When will Thatcherism truly die? | The Jackal

15 Apr 2013

When will Thatcherism truly die?

Yesterday, an article by Maria Golovnina was reported by Stuff:

Only about 200 people turned up for a "party" in central London to celebrate the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a mass protest predicted by some failed to materialise.

Except the party in central London was far larger than Golovnina is reporting... The number of vehement critics of the “Iron Lady” who braved cold conditions to attend celebrations in Trafalgar Square was at least ten times that amount, with The Guardian reporting:

About 3,000 people gathered in the rain in Trafalgar Square on Saturday night to "celebrate" the demise of Margaret Thatcher. A few people chanted obscenities and at least two bottles were thrown at police, with the call of "Maggie Maggie Maggie, dead dead dead" ringing out intermittently.

Here's a video that confirms thousands of people attended:



Of course this hasn't stopped the right wing propagandist Cameron Slater regurgitating Golovnina's inaccurate article, also claiming that:

She really has had the last laugh, even in death she has defeated the pinkos.

Saying that Thatcher "has had the last laugh" is akin to rejoicing in the harm she has and continues to cause Great Britain... It's about as funny as Paula Bennett thinking child poverty is a laughing matter.

With decreased production, growing inequality, high unemployment and one of the worst poverty rates in Europe, it's pretty self-evident that even with the iron lady's demise, Thatcherism lives on. Those damning social indicators make me wonder why, with it totally failing in Great Britain, are we making the same mistakes here in New Zealand?

Thatcher's libertarianism caused untold social damage that adversely affected millions of British people, and no amount of disinformation from idiots like Slater and Golovnina is going to change that fact. There is no doubt that Britain is the worse for wear after Thatchers administration, which makes me wonder if Thatcherism, both there and abroad, will ever truly die?