Happy Birthday to The Iron Lady
Margaret Thatcher is 80 today. She's having a celebration with 650 guests, including loads of celebrities; not least amongst them the UK celebrity of celebrities of the centuries - the Queen; who, apparently, rarely attends personal celebrations of serving or former prime ministers.
The British can't handle heroes.
In the UK, you rarely hear much good said about Margaret Thatcher and her years as premier. Outside the UK, it's a different story. The Iron Lady is a well-respected figure - spoken of fondly as La Dama de Hierro, die eisendame, and suchlike, and highly esteemed as a public speaker.
What Maggie did was to give us just what we wanted. And now we've got it, we're not satisfied. "It's all materialism now", we say, looking at everyone around us, but not at ourselves; and blaming Maggie 'cos we can't handle it.
No. To me, there was only one problem with the Thatcher government, and that was most of the other people in government with her. Blokes are bitchy: I know, I've worked in offices with just blokes and ones with just women. I can tell you, blokes are bitchier than women: probably because their self-esteem is more vulnerable, and they need to bolster it up by knocking others down. I heard a telling story. When she needed to have a blow-out, as relief, Maggie did not call on any of her party colleagues: it was with her secretary, another female, that she could share a bottle of whisky in a late-night session and burn the current stress out of her system. (Her husband was her great support too, of course.) And we, the public, aren't much better than her colleagues: as with Churchill immediately after the war, we're quick to get rid of our premiers once they've delivered.
Passion and strength.
Take a look at the leaders of her party since her demise: John Major, William Hague, another (I honestly can't remember his name: I know we were supposed to remember him by three initials, like TDC, or something like that), Michael Howard, and whoever's next, so far. See any towers of strength there? Where are they - all these people 'born to be leaders'; conditioned in public schools and academies to know their place at the top?
Since her time, I haven't heard a speech with the passion and strength that Maggie gave. All of the successive Tory leaders have been weak of voice; the Labour leader lost conviction and blew his credibility with his unremitting blind faith in WMDs, his overweening faith in the use of a Press Spokesperson, and his practical disbelief in his stated credo of openness; and the Chancellor, from his very first speech, has used the first person singular as if we had elected him rather than a whole government.
And just in case you're in doubt, I'm no right winger - check out the other posts here.
Anyway, bloody great innings, Mag. Thanks.
The British can't handle heroes.
In the UK, you rarely hear much good said about Margaret Thatcher and her years as premier. Outside the UK, it's a different story. The Iron Lady is a well-respected figure - spoken of fondly as La Dama de Hierro, die eisendame, and suchlike, and highly esteemed as a public speaker.
What Maggie did was to give us just what we wanted. And now we've got it, we're not satisfied. "It's all materialism now", we say, looking at everyone around us, but not at ourselves; and blaming Maggie 'cos we can't handle it.
No. To me, there was only one problem with the Thatcher government, and that was most of the other people in government with her. Blokes are bitchy: I know, I've worked in offices with just blokes and ones with just women. I can tell you, blokes are bitchier than women: probably because their self-esteem is more vulnerable, and they need to bolster it up by knocking others down. I heard a telling story. When she needed to have a blow-out, as relief, Maggie did not call on any of her party colleagues: it was with her secretary, another female, that she could share a bottle of whisky in a late-night session and burn the current stress out of her system. (Her husband was her great support too, of course.) And we, the public, aren't much better than her colleagues: as with Churchill immediately after the war, we're quick to get rid of our premiers once they've delivered.
Passion and strength.
Take a look at the leaders of her party since her demise: John Major, William Hague, another (I honestly can't remember his name: I know we were supposed to remember him by three initials, like TDC, or something like that), Michael Howard, and whoever's next, so far. See any towers of strength there? Where are they - all these people 'born to be leaders'; conditioned in public schools and academies to know their place at the top?
Since her time, I haven't heard a speech with the passion and strength that Maggie gave. All of the successive Tory leaders have been weak of voice; the Labour leader lost conviction and blew his credibility with his unremitting blind faith in WMDs, his overweening faith in the use of a Press Spokesperson, and his practical disbelief in his stated credo of openness; and the Chancellor, from his very first speech, has used the first person singular as if we had elected him rather than a whole government.
And just in case you're in doubt, I'm no right winger - check out the other posts here.
Anyway, bloody great innings, Mag. Thanks.
posted by deCinabre at 10:51 AM
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