My compliments to Chien22 and how he put his words forward and showed respect in his own way not getting caught up with the band wagon .
Was married to a Scot in the Thatcher era:
There are still debating the appropriateness of various reactions to Thatcher’s death.
Here, Rex Murphy argues that the anti-Thatcher responses show a lack of respect, a quality that is more and more missing from everyday society.
fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/04/13/rex/
But here, a writer in the Guardian says that the anti-responses are totally appropriate if nothing more than for balancing all the positive tributes that gush from supporters.
guardian.co.uk/commentisfree … -etiquette
And I can agree with both. For me, the line is how personal the comment. “Ding Dong, the witch is dead” is personal and excessive. But the Loach comment (above), seems fair as he is commenting on a political agenda that Thatcher advocated.
It’s out of place and nothing less than despicable.
Margaret Thatcher never lost an election. She won three majorities, and was the longest serving British PM of the 20th century. The country was in a mess when she was first elected, and better off when she left. She did not waffle, and simply did what needed to be done. Many of those unpopular reforms were kept by subsequent Labour government.
The people who despise Thatcher are the ones with a problem. She was the right leader at the right time.
[quote=“crazy Horse”]Margaret Thatcher never lost an election. She won three majorities, and was the longest serving British PM of the 20th century. The country was in a mess when she was first elected, and better off when she left. She did not waffle, and simply did what needed to be done. Many of those unpopular reforms were kept by subsequent Labour government.
The people who despise Thatcher are the ones with a problem. She was the right leader at the right time.[/quote]
I am not saying you are wrong. And I have no problem with Picnik saying the Loach comment is out of place and nothing less than despicable. My interest in this topic is how we respond to the death of public figures especially polarizing public figures.
The Guardian article pointed out that it is totally appropriate for someone to say what you just said without consideration for the feelings of the people who were on the other end of Thatcher’s policies. Again maybe your assessment is the correct one, but obviously others disagree. Do we ignore them and expect them to remain silent despite the obvious hurt and anger they feel.
I am certainly not condoning the mob mentality that upsets Rex Murphy. If you feel that much hatred that you would gleefully dance in the street at the death of a politician who has been out of office for over 20 years then you certainly do have a problem.
On the other hand, what should be considered fair comment. And how long should critics remain respectfully silent? I am genuinely interested in the answers to those questions.
[quote=“DWhite”]
On the other hand, what should be considered fair comment. And how long should critics remain respectfully silent? I am genuinely interested in the answers to those questions.[/quote]
I think it is just a reflection of society now. Probably 30 or 40 years ago the reaction would have been muted out of respect for the position the deceased held.
I thought that when Jack Layton passed away, there was genuine respect from all around the political scope, but then again he didn’t govern a country or impose controversial measures. But Trudeau did, and honestly I don’t remember the reaction being this nasty.
But the vehemence we see in some of these demonstrations is on par with the death of Saddam Hussein, it doesn’t seem right.
When Ralph Klein passed away, even his harshest vocal critics have nothing but respects for him.
I guess it’s because regardless of politics, people like him because he’s Ralph.
Thatcher wasn’t a Jack Layton or Ralph Klien she was Ronald Reagan/Brian Mulroney national stature. She gave Britain a kick in the nuts that was needed at the time but really upset the status quo doing so. They either hated her guts or loved her. There was no comparison with the voters until the last decade’s polarization in the USA. Look at the spiteful, hateful rhetoric about Obama.
Rex Murphy is a little off, of course some people are guilty of disrespect. They didn’t repect her in office, obviously don’t now and never will.
Maybe compare her to Pierre Trudeau. I met a lot of people with nasty things to say when he passed away. Hear a lot of people with the same nasty things to say now - even though they’re way too young to have ever known for sure and are only spouting shit they heard Daddy and Mommy say.