Margaret Thatcher is dead.

[molly bloom]

I think molly's too bent out of shape over the anti gay stuff

Inadvertent pun one hopes. No, I lived here and know more about the times than you do- it's really that simple.

it was an inevitable consequence of the welfare state.

And look at all that proof you've assembled ! I'm so impressed.

[molly bloom]

It is in fact why they are so much poorer than the US.

Reagan's two terms saw the deficit increase from 900 billion to 3 trillion. Thatcher's second term saw the U.K. change from being an exporter to an importer. Voodoo economics.

From 1960-1990, U.K. share of the world manufaturing market halved. The U.S. share declined by over 5%, Japan's doubled, Germany's held steady and France saw a 1 per cent drop. (West) Germany had no North Sea oil or gas, a long-established welfare state (thanks to that well-known Commie, Bismarck!) and unions enjoying the kind of bargaining rights and particpation that American wage slaves can only dream about.

Including such far-fetched and unbelievable luxuries as the right to void their bowels at work. As one German worker quoted in 'Wal-Mart: the High Cost Of Low Price' mentioned, she couldn't understand why American workers employed by the same company as she was, didn't have the same amount of holidays and legal entitlements.

I do so enjoy your fantasy essayettes.

[molly bloom]

Reading comprehension fail.

I think you could expand on that. Comprehension comprehension fail.

[molly bloom]

Though, I can see him as a Conservative in Britain (which is, of course, where he's from). He'd fit in the current Tory Party pretty well.

There was (bizarrely) a lot of gay men in the Tory Party who adored her. Obviously not for the Nanny Dominatrix reasons- hetero Tory men of a certain background have early fixations on toilet training and the like....

My partner voted for her. And I always obliged by cancelling out his vote.

[kentonio]

Feel free to check the figures yourself. Labour won the 1945 election with a 'landslide' of under 50% of the votes cast. Same in 1950. In 1951 it lost to the Conservatives, despite getting almost 1% more votes.

The point is not that the % is wrong, but rather that it doesn't qualify as a mandate. Under our system it does and always has.

[Dauphin]

Feel free to check the figures yourself. Labour won the 1945 election with a 'landslide' of under 50% of the votes cast. Same in 1950. In 1951 it lost to the Conservatives, despite getting almost 1% more votes.

50 years ago was.... 1963.

Edit - Nevermind. I misread and so misunderstood why you were referring to the 40s and 50s when Krill referred to the last 50 years.

[The Mad Monk]

Yeah, it would clearly suck if the democratically elected president was allowed to actually carry out the policies he was elected on. You ****ers don't give a damn about democracy, you just want your own selfish desires realized, and **** the rest of the country.

The Congress was every bit as democratically elected as he was; moreso, if you consider the Electoral College.

[Imran Siddiqui]

There was (bizarrely) a lot of gay men in the Tory Party who adored her. Obviously not for the Nanny Dominatrix reasons- hetero Tory men of a certain background have early fixations on toilet training and the like....

My partner voted for her. And I always obliged by cancelling out his vote.

It's probably the reason that today you have the Conservative Party in favor of marriage equality (well, at least the majority of the Conservative Party).

[DinoDoc]

She was also one of the few Tories to push for decriminalization of his deviancy in the 1960's.

[Jon Miller]

The Congress was every bit as democratically elected as he was; moreso, if you consider the Electoral College.

Much less so if you consider gerrymandering.

JM

[snoopy369]

And his kids don't automatically get it when he dies.

You sure about that? *cough*GWB*cough*

Sasha 2048!

[DinoDoc]

You sure about that? *cough*GWB*cough*

Sasha 2048!

**** that. We've got Hillary vs Michelle 2016 to deal with first.

[Ben Kenobi]

It's probably the reason that today you have the Conservative Party in favor of marriage equality (well, at least the majority of the Conservative Party).

Not for much longer, you don't.

[Krill]

There was an insignificant effect on the Tory Party's vote share post-Falklands. She never had a mandate- at most she had 42-44% of votes cast on a 70-74% turnout. It was only our first past the post electoral system that gave her the parliamentary numbers.

Feel free to check the figures yourself. Labour won the 1945 election with a 'landslide' of under 50% of the votes cast. Same in 1950. In 1951 it lost to the Conservatives, despite getting almost 1% more votes.

I interpreted your original point to mean that only having 44% of the vote on a 70% turnout means that there is no mandate for change. Is this not a correct interpretation of your point?

[Krill]

Also, someone mentioned to me that paying for the funeral is a reasonable thing to do, even if you hated her. So long as we can make sure she gets cremated so she can't come back as a zombie. Which would be ****ing terrifying.