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You've never had it so bad...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
At least that's what we seem to think.
To an extent, I've gone along with that mindset. Until last night that was. Last night, I watch a biography of the "Thatcher Years" and I guess I had forgotten what went on during her "reign". When confronted with it, I realised that actually I cannot remember having things as good as we do now - and I will admit (although it galls me) that part of that is down to her and what she did. That said, most of what I am about to list was down to her too - and it's these things that make me put our problems now into some sort of perspective...
Now that list is only a summary, not a complete one.
So, should I really have have titled this "you've never had it so good"?
To an extent, I've gone along with that mindset. Until last night that was. Last night, I watch a biography of the "Thatcher Years" and I guess I had forgotten what went on during her "reign". When confronted with it, I realised that actually I cannot remember having things as good as we do now - and I will admit (although it galls me) that part of that is down to her and what she did. That said, most of what I am about to list was down to her too - and it's these things that make me put our problems now into some sort of perspective...
- Bombing of Tripoli
- Toxteth Riots
- Brixton Riots
- "Poll Tax" Riots
- Miners Riots
- Journalists Riots (Wapping) - do you get the sense of a theme here?
- Nurses Strikes
- Miners Strikes
- Steel Strikes
- Privatistation...
- Internal NHS Market
- The Poll Tax itself
- Interest rates at 15%
- Unemplyment at 3 million
- VAT Doubles
Now that list is only a summary, not a complete one.
So, should I really have have titled this "you've never had it so good"?
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Comments
I notice that your list of bad things are all quite short term and very specific to the Thatcher years, coulkd it be said that the short term pain of those times has contributed to long term gain now manifested in our current good situation?
What Thatcher poliices were you thinking of that you feel contributed to the current good times?
I agree that we have it much better than during the Thatcher years (some points one could add to your list are the destruction of workers' rights, a culture of extreme greed, negative equity, boom and bust, increased child poverty...). I guess the priorities and scrutiny of society change as we become more advanced.
Labour is suffering from second-term fatigue with the electorate and if the war on Iraq had not happened there would not be that many things to complain about. I'm still pretty unhappy with New Labour' love of the businessman and U-turn on privatisations and PPPs, as well as the odd sleaze and the Dome. But on the plus side there have been improvements in public services and some key policies have been introduced (minimum wage, devolution, abolition of Section 28).
The press long ago finished their honeymoon period with Blair and are now demanding action is taken to suit their agendas (left wing press arguing there's been too much change on public services, right wing press saying not nearly enough.
Ideally I'd like to see Blair and his cronies removed and a fresh-look Labour contest the next election. That ain't going to happen though, so I'm having to hold at the utopian dream of the Lib-Dems winning.
Hello stranger, back at uni (tax dodging!) again then...
They are short term, and it is the point I was trying to make.
We view things at present and criticise the current Govt for what they are doing. But look at that list - when was the last politically driven riot akin to those mentioned - can we count the MayDay protests along the same lines?
Apart from Iraq (which is pretty big I know), but how bad is this Govt really?
Specifically her anti-union legislation. Although it ultimately went to far, I do feel that it did more for this country than we give her credit for.
If you want anything else, I might have to think for a while.
I did a course on British economic history last year and from an economic point of view Thatchers reforms did not produce brilliant results at the time though the LR effects are more difficult toi assess...........
It did a lot of good for this country, not many people on here will remember three-day weeks, the Winter of Discontent, and just how frickin greedy the miners actually were. Same with the journos down in Wapping (though if theyd bottled Murdoch to death it would have been A Good Thing).
Thatcher is a bit too derided, tbh- I dont even disagree all that much with the Poll Tax, thinking back with the joy of hidsight it was a hell of a lot fairer than the council tax now, with old grandmas paying more than they earn or receive in tax.
But... I can't let Iraq pass. If not as if BLiar will even admit to his mistakes. As per the best tradition of corrupt, lying politicians and/or criminals, he's still denying he did anything wrong.
I agree. Yes, in the 1980s there were periods of trouble and economic hardship, but in general it was a means to an end. Now I'm not saying that this is OK, but I think people forget the positive legacy Thatcher left us.
Could it be said that British society now reflects a more materialistic, greedy and selfish culture?