MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Thatcherism spread far and wide but with a hollowed middle class, for how long?
By Gwynne Dyer - Margaret Thatcher was the woman who began the shift to the right that has affected almost all the countries of the West in the past three decades. But it is an open question whether even the crash of 2008 and the ensuing prolonged recession have finally ended the long reign of her ideas in Western politics. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesPeople makes peace. Thatcher makes war. Britain is weak today because the “iron lady” existed! In the past, british is a great empire, and the your culture is the culture of peace. The iron lady is a terror for the British Cultural Empire. Like Robes Pierre to France!
Apr 13th, 2013 - 01:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0It is quite irritating when someone talks of the “west” as some homogenous entity that moves in unison or has the same politics or culture running through it.
Apr 13th, 2013 - 01:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0“The powerful middle class on which she founded her political strategy has been hollowed out by the very success of the free-market policies she promoted. ”
Really? Where has it been hollowed out? Gwynne only gives an example of income stagnation in the US. Hardly a case of hollowing out. To hollow out the middle calss would be to either make them to rich to no longer be middle class, or make them too poor.
“The time may be coming when gaining the votes of the poor will once again be essential to win elections.”
Why of course, let's keep them poor so they remain a voting block. Perhaps making them aspirational voters and help them become part of the middle class. Even 30 years of stagnating income in the middle class is better than being poor. Perhaps this is where the hollowed out middle class has gone; to being poor?
Perhaps there are less poor because they were given control and the ability to be middle class.
“began the shift to the right that has affected almost all the countries of the West in the past three decades”
Really? I would have to say that the prolific spending that has blighted so many countries in Europe is not exactly a shining example of a shift to the right. The amount of welfare spending and inability to manage a balanced budget is not exactly Thatcherism now is it?
The author contradicts herself and really seems to want to lay any and every aspect of issues in the “west” at the foot of Thatcher. Funily enough control is what Thatcherism preached most. Take control of your own lives and own future and stop playing the victim.
Seems for some people, playing the victim is supposedly a consequence of Thatcherism.
So glad I don't seem to live in the “west” that Gwynne sees.
Brasileiro
Apr 13th, 2013 - 08:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0Question, just exactly who started the Falklands war?
Can not wait to read your answer!
@1 Funny comment. A little way from where you appear to be is a “country” engaging in economic warfare against a territory 0.006% of its size. And losing. The belligerent says it wants “peace”. But what it actually wants is “the piece”. Much like Hitler wanted the Sudetanland. And Czechoslovakia. And Poland. Yes, the UK fights wars. Defensively. WW1 - defensive. WW2 - defensive. Falkands - defensive. The Gulf - in defence of Kuwait. Iraq - in defence of Kurds, possible re-invasion of Kuwait, potential threats to surrounding countries. Afghanistan - in defence of ordinary Afghan people, against Taliban and Al Qaeda. Libya - in defence of ordinary Libyans against megalomaniac “leader”. Time to remember that Britain, being a nuclear power, a member of NATO and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, bears more responsibility to act than many others. And how is the UK “weak”? In terms of armed forces, Britain has fewer active personnel than Brazil BUT, in terms of vessels, its navy is comparable and more advanced. In terms of air power, it has more, and more advanced, aircraft than Brazil. On the ground, the British Army has far more armoured vehicles, far more vehicles generally, and far more helicopters. Economically, Britain has returned to its place ahead of Brazil BUT it has a per capita PPP GDP of US$36,728 compared to Brazil's US$11,769. We have a culture of peace. Until someone picks on us, our friends or those we protect. At which point we can become very nasty. As places like Germany and argieland have found out!
Apr 13th, 2013 - 10:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0“People makes peace. Thatcher makes war.”
Apr 13th, 2013 - 11:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0So, she started the Falklands War for example?
Really?
Crikey!
Best tell the rest of the world to change their history then.
People makes peace. Thatcher makes war
Apr 13th, 2013 - 02:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Tip Brasileiro , google General Leopoldo Galtieri
@Anglotino
Apr 13th, 2013 - 04:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Gwynne Dyer - 'liberal' journalist
http://gwynnedyer.com/
@ 3
Apr 13th, 2013 - 06:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Your question? Beautiful!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LveS3tx-6cQ&list=FLmXPTu1f8AdGlizWNiASx2A
put it this way,
Apr 13th, 2013 - 06:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0without maggie, argentina would today be in stanley,
maggie was good, the junta was bad,
the junta started the war,
maggie mearly finnished it.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
its that simple.
Like that?
Apr 13th, 2013 - 07:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuUCSw0LyEA&list=FLmXPTu1f8AdGlizWNiASx2A
Somehow I knew I would get a sensible answer.
Apr 13th, 2013 - 09:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There is no middle class anymore in the UK, the fools haven't figured that out yet, but will when it's to late.
Apr 13th, 2013 - 10:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@12Dildo
Apr 14th, 2013 - 03:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0“There is no middle class anymore in the UK, the fools haven't figured that out yet, but will when it's to late.”
You're confused, or 'projecting'.
You mean, “in Argentina”, right??
Little time left for the CFK regime...
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