When asked about her platform at a Tory conference, she reportedly slammed a copy of ‘The road to Serfdom’ down in front her and said ‘this is my platform.’
She was a rising working class daughter, educated in a grammar school, who embraced free enterprise and was an unashamed patriot.
Now, her record is, at best, a mixed bag, but she was a leader we would all have in a heartbeat right now.
Edit: Also, EU delenda est. 
It seems the conversation has moved on since I was last on - but GDP is a crap way to measure the health or effectiveness of an economy. Its a myth pedalled by the people that an increase of GDP does help. IE the very fucking rich. GDP needs to die. Its like measures a business health on turn over.
I mean in 2007 - the GDP of the world was great. But the whole thing was built on a lie.
With regards to the other states that have experienced massive growth of GDP, you might as well be saying that since Slovakia joined the EU the milk is colder. Its just a “non starter”. Don’t care. Bad argument.
I’m aware its one of the four freedoms. That’s my point. The freedom of movement is a bad idea. There is simply no redeeming feature when you introduce impoverished nations into an area where freedom of movement is permitted. You end up with a “gold rush” to the rich nations. Leaving countries with nothing but OPAs. And no tax payers to fund their pension.
You mention wage growth in Spain. But wage suppression through out the rest of the EU is crippling. Look up “Nelly the globalization elephant” and the UK’s non compliance to the “Phillips Curve”.
With regards to Greece.
Greece was not and never was a socialist Government. Not sure why that was brought up. It’s not even been an independent state that long having been both a British and US protectorate since the civil war. 1970 something I think it became independent.
However the issue about Greece and EU is this. Sure Greece fucked up. So did the EU. One browed too much not lent too much. But after an vote for an end to austerity - what happened. The EU used all of its political power to keep Greece trapped. Have you been to Greece or know any one if Greece right now? I do. They are still unable to with draw more then 300 euro a week some times. And what did the EU then do to this country? When the migrants turned up? Declare it as not a European issue and that individual nation states are responsible for the care of refugees. Landing a billion euro bill on their poorest member.
But its okay now - the refugees are being sent to Turkey. A nation where the UK was banned from sending criminals. Because they still use evidence collected by torture.
Brilliant.
I’m a total EU sceptic. But do not think its just the EU I hate. I hate all current governments. Non of them have any good about them. They ALL exist for the simple reason to feed money and power upwards. Thinking otherwise is foolish.
We are never going to change anyone’s mind. I hate the EU, I hate the conservatives, I hate Labour, I hate Trump, I hated Obama. Its all the same. Just this time we shook the inner party just a little bit. And I’m happy about that.
When I was in Romania for the first time in 1999 I was breezily informed in the exchange office that I will be murdered outside if exchange “a large amount of money”, meaning the equivalent of 20 bucks. Also, I had climb a fence to save myself from a horde of rabid stray dogs and a elderly man threatened me with an axe believing I wanted to steal a plastic container of gas he was pouring into his rickety Dacia. The country looked like a map from Fallout.
Last year on a business trip in Bucharest I sipped organic coffee and munched on a matcha infused black chocolate bar in a hipster coffee house, not far from the place where I was attacked by rabid stray dogs two decades ago. The change was very visible with the naked eye.
GDP is not perfect, but it’s an useful proxy.
Since you mentioned Slovakia, how did they become the largest producer of cars per capita, and all that after entering the EU?
Uh oh. No.
PASOK, the Pan Hellenic Socialist Movement was not left wing?
Yes, I have, on both counts. The first thing that struck me back in the day was that many houses don’t have roofs, only a concrete deck and some wirings sticking indicating that another floor will be built. Only later did I find out that they didn’t pay property tax for buildings permanently “under construction”
Oh, but there are far, far worse options on the table that the current EU. The new Russian or Ottoman Empires spring to mind.
Ditto China.
Their beef restaurants are still shit, and the dog packs are still about, but I quite enjoyed Bucharest the few times I was there.
Edit: @loppar didn’t mention the reason for the dog packs. The Romanian government introduced a tax for dog ownership. The Romanian people responded by tossing their many dogs into the street. Packs of feral dogs are still roving Bucharest.
Ditto. I almost hate the Tories the most, because they should be better than they are, but they aren’t.
Alas, I’ll have to settle for Whitehall getting the humbling it richly deserves.
I read it was “The Constitution of Liberty” … same economist though and the sentiment is basically the same
That’s probably correct, I must have misremembered.
True, @zecarlo…which is why I asked was she “truly” transformative…or was it 1) right place/right time and or 2) “in the eye of the beholder” (much like Trump is now…not that I am comparing her to Trump in any way…)
Sometimes leaders are just great Leaders…
Or (and I’m paraphrasing): “Great leaders are merely ordinary people who lead during extraordinary times”
I’m still studying Thatcher.
Not only that, but he seems like an mid 19th century conservative reincarnated in the body of an idiot. It’s surely devastating being born a hundred years too late.
“Sir, it’s the Irish. They’re protesting”
“For God’s sake man, send in the troops and deal with those Murphys”
If he gets to even 20% of Peel’s record, I’ll consider it a substantial improvement, despite his obvious shortcomings.
A pain I feel keenly.
Time for old ‘Flashie’ Johnson to harrumph our way to glory! Next stop Crimea!
Now to revel in my ebullience before Boris inevitably Boris’s this up.
Too funny not to share:
Ministers who witnessed the new Tory leader in action as foreign secretary testify to laziness, inattention to detail, contempt for relationships, congenital unseriousness and dangerous indiscretion. Johnson could not be trusted to stay focused in national security briefings, nor to keep their contents secret
And they say transatlantic partnership is dead. POTUS and his mini-me across the pond.
Would such ministers be the ones currently in receipt of P45’s? Not to say the reports aren’t correct, merely to note that a lot of unemployed remainers aren’t happy with today’s result.
Edit: As I’m sure you know, Tories are a catty lot of windbags. They closely resemble crabs in a bucket.
That’s a barn burner right there. A decent start, now all that’s left is the difficult task of delivery.
Edit: apropos of nothing, it is the feast day of St Boris.
You’re barking up the wrong tree, my friend. “Boris” was a middle name given to him after a Russian emigre his parents once met in NYC.
I guess using it was an ostentation from a kid who always wanted to be in the center of attention.
The only redeeming quality is that he’s 1/8 Circassian on his father’s side - they’re the most ferocious tribe of light haired Muslim warriors the world has ever seen.
Curse you dousing my ebullience! I haven’t even had the requisite 48 hour gloat yet!
