Goodness.

[blamebrampton]

I won't say that it is sad to hear that Margaret Thatcher has died.

In much the same way that you hope for 'merciful release' for an ailing aged relative, it has been cruel to see her physical decline over the last few years and, should her philosophy prove correct, she is back with her much-loved husband.

And while I disagreed with so very, very much of what she did and what she believed, I preferred her to the current mob. At least you knew exactly where you stood with her, and she generally took her policies to the polls. And she was classier than Heseltine or Major.

There, three nice things said about the dead.

Now I would like my fucking milk and industry back.

Comments

[nathalieweasley.livejournal.com]

There is a huge difference between vehemently disagreeing with someone's politics and wishing them dead. When Chávez died in March, there were so many online posts celebrating his death as opposed to the freedom for the Venezuelan people. There was even a post with the statement "Ding Dong the dictator is dead!!" A friend and I discussed the need to focus on the positivity of the people's future. I'm sure I am committing some sort of faux pas mixing a dictator with leftist British politics but I liked the fact that your post could respect the dead while at the same time continue to oppose his/her politics.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I felt very sorry for Chavez: he had so hoped to live! Though you are right that there are some analogues in their reputations, such strongly divisive leaders.

Even while still being so angry at many things she did, I do respect her strength of mind and fortitude. Someone on Twitter summed her up perfectly for me: 'She was an astonishingly brilliant leader, it's just that where she was leading us to was terrifying.'

[nathalieweasley.livejournal.com]

Exactly. And that is really the scariest type of leader.