Filipinos can only make wistful remarks about the greatness of the late former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who died yesterday aged 87. This is a lady who busted Britain’s paralysing unions, sent Her Majesty’s warships sailing thousands of miles south to take back the Falkland Islands from the Argentines, and stared down scores of politicians who stood in the way of her efforts to institute reforms in British industry.
She is the leader Filipinos talk about aspiring to be led by but in practice fear being subject to. Indeed, Thatcherism exacts the very sorts of commitments Filipinos are renowned for srhinking away from when push comes to shove…
[…] by the time she left office, the principles known as Thatcherism — the belief that economic freedom and individual liberty are interdependent, that personal responsibility and hard work are the only ways to national prosperity, and that the free-market democracies must stand firm against aggression — had won many disciples. Even some of her strongest critics accorded her a grudging respect.
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Suffice to say, one cannot expect the sorts of results delivered by Iron Ladies when in the habit of electing flaccid doofuses in every election. Filipinos have yet to learn that simple reality.
Originally a research chemist before becoming a barrister, Thatcher was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley in 1959. Edward Heath appointed her Secretary of State for Education and Science in his 1970 government. In 1975 Thatcher defeated Heath in the Conservative Party leadership election to become Leader of the Opposition and became the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. She became Prime Minister after winning the 1979 general election.
After moving into 10 Downing Street, Thatcher introduced a series of political and economic initiatives to reverse what she perceived to be Britain’s precipitous national decline.[nb 1] Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation (particularly of the financial sector), flexible labour markets, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Thatcher’s popularity during her first years in office waned amid recession and high unemployment, until economic recovery and the 1982 Falklands War brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her re-election in 1983.
Thatcher was re-elected for a third term in 1987, but her Community Charge (popularly referred to as “poll tax”) was widely unpopular and her views on the European Community were not shared by others in her Cabinet. She resigned as Prime Minister and party leader in November 1990, after Michael Heseltine launched a challenge to her leadership. Thatcher held a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher, of Kesteven in the County of Lincolnshire, which entitled her to sit in the House of Lords.
Back in the 1976, when the Soviet Union loomed large as global bogeyman, Thatcher issued these scathing words to her Cold War foe:
The Russians are bent on world dominance, and they are rapidly acquiring the means to become the most powerful imperial nation the world has seen.
The men in the Soviet politburo don’t have to worry about the ebb and flow of public opinion. They put guns before butter, while we put just about everything before guns.
They know that they are a super power in only one sense—the military sense.
They are a failure in human and economic terms.
The Soviet Union has since fallen but China, itself a powerful relic of the Cold War but far more adept at reinventing itself to suit the changing times, now fits the very same profile and is now as relevant to Filipinos as the USSR was to Thatcher’s Britain. It just takes a leader with even just half of the Iron Lady’s man-nerves to issue the same words.
Indeed, so long as Filipinos apply the same sort of thinking with regard to the exercise of their “hard-won” democratic powers, the late Margaret Thatcher will remain the sort of leader Filipinos can only dream of following to greatness.
[NB: Parts of this article were lifted from the Wikipedia.org article “Margaret Thatcher†in a manner compliant to the terms stipulated in the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License that governs usage of content made available in this site. Photo courtesy NPR.org.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
It will never happen. Pinoys love their dancing girls, show biz hype and latch on to the popular. The pinoys never once in my lifetime valued substance. They are onion skinned. They have proven they will embrace the Noynoys and Eraps of this world. The pinoys will soon show the world they will also embrace the Grace Poes and Nancy Binays too. Polar opposite of Maggie.
Admiral Roebuck: With all due respect, M, I think you don’t have the balls for this job.
M: Perhaps. But the advantage is, I don’t have to think with them all the time.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
“There can be no liberty unless
there is economic liberty”
Margaret Thatcher
Economic reform was at the centre of her belief and strategy, and she achieved a remarkable turnaround in a relatively short time through clarity of purpose, conviction and a work ethic and intellect few could match.
When she came to power the tax rate for high earners was 83%, + an additional 15% for unearned income, equating to 98% tax.
That stifled investment, the unions strangled productivity, and inflation eroded savings.
Through privatisation, changes in working practices, wealth sharing, and a focus on skills, innovation and technology the financial strangulation of the 70’s were replaced by high growth in the 80’s, assisted in no small measure by her decision to deregulate the financial markets – known as ‘ the big bang’ – and turn london into a financial powerhouse.
The strategy was complemented by creating regional development and enterprise councils, technology education centres and free ICT training for the unemployed.
