Tuesday
15Jul2008
thatcher: a sell-out to the end?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 3:55PM
Adam Bienkov over at LC ::
Ah yes, the Irony of Thatcher having a "State" funeral. It's almost too good.
I can't quite stomach this BS, myself. Thatcher was an electorally successful politician, and it's undeniable that some of the policies she imposed were the rights ones. Hell, even a broken clock... But c'mon, a state funeral? Thatcher created much of the current housing problems by selling off the state's housing stock. Now I'm all for people owning their own homes, but these were state assets sold at below the market rate. We've seen an unstable housing market with massive consumer borrowings (against rising asset values), and it has also led to a less mobile workforce - people live closer to the places where they were born than a hundred years ago (mobility is a key economic indicator for a successful economy).
I agree with many of the privatisations. Certain sectors are better served by market forces, but in other cases (eg. British Rail - though this eventually went through under Major) privatisation crippled infrastructure and helped create some of the most expensive utility and transport costs in Europe.
A state funeral is a bullshit ceremony anyway. Lady Di's was a mawkish waste of money, and this would be no more valid.
Why have a state funeral for any of them? Let them pay for their own funeral and if people want to turn up and cheer/cry then it’s up to them.
Ah yes, the Irony of Thatcher having a "State" funeral. It's almost too good.
I can't quite stomach this BS, myself. Thatcher was an electorally successful politician, and it's undeniable that some of the policies she imposed were the rights ones. Hell, even a broken clock... But c'mon, a state funeral? Thatcher created much of the current housing problems by selling off the state's housing stock. Now I'm all for people owning their own homes, but these were state assets sold at below the market rate. We've seen an unstable housing market with massive consumer borrowings (against rising asset values), and it has also led to a less mobile workforce - people live closer to the places where they were born than a hundred years ago (mobility is a key economic indicator for a successful economy).
I agree with many of the privatisations. Certain sectors are better served by market forces, but in other cases (eg. British Rail - though this eventually went through under Major) privatisation crippled infrastructure and helped create some of the most expensive utility and transport costs in Europe.
A state funeral is a bullshit ceremony anyway. Lady Di's was a mawkish waste of money, and this would be no more valid.
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