tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post483307094797176121..comments2024-03-29T09:09:46.823+02:00Comments on A Political Refugee From The Global Village : Review of 'Margaret Thatcher: Not For Turning' by Charles MooreUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-80492862652527252482013-06-03T10:11:16.980+03:002013-06-03T10:11:16.980+03:00I rectified my omission now.I rectified my omission now.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-84984070093635083442013-06-03T10:06:49.737+03:002013-06-03T10:06:49.737+03:00Unaccountable that I forgot to mention the Falklan...Unaccountable that I forgot to mention the Falklands War. I was glad that Moore agrees with the view I took at the time that by announcing that HMS Endeavour would be taken out of service she probably is responsible for the Argentinians invading. Callaghan, old naval man, would not have made this mistake. Still it was a great moment for her and a terrible one for the Labour Party and the appalling Michael Foot. I do not agree that this was the reason the Conservatives won the 1983 election, however.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-71780450495694929902013-06-03T10:02:39.864+03:002013-06-03T10:02:39.864+03:00Whether or not I agree with everything in this rev...Whether or not I agree with everything in this review of Charles Moore's book is irrelevant. I feel that this is a good review, certainly thoughtful and thought provoking (what more can one ask?) I seems, based on the review, that Charles Moore's biography is reasonably fair and balanced - of course, I say this without having actually read the book!<br /><br />I'm a little surprised that no mention is made of the Falklands / Malvinas War, 1982. It strikes me that this was a Godsend to PM Thatcher's career. Understandably, it galvanized the British public (here in the States, I was captivated by the course of the war). Britain's victory - not altogether assured (had the Argentines severely damaged or sank one or both aircraft carriers...) - revived the sense of pride within the British people that had, to one degree or another, been lost with the Empire. Moreover, Thatcher and the British people occupied the moral high ground, as the victims of an unprovoked attack (the Argentine Junta's clumsy handling of affairs and complete ignorance of an understanding if of the British people is reflected in those television scenes and still photos of the men of the British garrison lying in the ground under the guns of the Argentine Marines). Thatcher should have sent Argentina a big 'Thank You' letter for boosting her popularity among the very working class who suffered from her policies.<br /><br />It's no accident that I can see a parallel between the benefit to Thatcher's career of the Argentine invasion of the Falklands and the benefit to a certain U.S. President's career (at least initially) and the attack on the twin towers. <br />Paul Walsh<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-61897316995176160762013-05-22T23:31:54.396+03:002013-05-22T23:31:54.396+03:00I need to get this! I've been reading extracts...I need to get this! I've been reading extracts in the Telegraph, namely letters to her sister and I didn't think she was dull at all. But maybe her perspective was dull to men. I really respected her, she was such a brave person and she had vision. I do like Charles Moore, he's very thoughtful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-23327210795439524272013-05-16T09:02:01.390+03:002013-05-16T09:02:01.390+03:00Disraeli said, 'There is properly no history. ...Disraeli said, 'There is properly no history. There is only biography.'I once did not read biographies but of writers they are wonderful. The best is Johnson's Life of Boswell. Wellington was one of those very big men who threw off endless wonderful quotations. I am not interested in military history but I do love him. His politics were terribly reactionary though. Read a wonderful book, Hariette Wilson's memoirs to read about his sex life. It is very funny and well-written in an artless naive way. She wrote is as a form of blackmail which led the iron Duke to make the famous remark, 'Publish and be damned.' I read a very good collection of conversations with Wellington - I love conversation books - or ana as they were known. http://pvewood.blogspot.ro/2012/06/first-bloggers.htmlPolitical Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-70836334862263698862013-05-16T08:45:23.067+03:002013-05-16T08:45:23.067+03:00Interesting concept that the left wing control wel...Interesting concept that the left wing control welfare and education and the economy is run on right a right wing doctrine. Might this explain the tremendous political and social pressures (what the Americans would call "Culture Wars") that now beset the UK?<br /><br />I've always assumed biographies are boring and so avoided them. Not sure where I got this stupid idea from, but recently I read the most brilliant biography of Wellington (The Great Duke) who was a military genius on a par with Napoleon (but without his wanton disregard for human life). He was the one bright star in Britain's otherwise lacklustre military (I'm talking army here) history. I'd like to know your thoughts on him.Rupert Wolfe Murrayhttp://www.twitter.com/wolfemurraynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-10790907320142541572013-05-13T23:10:09.955+03:002013-05-13T23:10:09.955+03:00Balfour was interesting. His memoirs were deadly d...Balfour was interesting. His memoirs were deadly dull but Rosebery could write. Asquith was interesting - perhaps since Churchill Prime Ministers became dull. Macmillan tried hard to be stylish interesting and partly succeeded, though as a backbencher which he was for a long time he was considered a bore. He was a bit of a fraud. Dear old Lord Home was lovely of course.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-26607197747806715972013-05-12T21:05:37.349+03:002013-05-12T21:05:37.349+03:00Robert Rhodes James.
