Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke--now with live coverage!

[Green Zubat]

Former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher has died at 87 following a stroke, her spokesman has said.

Lord Bell said: "It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning."

Baroness Thatcher was Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990.

She was the first woman to hold the post. Her family is expected to make a further statement later.

Baroness Thatcher, born Margaret Roberts, became the Conservative MP for Finchley, north London in 1959, retiring from the Commons in 1992.

Having been education secretary, she successfully challenged former prime minister Edward Heath for her party's leadership in 1975.

She won general elections in 1979, 1983 and 1987.

Baroness Thatcher's government privatised several state-owned industries. She was also in power when the UK went to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982.

source

In other news, I hear the UK's largest Dance Dance Revolution is soon to be constructed.

EDIT: The after party various reactions to the event more or less as they happen

 

[Instrutilus]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Damn right, and I'll be on there as soon as the thing's open. My grandmother's going to be on 2-player with me, so it should be fun.

Oh, before we go further, just need to do something...

Spoiler

Right, carry on.

 

[Joshawott]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

[video=youtube;PHQLQ1Rc_Js]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQLQ1Rc_Js[/video]

I was planning on going on Monster Hunter tonight to take down a ruthless beast, but it seems like a stroke beat me to it.

(And before anyone asks if what I'm saying is too far - look up what she actually did during her time as Prime Minister. Seriously, she completely shat on the poor and the elderly and was only out for her and her family's own personal gain. Totally deserved).

 

[Green Zubat]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Update: Apparently, people are taking to the streets to celebrate her death. I was thinking of going out tonight to join in on the festivities too, but I think I'm already drunk enough on the hilarious anti-thatcher memes that are going around.

EDIT: I couldn't resist. This one's on you Maggie (just like the destruction of the welfare state):

Spoiler

 

[Tophat Dragoneye]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

From the impression I get from here, as well as the news I've seen today, you really don't like her at all. Then again, from what I've heard she has done and is responsible for, I can't blame you.

 

[Jolene]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

I actually admire this woman for her tough stance on communism, but apparently she is one of those devisive figure that half the country hates and half loves.

Rest in Peace, Iron Lady.

 

[dig]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Turns out she did have to be dead before we could bury her.

Today hasn't just been the death of a notable British leader, many jokes have died along side her.

Edit - My parents really hated her, as really any Scottish family did in her prime. My mum was well chuffed at her death, and I think she has had such a lasting affect in Scotland that even when she is dead we cannot forgive her.

 

[MizuTaipu]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Geez, I didn't know she was that despised in the U.K.

I don't think people in the U.S. would celebrate in the streets when someone like Jimmy Carter or George W. Bush. dies.

 

[Green Zubat]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Geez, I didn't know she was that despised in the U.K.

I don't think people in the U.S. would celebrate in the streets when someone like Jimmy Carter or George W. Bush. dies.

Well, she naturally has her supporters, particularly amongst conservatives. This pie chart aptly explains the situation in the UK:

Spoiler

 

[Jolene]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Geez, I didn't know she was that despised in the U.K.

I don't think people in the U.S. would celebrate in the streets when someone like Jimmy Carter or George W. Bush. dies.

This just shows the gross disrespect these people have. Seriously, you don't have to like the person, but respect the office. This is disturbing.

 

[Fig]

And before THAT gets derailed any further (because you just know it will take about 0.0000000000012 seconds before Republicrats start accusing each other of disrespecting their respective presidents)

Discussion of whether or not the people of a country owe respect to that country's leader and the function belongs in the Campaign Bus, not News of the World. Accusing the people in this thread of "gross disrespect" is not okay.

Everyone else, tone it down. Celebrating the death of a human being (even if she was only so in the widest possible sense of the term) ain't cool, folks.

 

[Big Lutz]

The woman helped bring a end to the Cold War, and helped revitalize Britain from what could have been a devastating economic fall, Britain, the U.S., and much of the world has alot to thank her for. She will be missed, but now she can find peace with her husband in the afterlife.

 

[Fig]

Just to clarify, NOBODY has been infracted in regard to this, regardless of who posted what.