Transformation was the keyword and many countries adopted the model/best practices.
A real hero and role model.
With Pinoy Emo, a culture of mendicancy and victim mentality? Ain’t gonna happen!
The comments may be true and valid but I am disturbed that we speak of Filipinos in the third person like we are not one of them.
Valid point Rosan. I can only speak for me. I will often use the word “we” as in : We voted , we accept , that’s what we like, that is our values etc. it’s all there in my posts. We are all in it together no matter where we are.
Thanks. Don’t read too much into the writing style though. It’s all just some literary devices at work. 😉
Rosan, we are speaking Pinoys in the third person because we aren’t Pinoys anyway. Pinoys are EMO creatures, Filipinos aren’t because they are bound to logical reasoning before deciding on things.
On the other note, some Pinoys are easily swayed by media that undergoing such Iron Rule will hinder their “freedom” to live “peacefully”. They don’t want an organized way of living, they want to have it their own way only. Conclusion: They got their style of life for the past 26 years.
Proud Pinoy, eh? I will rather want an organized dictatorship that Pinoys keep on demonizing rather than having incompetent politicians who keeps on distributing those pathetic ballers and rendering some sing/dance numbers.
It helps to see things from an “outside” perspective.
Just to add — by the end of her run as prime minister the double digit unemployment was down to below ten percent. At one point dropping to as low as 5-6%.
And one policy which is often overlooked but made a big change socially and economically, was the ability to buy ‘government owned’ property at up to 50% discount on market value – “right to buy”. home ownership rather than renting.
I personally benefitted by buying a flat in central london under the scheme – which i still have, and is the best investment i ever made.
I think Miriam Defensor-Santiago quoted one of Margaret Thatcher’s quotes.
TBH, she is the one who is behind Britain’s success in the 80s. One of the best British PM’s since Churchill.
In the UK thatcher broke the grip of the unions – the block of people who still hate her -and created a truly free market economy, including the privatisation of state companies – british telecom, british airways and british gas – with shares being sold to the public at discount rates. A means of wealth sharing, promoting consumer spending, and achieving inclusive growth with a high emphasis upon small and medium enterprises, including help with start up costs and free advice/support.
The thought is what she would change in the philippines. I would suggest the following would be high on the list.
Break the power of the oligarchs.
Become a leading member of ASEAN and TPP
Amend 60/40 constitutional law
Systemise and integrate tax and revenue collection – personal, corporate, and customs
Educate and train in high tech, high value industries/sectors
Facilitate innovation through competition and consumer choice
Reform the educational system to be not only higher quality but more vocational and technical
Make higher education more accessible and affordable
( she won a scholarship to oxford and later one of her first jobs prior to being prime minister was as educatiin secretary)
Have more holistic and integrated approach across all regions
Reduce bureaucracy – (she hated timewasters and passengers)
Maybe more than anything she would play fair and her word would always be her bond. So no chance of being elected – and she wouldn’t sing or dance! But the philippines would have been greater than singapore now if there was someone like her around in the 80’s.
‘ shake , rattle, and roll’ would be her battle cry
shake the system
rattle the oligarchs
and let the economy roll
Please do mention supporting agricultural sectors in the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao with a sufficient subsidy and no corruption from the government. Develop more high paying jobs in the mentioned provinces so that Metro Manila won’t be over-crowded just by means of finding a good job.
Dusty: it’s a bit more complicated than that. Subsidies will just make things worse, as they do 9 times out of 10 anywhere.
The reason is that most farmers have no idea how to farm. If you gave them money to buy fertilizers and poisons, they’d be out there turning the fields into a toxic wasteland.
I have quite a lot of experience farming in the tropics and most Filipino farmers are either doing it wrong, or not doing it at all (because they think it’s hard work and unprofitable – it isn’t, IF you do it right). There are millions of hectares standing idle because the people who have been given that land have no idea what to do with it.
The solution would be farmer education as a condition of Agricultural Reform grants. It’s stupid to give land to someone who has neither the wits nor the will to use it. Anyone currently holding land, or applying for title, would have to prove they know what they’re doing, or if they don’t, attend classes.
The problem with THAT is that the government doesn’t know how to farm, either, as demonstrated by their ridiculous “assistance” projects (such as promoting rice and building dams in water-stressed areas). You’d have to get foreign teachers in. And that’s just NOT going to happen, ever.
But much of that military power was based essentially on debt, and de-regulation eventually lead to the global financial crisis currently taking place.
