a result of her policies. So I don't necessarily condone the celebrations, but I can understand the reasoning behind them. I'm not happy she's dead, but I'm not exactly sad either...I'm indifferent to it, and like I said, I don't think her death really changes anything, her legacy still lives on and we're still feeling the effects of her policies and ideology today, so it's not really going to change much.

Thatcher's legacy has been debated for years since she left office though, I actually got into a drunken debate (well, an agreeable discussion to be honest) with a random man on a night out on Saturday and it's freaked me out that this happened a day later, so it's not as if her passing has suddenly started people talking about her, it's just become more widespread which isn't really that surprising - it's like how people started buying Michael Jackson's music again when he died.

There is no room for sentiment, no rose tinted spectacles...And she I would think would fully respect this opinion.
If I thought for one second that anything she did was for the benefit of everyone in the UK I would think differently... Unfortunately I don't.

That's subjective and a mere matter of opinion.

Excellent column by Russell Brand on Thatcher:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...her?CMP=twt_gu

I found this bit particularly thought-provoking. Some fair points made:

Never thought I'd say this but I agree with Russell Brand. Truth in every word.

Always strikes me as odd when people try to make her out to be a hero for women.

She was an icon of selfishness.

But I did like his way of eloquently expressing the fact that the "monster" more than likely died when she blubbed her way out of number 10 and on Monday a simple, frail, old lady died who spent many of her final days watering flowers.

But then, as kizzy said, she would most likely respect and not give two hoots about the street parties and strong opinions because she reinforced the "don't give a crap about others" attitude.

Yes it is, this is the subject and that's my opinion redway.

The way you phrased that I thought you were saying that there's nothing subjective about it but fair enough if that's what you meant.

Just let it go Redway. i appreciate what you're saying, but I think there is a Bandwagon going on in here, and unless you're willing to jump aboard I think it's best to just leave them be.

You have been reasonable and coherent unlike most of the people in this thread. Just let them alone, let them enjoy their macabre parade.

I don't know why you have to dramatise everything Alex.

Kizzy had an opinion, Redway had another and they got their wires crossed. Nothing else to it.

No, I'm not being dramatic. There is definitely palpable hostility towards anyone who isn't celebrating Baroness Thatcher's death in this thread.

What clarity, I love this even though he is very wordy the directness of what he says shines through in his writing.

It is as I have said before a laissez faire ideology that drove thatcher.

''It was to these ideals of self-help and sturdy independence that Margaret Thatcher looked when, as Britain's prime minister from 1979 to 1990, she sought to revive the country's flagging fortunes. She called for a return to 'Victorian values' - by which she meant rolling back the powers of the state, lowering levels of direct taxation and encouraging people to stand on their own feet''

Except she got it totally wrong, far from allowing people to stand on their own two feet she pulled the rug from under so many the whole country fell on it's arse!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/v...faire_02.shtml

No there is not... this is in serious debates and it is being debated if we all had the same viewpoint it would be a pretty shoddy debate...
Arista wanted us to express our feelings here, this is not simply a condolence thread is it?

It's sad that she died I suppose, but the damage she caused to this country is something that still deeply affects us to this day, so I can see why people might rejoice at her death.

Despite my own extreme dislike not only towards her policies and actions in government, but also to her as a person, I think celebrating the passing of someone in ways that have been seen in the past few days is in very poor taste indeed - this is someone's mother after all. I think a better reaction would be to offer none entirely. So I'm indifferent to all of this, as I'd much rather forget about her and the unfortunate period of time in which this country fell under her control.

Pretty much my feelings on the matter too, I can't wait for all this to blow over.

I hate most Politicians, and Margaret Thatcher may have had her bad sides, but was she really so bad that people are willing to celebrate her death? Shouldn't celebrations like that be saved for when people like Ian Huntley dies?

The Margaret Thatcher government's policies led fairly directly to the TV show, Big Brother starting.

I'm serious. See the 1990 Broadcasting Act and specifically the 25% independent production company quota, designed to promote more competition, that was imposed on channels which encouraged Endemol UK amongst others.

Also, of course, the setting up of Channel 4 which, as far as I understand it, has always used independent production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Televis...ent_production

If you think that's going to change my opinion you're wrong :idc:
Was that her parting shot then, what was that designed to achieve?

I may be repeating things here, but anyway: I was not a fan of people celebrating Bin Laden's death, and I am definitely not a fan of people celebrating Thatcher's death. No one has to feel remorse in her death, but celebrating the death of another human being no matter how bad, or evil, rubs me the wrong way.

I do find it funny though how American conservatives are hailing her as some kind of hero, when compared to what they want, she is probably much more to the left.

obviously American conservatives are reacting to her foreign policies. They don't give a crap about her domestic policies. the fact is Thatcher was a staunch supporter of Democracy, and staunchly against Communism. That's what the 80's were about, and she was a key player in Reagan's successful push to end Communism and oppression in eastern europe and Russia.

And I don't think it's just American Conservatives that celebrate what Reagan and Thatcher did in that regard. Obviously Reagan's domestic policies were controversial here, and Thatcher's domestic policies were controversial in Britain, but SOME PEOPLE are not as insular as you, some people, look at things on a broader more global scale.

The whole world is not just America and the UK, just so you know.

Thank you for reminding me, I always seem to forget.

I was making a point about American conservatives who have been praising her for her economic policies in Britain if you happen to be watching Fox News or are living one the largest hot bed of economic conservatives in the world( as I do). I do not live in France, for example, so I did not make a comment about their media's attitude towards Thatcher death since I am not watching any French news reports at the moment.

Unlike some people, I don't go sprouting out **** about stuff I have no idea about. (I am referring to you here)

Well I don't do that, so you are just plain wrong again. That's like the fourteenth thing that you've been wrong about in this thread. You just keep on saying things that aren't true.

I've posted twice, so I must not be doing very good