Althouse: "Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the grocer’s daughter whose overpowering personality, bruising political style and free-market views..."

April 8, 2013

"Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the grocer’s daughter whose overpowering personality, bruising political style and free-market views..."

"... transformed Britain and transfixed America through the 1980s, died Monday after a stroke, her spokesman said in a statement. She was 87."

I'm sorry, I'd meant for the first post of the day to be a tribute to Britain's "Iron Lady," but I got distracted by the subject of female law students at Harvard and their purported resemblance to tiny, twittering yellow birds.

Talk about a kick in the head!

42 comments:

MadisonMan said...: Like I said in the other thread -- the world is a much better place because of her. Thanks, and you've so earned your rest.; 4/8/13, 9:11 AM
Nonapod said...: Truly a sad loss. One of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. Here's her awesome final speech in the House of Commons.; 4/8/13, 9:12 AM
virgil xenophon said...: Stand by for all the "damning with faint praise" snark from the left..; 4/8/13, 9:12 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: She was born.

She lived.

She died.; 4/8/13, 9:16 AM
test said...: One of the great leaders of Western Civilization post WWII.; 4/8/13, 9:17 AM
Martha said...: and Thatcher never whined like the canaries at Harvard Law School; 4/8/13, 9:18 AM
garage mahal said...: Thatcher was the original Mama Grizzly.; 4/8/13, 9:19 AM
Patrick said...: Lately, I've been thinking about how little time people really have. Lady Thatcher is one of the few who really made the most of her time, and left things much better, her nation and the world. That great of an impact, especially a positive one is rare indeed.; 4/8/13, 9:22 AM
rehajm said...: "Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them."; 4/8/13, 9:22 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I can only remember two female performers standing up to men, on equal footing and surpassing them...

Elizabeth Taylor, in Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf and Margaret Thatcher, in the well of the House of Commons.

Granted, I haven't seen much.; 4/8/13, 9:22 AM
edutcher said...: Ann, sometimes it happens that way, but thank you for the thought.

Probably Britain's last great PM, very much in the mold of Churchill.

And a true feminist, a self-made woman - all she ever got from Daddy were good values.; 4/8/13, 9:23 AM
edutcher said...: Lem said...

I can only remember two female performers standing up to men, on equal footing and surpassing them...

Elizabeth Taylor, in Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf and Margaret Thatcher, in the well of the House of Commons.

I'd replace Liz with Golda Meir taking on the Arab world.; 4/8/13, 9:25 AM
Patrick said...: Well, she packed a lot into that middle line, Mitchell.; 4/8/13, 9:26 AM
Patrick said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/8/13, 9:26 AM
dbp said...: Baroness Thatcher may have been known as "The Iron Lady", but she had a softer side too. She is one of the inventors of soft-serve ice cream.; 4/8/13, 9:31 AM
Patrick said...: I'm sure you meant that as high praise, Garage, but there is a world of difference between Palin and Thatcher.; 4/8/13, 9:31 AM
cubanbob said...: She was the last real man at number ten. R.I.P; 4/8/13, 9:33 AM
Tom said...: She and Reagan and possibly Gorbachev may have saved the world.; 4/8/13, 9:33 AM
Old RPM Daddy said...: "I don't mind how much my Ministers talk, so long as they do what I say."

Source is here.; 4/8/13, 9:35 AM
President-Mom-Jeans said...: If Commies were able to get into heaven, she would be kicking their ass up there too.; 4/8/13, 9:36 AM
David said...: Did she have any really great recipes?

(Actually, I'll bet she did. Her father was a baker and she spent her childhood in a cold water flat above his store.)

Mrs. Thatcher did not seem to worry much about whether life was structured fairly for the fair sex. She just went ahead and did stuff.

Ladies of Harvard. Here is your role model.; 4/8/13, 9:36 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Unfortunately, the Limeys have slipped far backward since her departure.

The welfare state won. The Jihadis have been invited in, in the name of multiculturalism, and the dumb Brits are forced to pay for the welfare check for the Iman and his eight wives.

