Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died today after suffering a stroke in London at the age of 87.
It appears that divisive figures are set to pass from this Earth this year and while the death of Venezuelan Strongman Hugo Chavez drew adulation from those on the Left and scorn from those on the Right, it seems that the passing of Mrs. Thatcher is doing much the opposite and drawing scorn from those on the Left and adulation from those on the Right. As with all things in life, the truth is more complicated than anyone would care to admit.
I've always been a fan of Margaret Thatcher. In an age where politicians seem to prize being wishy-washy and spineless above all else, politicians that had the courage of their convictions and stuck to their guns to defend the principles that they believed were right were a rare species indeed- perhaps even a dying breed and Thatcher was one of the last, truly visionary leaders that the West has ever produced. Agree with her or disagree with her (and you can do both very easily) you have to admire her belief in her principles and the fact that she was willing to stand behind her convictions even when it was incredibly unpopular for her to do so.
Her legacy is far more complicated. Not being alive in 1979 I can't really attest to the what shape Britain was in at the time but by all accounts, it wasn't exactly the hippest, most prosperous place to be. Thatcher had to do some fairly brutal things to the British economy to right the ship all of which impacted real people at the time but, I think, helped create a stronger, more robust British economy for the 1990s. She also broke the power of the trade unions- something that is still held against her today, especially in Scotland and Wales but with socialism thoroughly discredited, she also freed the Labour Party from much of the ideological baggage that weighed down its electoral prospects and by 1997, Tony Blair and Company swept into office for 13 years in power.
Her party has been wiped out north of the border in Scotland and west of the border in Wales and still engages in hot debate over the balancing act that is the European Union. More integration or less? Monetary union or no? (Though Business Insider is pointing out that Thatcher foresaw some of the very problems the EuroZone is struggling with today and wanted no part of it as a result.) Love her or hate her, she stands with Gladstone, Disraeli and Churchill in that club of Prime Ministers that cast very long shadows indeed over the United Kingdom and I expect people will be debating her legacy and her place in history for decades to come.
Internationally, she was a staunch opponent of communism yet one of the first to embrace the reforming efforts of Mikhail Gorbachev. She was as uncompromising in foreign affairs as in domestic policy which drew controversy during the Irish Hunger Strike and plaudits as she intervened militarily to face down Argentina's dictatorship and secure the rights of the residents of the Falkland Islands to determine their own fate. Together with Reagen and Pope John Paul II she is generally considered to have been one of the many factors that were key in ending the Cold War and bringing down the Soviet Union.
She was ready to make the tough decisions and speak plainly about them. She never compromised on the principles she believed in and whether you agreed with those principles or not, you have to respect her for that much at least. She made handbags cool in that 'you better believe I'll beat the shit out of you in a dark alley' kind of way and it was perhaps her most memorable quote that summed her up perfect: 'U-turn if you want to. The Lady's not for turning.'
Leadership of her quality comes along once in a generation- if you're lucky. And right now, looking at the mess in the world, we could use more people like her- people willing to make the tough choices and do what needs to be done. Whatever her legacy, good or bad, she will be missed.
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