| |  The death of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher this week did nothing to quell the controversies surrounding her leadership. To many, her battles against socialism and in favor of free markets led to self-evident economic gains in the United Kingdom. To others, she devastated mining and other union interests and was seen as enriching the rich and hurting the poor. |
| | The differences are outlined nicely in this Associated Press report published in the Washington Post: Margaret Thatcher, the iron-willed conservative who reshaped Britain, divides opinion Here is a quick roundup of a few other opinions and reactions to Thatcher’s death: K.T. McFarland was a Reagan administration speechwriter who today hosts a national security program on Foxnews.com. She writes glowingly of how Thatcher broke a glass ceiling and made a new era possible for women. Link: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/04/08/margaret-thatcher-knew/ Australia’s foreign minister recalls a moment when Thatcher made what he calls a “unabashedly racist'' comment to him about not letting Indian migrants take over the country. Link: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/i-couldnt-believe-it-bob-carr-recalls-margaret-thatchers-unabashedly-racist-comment-about-australia-20130410-2hksz.html The Bangor Daily News in Maine comments on Thatcher’s leadership by recalling the words of George Mitchell, who represented Maine in the Senate from 1980 to 1995. “Mitchell described Thatcher as a critical figure in British history who will be remembered in both positive and negative ways by those within her country and around the world.” Link: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/08/opinion/margaret-thatcher-tough-skilled/ In Salt Lake City, the Deseret News remembered Thatcher’s visit to that state and her speech at Brigham Young University in 1996. “Thatcher said no country can survive without a clear dedication to moral foundations. She identified the need for traditional, loving families and the honoring of fundamental human rights as necessary ingredients for progress.” Link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765626415/Margaret-Thatcher.html?pg=all Finally, The Guardian in England published an opinion poll showing the British people remain divided over Thatcher’s leadership, with 50 percent saying they liked how she took on trade unions. Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/09/opinion-sharply-divide-margaret-thatcher |
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