Excuse me, but that is a lie. At best, blaming the financial problems that have plagued the world economies for the last 15 years on Margaret Thatcher is just dishonest leftist demonization of a conservative icon. Part of political left’s propaganda in the face of their failed economic policies.
Thatcher’s accomplishments:
1. Dismantling of labor unions that had crippled UK during the 1970s
2. “Small government” ethos (compared to today where the state’s share in the economy has grown immensely!)
3. Low taxation (compared to top rates of 99% during 1970’s)
4. Vastly improved workplace legislation (now taken away by EU/Brussels)resulting in much inward investment (in marked comparison to much of Europe, still badly in need of reform)
5. “Euro-scepticism,” and prophetic warnings on the insanity of the Euro
6. All of the above encouraging business growth in the UK and unprecedented growth and expansion in the latter part of the 1980s.
—
In contrast, the rise of the left in Europe, the UK and the United States and the implementation of leftist/socialist policies emphasizing state control over the economy and an ever increasing number of public AND private service functions directly resulted in the sub-prime housing market crash. The resulting ripple effect caused financial crisis. Government bailouts, beginning in the 1990s, of companies like CITIGROUP only exacerbated the problem instead of allowing the market to correct itself. Worse, the left’s answer to their continuing failure to stimulate a stagnant economy is to over-regulate the private sector. This only serves to throttle business.
This is not the way to go. If the world economies want to grow again, they need to liberalize, free up markets, not enforce more restrictive policies. What the world needs now is MORE Thatcherism, not less.
One of thatchers few failures which got little press even at the time was the inability to negotiate an additional 50 year lease with the chinese for hong kong – if successful that would have had ripple effects even in the philippines, especially in terms of dubious capital outflows and money laundering, and chinoys would possibly not have as much economic power as they now have in the philippines.
The reluctant compromise of ‘one country, two systems’ is in place still and working, but it was not what thatcher wanted.
I worked there during the handover and the chinese agenda was always clear, and their greed unparalled, even compared to filipino politicians, who clearly follow an american constitution but chinese ‘values’. The worst of both worlds.
She did not like the chinese
“She found it a rather unpleasant place governed by rather unpleasant people.” Her biography.
enough reminiscing
One question is I have in mind is, before Filipinos would handle that kind of leader, would Filipino society produce that kind of leader? My view is that such a person goes against the grain of how Filipinos are. We love leaders who spoil our sense of entitlement and encourage our laziness, instead of encourage us to work for our future. Thatcher, if born here, would have been shipped off to another country to be a human ATM. And a chemist forever.
The country CAN produce that kind of leader. A good example is Bam Aquino, Bida Ang Mamamayan sa kanya.
Lies. We need people who have CONCRETE VISION, not last names.
B-Bobo
A-Ang
M-Maniniwala
Your call. 😀
It must be playtime at school – so predictable that some moron tries to compare a global icon with a local idiot, especially another woman. How vicarious and inappropriate.
Not only diammetrically opposed in terms of intellect ( scholarship at oxford and then passed bar exams to be a lawyer), integrity, ability and achievements.
Free markets, share ownership, innovation, competition, and liberty. The exact opposite of a feudal system governed by oligarchs and wealth concentration.
She bestrode the world stage like a colossus, aquino is a minnow in a backwater pond.
He would have quaked in his boots and p!ssed in his pants if he ever had to deal with someone like her.
Iron lady and jelly baby
Only thing in common. Both have slept with men.
And having met both a number of times, p-noy was more like a servant – at least he knew his place amongst his betters but as boring as hell. He doesn’t cut any ice with the elite.
Aquino is like a gay in a brothel – awkward, and unable to perform, and the butt of butt jokes.
His political obituary is already written and includes
Trapo
Hypocrite
Liar
Failure.
He will not even warrant 30 seconds on CNN, such is his irrelevance
Almost forgot aquino’s main/lasting contribution
The word “noynoying”
Perfect to describe someone who is lazy and derelict in the performance of his duties.
In the army such people are treated as cowards and traitors – another aquino trait – aquino snr should have been shot. no mention of him on day of heroes. he has a special place in the pantheon of traitors.
No surprise to the psychologists amongst us.
Kung ulan ang kabobohan, yung iba nagpapayong. Ikaw nagpayong din…pabaligtad nga lang.
for eduardo
Only a retard would join a permanent Ninoy lookalike pageant. Sorry Eduardo.