Coming soon to the U.S.!

Gay marriage is the wedge issue that will force the capitulation.; 4/8/13, 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...: garage mahal said...
Thatcher was the original Mama Grizzly.

"Don't go wobbly on me now, George"

- Thatcher to GHW Bush; 4/8/13, 9:43 AM
Anonymous said...: I've seen a number of Question Hour sessions with Thatcher in the Commons. Both sides look like they enjoy the experience. Her lines on inequality are truly great.; 4/8/13, 9:45 AM
edutcher said...: Tom said...

She and Reagan and possibly Gorbachev may have saved the world.

She and Reagan and the Pope saved the world.

FIFY; 4/8/13, 9:46 AM
test said...: Tom said...
She and Reagan and possibly Gorbachev may have saved the world.

This is premature since we're currently heading right back down the path she was instrumental in getting us off. The left has realized their error: they tried to change society too quickly. So now we take incremental steps counting on media and academia to distort peoples understanding of the costs and benefits.; 4/8/13, 9:51 AM
Hagar said...: One of the three great Prime Ministers of the 20th century.
And the other two had the advantage (for their reputations) of serving in war time.; 4/8/13, 9:55 AM
Darrell said...: Baroness Thatcher ate the canaries with no apology.; 4/8/13, 10:12 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Margaret Thatcher understood how the world works.; 4/8/13, 10:19 AM
J said...: Maggie,Ronnie, and Karel.Three children of the common man made uncommon by the strength of their hearts.God bless them all.; 4/8/13, 10:40 AM
hombre said...: "I'm sorry, I'd meant for the first post of the day to be a tribute to Britain's "Iron Lady," but I got distracted by the subject of female law students at Harvard and their purported resemblance to tiny, twittering yellow birds."

Perfectly understandable - not! Aren't we sick of whining "progressive" women?

Thatcher was the model - wife, mother, successful world beater. A complete woman. Sarah Palin isn't in her league, but is also a powerful model of what a woman can be and do.

That's why the lefties hate 'em; 4/8/13, 11:09 AM
Brian Brown said...: edutcher said...
She and Reagan and the Pope saved the world.

Huh?

Reagan let all those gays with AIDS die.
The Pope opposed gay marriage.
Thatcher didn't dance in gay pride parades.

They were on the wrong side of history, wingnut!!!; 4/8/13, 11:10 AM
Brian Brown said...: Did Michelle Obama chime in yet noting that Thatcher was a busy single mom???; 4/8/13, 11:11 AM
hombre said...: I attended a talk Thatcher gave on the world economy to a group of business people and community leaders. It is unlikely that any other politician then or now could have spoken with the knowledge and wisdom she displayed on that day.

She was awesome!; 4/8/13, 11:17 AM
mccullough said...: Always nice to read about a leader who accomplished something. So rare. And she didn't make it to the top by marrying someone.; 4/8/13, 11:31 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: We've had so little leadership in Western societies in recent years that we've forgotten what it looks like.; 4/8/13, 11:47 AM
Darcy said...: I'm saddened, but not for her (I believe she's in a better place now) - I'm sad for the absence of her.

She truly served.; 4/8/13, 11:52 AM
Larry J said...: President-Mom-Jeans said...
If Commies were able to get into heaven, she would be kicking their ass up there too.

Perhaps it could happen. That would be heaven for her and hell for the commies.; 4/8/13, 11:55 AM
Michael said...: LarryJ: Awesome!! That could go on here headstone!!; 4/8/13, 12:09 PM
n.n said...: She proved her mettle. RIP; 4/8/13, 2:36 PM
jr565 said...: Martin Bashir of MSNBC (naturally) said of her:
The best description I ever heard of her was from French president Francois Mitterand who said she had the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe.”

The best description I ever heard of Martin Bashir is "Who?"; 4/8/13, 5:05 PM
Paco Wové said...: "bruising political style"

"Bruising" seems like an odd adjective here. She said what she meant, and meant what she said. I'm not sure what was "bruising" about that.; 4/8/13, 7:14 PM