The Thatcher debate
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 | Religion & Politics, Thoughts
I was only four years old when Margaret Thatcher stepped down as Prime Minister. But to say that I, or any of us in my peer group where after Thatcher’s time is naive – we were born to a generation entangled with Thatcherism and grew up in a landscape that had been radically altered by her eleven years in the post.
My interest in the debate is greater provoked by the outpouring of vile and hatred that has spewed forth since Baroness Thatcher’s passing. This is of course different from the calm and rational discourse surrounding her policies and impact that should, indeed must be had.
But if you are unable to separate a discussion on ideas, from a personal attack designed only to draw offense, I am going to treat you with the same contempt that the simple minded religious bigot deserves. In fact, I’m going to argue against you, to take up arms I don’t even believe in, to provide Devil’s Advocacy against your arguments.
As Norm points out, it seems you are refused permission to have a balanced argument on Thatcher. You must hate her with every cell in your body, or prostrate your unworthy self at her feet in admiration – god help you if you were to think some of the things she did were good and some of the things she did were bad.
This black and white vision of reality, insisting she is the Devil himself in female form (by the way, we had a female head of government 34 years ago, is nobody else proud of that?) has no place intelligent conversation. A debate on the evils (or otherwise) of the 1980’s Conservative government however, is very much welcome.
I was only four years old when Margaret Thatcher stepped down as Prime Minister. But to say that I, or any of us in my peer group where after Thatcher’s time is naive – we were born to a generation entangled with Thatcherism and grew up in a landscape that had been radically altered by her eleven years in the post.
My interest in the debate is greater provoked by the outpouring of vile and hatred that has spewed forth since Baroness Thatcher’s passing. This is of course different from the calm and rational discourse surrounding her policies and impact that should, indeed must be had.
But if you are unable to separate a discussion on ideas, from a personal attack designed only to draw offense, I am going to treat you with the same contempt that the simple minded religious bigot deserves. In fact, I’m going to argue against you, to take up arms I don’t even believe in, to provide Devil’s Advocacy against your arguments.
As Norm points out, it seems you are refused permission to have a balanced argument on Thatcher. You must hate her with every cell in your body, or prostrate your unworthy self at her feet in admiration – god help you if you were to think some of the things she did were good and some of the things she did were bad.
This black and white vision of reality, insisting she is the Devil himself in female form (by the way, we had a female head of government 34 years ago, is nobody else proud of that?) has no place intelligent conversation. A debate on the evils (or otherwise) of the 1980’s Conservative government however, is very much welcome.