Robert Rhodes James.<br />Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-82367687838981131452013-05-12T20:51:50.183+03:002013-05-12T20:51:50.183+03:00You are right - especially the great RR Jmmes on R...You are right - especially the great RR Jmmes on Rosebery. Of course that era is so attractive unlike post 1945. On the other hand the 1980s with no hereditary peers, 26 women MPs and no women vicars seems almost Edwardian. The moral of which is that one should count one's blessings. Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-76383301442053444392013-05-12T20:48:38.785+03:002013-05-12T20:48:38.785+03:00I must say that I did enjoy bios of Rosbury and es...I must say that I did enjoy bios of Rosbury and especially Balfour, but perhaps, as you say, for the history of those periods. I think, however, that they were interesting enough of themselves.Rev. Dr Athanasius D. McVay HED FRSA FRHistShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16087521538917592655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-73746831278858586312013-05-12T15:58:36.483+03:002013-05-12T15:58:36.483+03:00I made no comment - but it shows how liberal her g...I made no comment - but it shows how liberal her government was - not socially conservative at all. As she said - 'We should change the name Conservative Party, because we are not conservative'. Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-44936041691880111542013-05-12T15:56:08.153+03:002013-05-12T15:56:08.153+03:00"Her administration encouraged the use of con... "Her administration encouraged the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS, rather than abstinence. "<br /><br />Come on Paul, are you really alligning yourself with the ridiculous 'religious' right wing American bigots?Alan persaudnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-31075857603433012732013-05-12T15:04:16.964+03:002013-05-12T15:04:16.964+03:00That is for volume 2 but she was in favour of the ...That is for volume 2 but she was in favour of the Wall being opened - just not in favour of reunification. I liked her instincts on that - which she shared with M Mitterand - even though in 1989 I disliked her very much. Which Frenchman said he loved Germany so much he wanted there to be two of them?Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-31376051648405124382013-05-12T15:00:46.915+03:002013-05-12T15:00:46.915+03:00Does the author consider her as a Germanophobe who...Does the author consider her as a Germanophobe who was vehiminently against the Berlin Wall coming down and Germany being finally reunited Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11572801464368827097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-87146469419695576522013-05-12T09:17:43.614+03:002013-05-12T09:17:43.614+03:00I think Hitchens is wrong to praise Putin, who I t...I think Hitchens is wrong to praise Putin, who I think is a murderer. According to Wikileaks Putin has salted away billions but what he did in Chechnya is worse. Please read my thoughts on Putin here: http://pvewood.blogspot.ro/2012/12/putin-calls-on-families-to-have-three.htmlPolitical Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-48040574717133155472013-05-12T09:13:40.669+03:002013-05-12T09:13:40.669+03:00I think P. Hitchen's very brief analysis of ...I think P. Hitchen's very brief analysis of <br />V. Putin is good. But the Right-Wingers in western government don't like him either for the same reasons. They don't like sovereignty and independence in the new world orderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com