I'm no stranger to hating Thatcher, but come on. Since when was it the done thing to malign the enemies of working people in this way?
In mitigation, there are those who might argue the passion her death has stirred up is to blame for the sexist "exuberance". But that doesn't make it any more acceptable. Had Thatcher been black (she wouldn't have been prime minister, but allow me this), damning her to hell in colourfully racialised terms would have raised a chorus of condemnation from those who took to the streets or raised a glass. Unfortunately, sadly, sexist abuse and gendered hate is regarded much less seriously.
So, you celebrate if you want to ...
10 comments:
I don't agree with you. Lefties are nothing if not the world's worst hypocrites.
The enemy of working people?
I don't think so. I think you ought to go back to the 1970s and remember what she inherited from that Labour government. The economy was wrecked, the IMF was dictating fiscal policy, in return for lending us the money to keep the lights on, and the unions were totally out of control.
I find it rather amusing that you don't think that the 3-day week caused by union wildcat strikes was an attack on working people? Or being forced to subsidise state owned and operated car plants making unreliable, poor quality cars at efficiency levels that were laughable. Every day we heard of yet another strike that nobody voted for and that few wanted. I even remember one being because they didn't get their bonuses....they hadn't hit their production targets but that didn't seem to matter.
I couldn't care less what the left do to celebrate the death of a woman without whom the welfare state would have collapsed. She will be amused to death to see you feeding money to the capitalist copyright owner of the song, whilst showing yourselves up for the sort of people that you are.
i hate thatcher too and i don't even live in the uk, but i do have a question. are the events you're describing more a form of ritualized behavior that has very little to do with politics at all? or rather, are these activities, especially the slogans and the retrograde sexism a substitute for real politics? especially in an age when the practice of politics itself seems to have become more and more oriented toward making a symbolic gesture (or putting on a show) or even somewhat infantilized. i mean, now that she's dead, does calling thatcher a bitch really change the balance of social forces?
Let's get this straight.
Are you saying
a) that it's wrong to go out on the streets raising glasses to the death of a fellow human being (in which case fair play to you), or
b) that it's fine to do that, as long as none of the insults/abuse hurled at the departed are related to their sex/race/sexual orientation/disability/hair colour/whatever other protected characteristics are flavour of month?
(I must admit that as with some other issues, feminist bloggers are the dogs that haven't barked here. If a deceased left-wing woman was getting this sort of treatment, the CiF pieces would be running for weeks).
Laban
Laban - the F Word has a decent post on this issue.
http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2013/04/more_views_on_thatcher
I agree her about Glenda Jackson, but was surprised the author didn't mention Russell Brand's piece which I thought was particularly bad. Also - the reason I came back to this post, having read it yesterday but not commented, was to express my irritation at the emphasis on gender in this Posy Simmonds piece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/interactive/2013/apr/13/grantham-fairytale-posy-simmonds-interactive
which I didn't think very funny generally in fact - though I loved her Weber stuff from years back.
The economy was not wrecked in the 70's, this is a right wing re-writing of history. My working class family was doing very nicely thanks. And those nations that took a social democratic course during the 80's are far better off now, with higher pensions, higher living standards, a more balanced economy and better public services.
Thatcher = disaster.
Witch and bitch are still widely used words, as are wanker and bastard. This is not the same as using the 'n' word in relation to blacks. Get a grip!
Jack, I suggest you look up the dictionary definition of 'hypocrite'.
I'd also recommend John Wight's interesting piece on the economic background to the strikes of the 70s. Not that I'd expect you to agree, it nevertheless puts matters in context - something I know conservative-types like yourself have difficulty coming to grips with.
Laban, if people want to celebrate that's their issue. If some of those that do choose to express it in crudely sexist, misogynistic ways, than I have a problem with that.
I disagree Anon - sexism and sexist terms of abuse are as appalling as racism. Thatcher's got plenty of stuff against her without having to abuse her on gendered grounds.
I had my say and lots of it.
I thought she was fantastic on the Falklands and Europe (ignore the bullshit, look at the signatures).
I thought her wrong on total privatisation. Can't see how I'm wrong.
People who cheer and cause trouble at someone's death should not expect to be taken seriously.
Labour had it's own say for three terms not too long after.
Not bad, but could have corrected much more.
Gary, for once I completely agree with your final line.
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