Thatcher was never frightened by her opponents when she was alive. She made short work of their misogyny and insults and won the argument each time. That said, Section 28 was a shameful blight on her legacy and should never have been enacted. But she still saved Britain and will be remembered long after any of us have died. RIP.
@5 Much like her good friend Pinochet - she will most probably be remembered for allot of years and then when they dig through the austerity crisis to its ideological roots and find her sitting there I bet she'll be remembered even more.
Perhaps the Black Brits living in Brixton may remember her fondly? Or the Unionists in the North? The Irish? The LGBT community? Perhaps the feminists she hated so much? Poor people who she considered ripe for taxing?
To gloss over her colossal failings because of her sex is sexist, right? I mean, yeah, being the first female prime minister is a big deal, and that shouldn't be forgotten, but neither should everything she did wrong, as @6 points out.
@3: Yup, can't argue with that. According to your bizarre and disturbing suggestion, at this rate, everyone will be queer in about...1173 years. I'm dead serious, I did a linear regression and everything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1NyWbhCx…
Whatever happened to childhood?
We're all scared of the kids in our neighboorhood;
They're not small, charming and harmless,
They're a violent bunch of bastard little shits.
And anyone who looks younger than me
Makes me check for my wallet, my phone and my keys,
And I'm tired of being tired out
Always being on the lookout for thieving gits.
We're all wondering how we ended up so scared;
We spent ten long years teaching our kids not to care
And that "there's no such thing as society" anyway,
And all the rich folks act surprised
When all sense of community dies,
But you just closed your eyes to the other sidev Of all the things that she did.
Thatcher f**ked the kids.
And it seems a little bit rich to me,
The way the rich only ever talk of charity
In times like the seventies, the broken down economy
Meant even the upper tier was needing some help.
But as soon as things look brighter,
Yeah the grin gets wider and the grip gets tighter,
And for every teenage tracksuit mugger
There's a guy in a suit who wouldn't lift a finger for anybody else.
You've got a generation raised on the welfare state,
Enjoyed all its benefits and did just great,
But as soon as they were settled as the richest of the rich,
They kicked away the ladder, told the rest of us that life's a bitch.
And it's no surprise that all the f**k-ups
Didn't show up until the kids had grown up.
But when no one ever smiles or ever helps a stranger,
Is it any f**king wonder our society's in danger of collapse?
So all the kids are bastards,
But don't blame them, yeah, they learn by example.
Blame the folks who sold the future for the highest bid:
That's right, Thatcher f**ked the kids
#11 - you are absolutely correct - a Brit would never say "gotten". That, plus the fact Cameron was not Prime Minister until 2010 calls into question the veracity of the 'quote'. But it is true that Cameron's Conservative Party is light years more gay friendly than Thatcher's. And, I believe, they actually have more out MPs than Labour.
Commenters above are correct in noting my misquote of David Cameron, who was Tory leader at the time of the 2009 apology. The correct quote: "I'm sorry for Section 28. We got it wrong. It was an emotional issue. We have got to move on and we have moved on." I've amended my quote on the post linked by Dan. - Joe Jervis/JoeMyGod.
@17
Oh look, pop-song-politics! Quick, let me dig out my Gary Numan LP! So powerful! So affective! So grim!
Hating on Thatcher is a parlor game among a certain narrow band of delinquents and Costa-del-Dole types. Ask your average Englishman if they want to go back to the labour policies of the 1970s they'll look at you like you asked them to kill their first born. It's why Labour dumped Clause 4 and the Conservatives are back in power.
Nice pop song btw, I wonder if Billy Bragg would be happy if he paid 90% marginal tax rates on his fat income?
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.
@14: Maybe! The logarithmic regression suggests that the population will be 100% gay in 1.36498 x 10^54 years, which is about one hundred triskaidekillion times the age of the universe at present. So thanks to your insight and my math skills, we have nothing to worry about!
Sadly, laws similar to Thatcher's Section 28 still exist in several states in the United States. More info on that (with quotes) here: http://www.youthallies.com/no-promo-homo…
After all, it is JUST AS GOOD as heterosexuality.
So the government should promote it.
Here in the US, promoting homosexuality is bearing fruits.
(HAHAHAHAAHA. we slay ourselves sometimes...)
Only 1.9 percent of Americans over 65 call themselves homosexual.
Fossils.
Won't they please hurry up and die?
However 3.2 percent of those between 30 and 49 self identify as homosexual.
Not too shabby.
But we can do better.
And 6.4 percent of those between 18 and 29 identify as homosexual.
Hot Damn!
WE'RE WINNING!!!!!
Promoting homosexuality works.
At this rate before too long everyone will be homosexual.
Maybe Venomwhore can do the math, numbers make our head dizzy...
That will be awesome.
Perhaps the Black Brits living in Brixton may remember her fondly? Or the Unionists in the North? The Irish? The LGBT community? Perhaps the feminists she hated so much? Poor people who she considered ripe for taxing?
She'll be remembered all right.
Btw Dan, I'm pretty sure thatcher and Reagan gave us all AIDS. I read it on a blog somewhere filled with angry poofs.
- Margaret Thatcher, speech to Conservative Party Conference, 1987
that sounds about right.
especially the regression part...
of course we may luck out, maybe it will increase logarithmically and we will get to the promised land sooner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQLQ1Rc_…
Whatever happened to childhood?
We're all scared of the kids in our neighboorhood;
They're not small, charming and harmless,
They're a violent bunch of bastard little shits.
And anyone who looks younger than me
Makes me check for my wallet, my phone and my keys,
And I'm tired of being tired out
Always being on the lookout for thieving gits.
We're all wondering how we ended up so scared;
We spent ten long years teaching our kids not to care
And that "there's no such thing as society" anyway,
And all the rich folks act surprised
When all sense of community dies,
But you just closed your eyes to the other sidev Of all the things that she did.
Thatcher f**ked the kids.
And it seems a little bit rich to me,
The way the rich only ever talk of charity
In times like the seventies, the broken down economy
Meant even the upper tier was needing some help.
But as soon as things look brighter,
Yeah the grin gets wider and the grip gets tighter,
And for every teenage tracksuit mugger
There's a guy in a suit who wouldn't lift a finger for anybody else.
You've got a generation raised on the welfare state,
Enjoyed all its benefits and did just great,
But as soon as they were settled as the richest of the rich,
They kicked away the ladder, told the rest of us that life's a bitch.
And it's no surprise that all the f**k-ups
Didn't show up until the kids had grown up.
But when no one ever smiles or ever helps a stranger,
Is it any f**king wonder our society's in danger of collapse?
So all the kids are bastards,
But don't blame them, yeah, they learn by example.
Blame the folks who sold the future for the highest bid:
That's right, Thatcher f**ked the kids
Oh look, pop-song-politics! Quick, let me dig out my Gary Numan LP! So powerful! So affective! So grim!
Hating on Thatcher is a parlor game among a certain narrow band of delinquents and Costa-del-Dole types. Ask your average Englishman if they want to go back to the labour policies of the 1970s they'll look at you like you asked them to kill their first born. It's why Labour dumped Clause 4 and the Conservatives are back in power.
Nice pop song btw, I wonder if Billy Bragg would be happy if he paid 90% marginal tax rates on his fat income?
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/…
Best,
Mike
(www.youthallies.com)
Best,
Mike
(www.youthallies.com)
Thanks to Margeret thatcher.
Blech.
Now go and learn how to spell.
Ugggggg. If we were living a week earlier, I'd have spread that article like butter:
"Look at the awesome Slate April Fool's joke! Hi-larious."
ftfy