The bad feelings toward Thatcher in Great Britain is clearly illustrated in an unusual place in that country -- the chart listing for the top songs. Within 48 hours of Thatchers death, the 1939 song from the Wizard of Oz, Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead, had been downloaded so many times that it was number 10 on the chart. Now the song has reached number one on the charts. Obviously, there are still a lot of bad feelings toward Thatcher.
This is not just a revival of a 74 year old song. This is a political statement by a whole lot of the people of Great Britain. And it is justified.
I have British/UK friends and, with few exceptions, they all dislike/hate her. Each one has filled in for me a piece of what she did to England, to Scotland and, in many ways, to the world. Number 1, huh. Good for them.
ReplyDeleteYou should know better, Ted! Twitter campaigns are the easiest thing in the world to get going particularly amongst ill-educated juveniles who were not even alive when "that woman" ran Britain.
ReplyDeleteAs an example from another area, the UK radio station 'Classic fm' has an annual poll for listeners' favourite music. Needles to say, 'Rach 2' frequently wins although Vaughan Williams 'Lark Arising' is an alternative. Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar are usually in or around 3rd, 4th and fifth. This year the 'twits' started a campaign to whip up a vote for music composed for the backing to various video games and they came in at #5 and #3. I don't suppose more than 2% of them ever listened to 'Classic fm'.
Back to "that woman", let me remind you that though she was unpopular in places she still won three, repeat, THREE, general elections and she was ousted not by an ungrateful electorate but by a cabal of totally wet conservatives.
I'm not broken hearted that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteYou may not have agreed with her politics, but as David Duff aptly points out, Mrs. Thatcher won three general elections and led her country for 11 years. Perhaps those who couldn't wait until the corpse was cold before disrespecting her (many of whom weren't even born when she was PM) might have at least considered that she was someone's mother.
ReplyDeleteHere's a picture of the former Prime Minister's daughter, Carol. Do you think she appreciated the disrespect paid to her mother?
As much as I disagreed with Edward M. Kennedy's politics and his personal life, I was thoroughly disgusted by those who were so quick to figuratively dance on his grave. I would have hoped you'd share the same sentiment, Ted.
So I'm "dancing on the grave" of one of your heroes? You have the right to hold that opinion (and in this country, the right to express it). But those, including myself, who thought Thatcher was a very flawed and hard-hearted politician who did much damage to the British economic system while protecting the rich also have the right to express our opinion. You may not like the way many are expressing it (by reviving this old song), but it is a valid political statement.
ReplyDeleteMargaret Thatcher is no more my "hero" than Ted Kennedy is the devil incarnate. I just happen to think you can disagree with someone's policies without having to make that person into a "witch," especially so soon after the person's passing. I watched coverage of the House of Commons on C-SPAN over the weekend, and although there were people who vehemently opposed the policies of Margaret Thatcher, especially the Scottish and Welsh MP's (perhaps rightly so), each one did so with class. Labour leader Ed Miliband, obviously no Thatcher fan, was particularly gracious.
ReplyDeleteAs to the damage done to the British economic system during the Thatcher years, if you want to read an even-handed analysis of Mrs. Thatcher's economic legacy, I suggest you read this article in the Guardian.
Demonizing the opposition has become the national pastime in recent years, which is at least in part why nothing ever gets done in Washington. But Two Minutes Hate certainly does induce people to support and contribute to the political parties despite their dismal records. I once got a fundraising letter from the GOP with a message on the outside of the envelope that read: "If you want Ted Kennedy to be happy, throw away this envelope!"
I didn't even open it.
I'm sorry but I don't buy into it anymore. I'm reminded of the Robert Frost poem "Choose Something Like a Star" - especially the last four lines:
So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.
Ted, why don't you stay your mind on something a little more uplifting than personal character assassination. You just might find yourself a little more staid.