The Death of Thatcher

I was standing in a gun shop, looking at ammunition, and a complete stranger from some random American town started asking me about what I thought about The Iron Lady.

I've seen various comments on the Internet over the past few days in the wake of her recent passing on April 8th, and some of the comments have been excessively vitriolic in my opinion.  I've also read of some pretty violent protests in England, and that some websites have had to close comments sections because of abuse.

I think anyone who has read my blog will agree that Thatcher and I share very few political values.  She was a staunch right winger, and certainly far too hard line in many areas.  However, she was an elected leader, the first elected female leader of Great Britain, and her popularity allowed her multiple reelections over the years.

For me, the time to protest her actions and policies was way back when she was in power.  Using the passing of a frail 87 year old woman to spout nasty opinions or protest in the streets is frankly just sick, and has no place in civilized society.

And for those who want to bitch about all the mistakes she made, let me remind you of Neil Kinnock.  Neil was a balding Welshman, who shouted, and ranted, and never once showed any kind of potential as a replacement for Thatcher.

To use a modern example, when George Bush was reelected in 2004, Democrats only had themselves to blame.  Bush was deeply unpopular and a moron, but John Kerry was boring, lacked charisma, and actually managed to get his record as a military hero who saved the lives of his comrades in battle called into question.  He ran a terrible campaign and never captured the imagination of the American people.  Surely if the Democrats had produced a viable candidate, Bush might have remained a one term President, like his father.

I was living in England during the Thatcher era, and even as a young boy I could see the lack of appeal of Neil Kinnock.  He spouted outmoded ideas, and just seemed like an angry white dude versus the cool and calm Thatcher.

It was only years later that a young Tony Blair was able to seize power over the Labour Party, rebrand it, and finally make it a winning party again.

So for those Thatcher detractors, I say cast your mind back, and tell me that in all seriousness, Neil Kinnock would have done a better job at running the country.  And I also say to the Thatcher detractors who chose to mark the passing of this strong leader with violence and hostility; give it a rest.  She has not held a position of power for two decades, and for the last decade has been too frail to even speak publicly.

It's very easy to look back and try and judge a leader from another era, but the 80s were very different times.  For me personally, I think that Lady Thatcher did what she thought was right.  She was a strong and principled leader, who commanded much respect both domestically and globally.  She gave many years of service to the country, and demonstrated that you don't have to be a man to run a country.

I choose to remember the woman who stood up and fought for the Falkland Islands.  The women who went toe to toe with the old white men and would not back down.  She was a visionary, and an inspirational leader of her time.  It is time to forgive her mistakes, celebrate her achievements, and show some respect and compassion in the wake of her death.