Even so, I HAVE asked people to tone it down. The thread was going too far, and that ends here. But no infractions.

 

[Joshawott]

Just to clarify, NOBODY has been infracted in regard to this, regardless of who posted what.

Even so, I HAVE asked people to tone it down. The thread was going too far, and that ends here. But no infractions.

Just for clarification, what would be considered "too far"? I'm guessing, things like outright celebrating her death and such would be a no-no, but making statements as to why you agreed/disagreed with her as Prime Minister are okay?

 

[Caitlin]

That would be fine, but would probably be better suited for the Campaign Bus.

 

[Gama]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Geez, I didn't know she was that despised in the U.K.

I don't think people in the U.S. would celebrate in the streets when someone like Jimmy Carter or George W. Bush. dies.

Literally the single most hated UK politician in living memory by some distance. Hatred for Blair doesn't even hold a candle to it. I don't think Bush or Carter (though I know relatively little about the latter) is really a fair comparison. Maybe Nixon would be a closer comparison in terms of controversy and unpopularity, though I'm not sure, I'm not intimately familiar with US political history.

 

[proserpina]

When all is said and done and I put politics aside, I have to respect her for her tenacity and her confidence regardless of whether I agree with how she used it. Margaret Thatcher was a formidable woman and she did what she decided she wanted to do - which is more than I feel I can say for many politicians.

Rest in peace, Iron Lady.

 

[Big Lutz]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Literally the single most hated UK politician in living memory by some distance. Hatred for Blair doesn't even hold a candle to it. I don't think Bush or Carter (though I know relatively little about the latter) is really a fair comparison. Maybe Nixon would be a closer comparison in terms of controversy and unpopularity, though I'm not sure, I'm not intimately familiar with US political history.

I believe when Nixon died, the event was rather subdued, with many people talking about his accomplishments with China and how it honestly changed the dynamic in the world.

Either way, I honestly think the hatred right now is just a small minority acting out, and not a representation of Britain as a whole, atleast I hope.

It's interesting to note that in Political Film Class we did cover the end of Thatcher's run as PM, called "The Deal" it is a interesting movie to show, how Labour was forced to adjust their politics in order to gain power, and move into a more centrist position.

 

[Green Zubat]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Either way, I honestly think the hatred right now is just a small minority acting out, and not a representation of Britain as a whole, atleast I hope.

Considering that #nowthatchersdead and #nostatefuneral were trending within half an hour of the news (and were going strong for the majority of the day), and not to mention the nearly 1000-strong street parties going on in Glasgow & Brixton, nor her famously bad PR, I am almost certain that her detractors are not small in number.

The woman helped bring a end to the Cold War, and helped revitalize Britain from what could have been a devastating economic fall, Britain, the U.S., and much of the world has alot to thank her for. She will be missed, but now she can find peace with her husband in the afterlife.

I'm not going to start a debate about her policies, because as Caitlin said this isn't the thread. All I'll say is that, regarding my reaction to Thatcher's death, whilst I agree she did some good (defending the Falklands, acting as a feminist role model (more or less), improving Britain's economy), there's a reason (or five) why she's the most hated UK political figure. As such, whilst I've felt a range of emotions since hearing the news, I can't say that sadness was ever one of them.

 

[Big Lutz]

Re: Margaret Thatcher dead following stroke

Considering that #nowthatchersdead and #nostatefuneral were trending within half an hour of the news (and were going strong for the majority of the day), and not to mention the nearly 1000-strong street parties going on in Glasgow & Brixton, I strongly doubt that her detractors are small in number.

Umm how does that even come close to representing any more than a small minority in Britain? 1,000 strong party going on in a city of 500,000 means that less than 1% of the entire city has shown up.

I'm not going to start a debate about her policies, because as Caitlin said this isn't the thread. All I'll say is that, regarding my reaction to Thatcher's death, whilst I agree she did some good (defending the Falklands, acting as a feminist role model (more or less), improving Britain's economy), there's a reason (or five) why she's the most hated UK political figure. As such, whilst I've felt a range of emotions since hearing the news, I can't say that sadness was ever one of them.

And you are free to have those feelings, but like others have said, this isn't the Campaign Bus.