Eduardo. Good point. I mean what organization of MEN has Bam lead. Maybe the same one his cousin Noynoy has lead. As in imaginary troops. Face it . Noynoy is an incompetent Juan Tamad who won an election thanks to a grieving nation . Then they hire knobs like you to perpetuate the myth. Hope you are proud of yourself.
ah. bam aquino
the congenital liar about his “harvard education”, ” harvard alumni”
his non role at hapinoy – founded and developed by mark ruiz,
and his allegiance to gma which he likes to play down.
someone else you have never met and know nothing about..
liar, copycat, and hypocrite. par for the aquino course.
Failed example. Sorry.
We have already those kind of leaders, namely President Cory and President Noynoy.
Can you prove it without resorting to name calling?
The corruption index went down, the previous corrupt president and lapdog chief justice were filed strong cases. Cory made PCGG. Really proves that they have an iron hand when it comes to the destroyers of the state.
Lies. Corruption is STILL there when Cory came. Also, the corruption index still goes up.
What I mean is if your so-called Aquino demigods are insistent on corruption, then get everybody. EVERYBODY. Why is PNoy and his family getting away with incident of Hacienda Luisita? How about the other politicians? Barrangay governments on a local level?
If I were you, I’ll just get EVERYONE. No favors. No bias. Not to mention BRIBERY and PORK BARREL is a form of corruption and if you say no, then congrats, you’re an insane buffoon. 😛
eduardo: Can you come up with references for your claims? Because if you can’t back these claims up then it really isn’t true.
To be fair, the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) used by global watchdog Transparency International (TI) shows a SLIGHT improvement. As of 2012, the Philippines came in at 105 with a 3.4 CPI in TI’s list (tied with Algeria, Armenia, Bolivia, Gambia, Kosovo, Mali, and Mexico) that ranks 176 countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. This is better than the previous 129th out of 178 ranking in 2011 with a 2.6 CPI (10 means that a country is perceived as very clean).
Put in perspective: The Philippines is STILL HIGHLY CORRUPT — belonging to the BOTTOM THIRD in ranking of CORRUPT COUNTRIES — but not as corrupt as before. And it is true that high profile cases — against former President Arroyo and Chief Justice Corona — helped improve this image.
All this means really is that the world at large BELIEVES, in passing, the spate of BULLSHIT that BS Aquino’s administration has been spinning for the last three years.
—
With regards to the PCGG: We have never encountered the kind of parasitical malaise that the PCGG has inflicted on the Philippines at any time in our history. In nearly 30 years, the commission has done little in the way of reclaiming ill-gotten wealth. Instead, it has made several of its officials EXTREMELY wealthy off the backs of the sequestered companies it is supposedly managing.
—
Speaking of “destroyers of the state,” it is conspicuous that the phrase “kamag-anak incorporated” was first coined under Cory Aquino as a derogatory jibe against Cojuangco and Aquino family members, their friends, and assorted hangers on who abused their relationship with Cory and parlayed it into lucrative business deals, outright appropriation of coveted businesses and biased, favorable legislation. The effects of which we still feel today because of the DESTRUCTIVE EFFECT they have had on our economy.
Here’s another way of looking at our CPI ranking:
We are at the same level as Mexico, a country that has a violent peace and order crisis going on. Where the police either work for the drug cartels as assassins or are decapitated and displayed in public spaces. Where anyone can be kidnapped off the streets and held for ransom.
We are at the same level as Bolivia whose court system has long been riddled with corruption and inefficiency. This is a country notorious for its persistent human rights abuses, drug-trafficking, and economic mismanagement.
We are at the same level as Algeria, where only recently, the government lifted a “state of emergency” that had been in place for 20 years. It is a country that today is part of the wave of political and social unrest, protests and civil wars throughout North Africa and the Middle East.
This is the status eduardo and his idol want the Philippines to have? The kind of company they want us to keep?
Slight correction: when I said the Philippines is in the bottom third of corrupt countries, I meant to say WE ARE NEAR THE BOTTOM THIRD. Or if you want to put a rosier, feel-good spin on it: the Philippines is just above the lower third in CPI ranking. Bottom line — the Philippines is still perceived as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Regardless of whatever lies eduardo might spin.
Surveys and statistics have always worried me.
At the end of the day i rely on personal experience and trusted colleagues/acquaintances, and the one thing that every business man will tell you is that corruption and smuggling has increased, in the past 2 years in particular.
The handlers/fixers are all well known but ‘fireproof’, through local and political protection.
And many businessman – especially the chinese – are very content with the system, because even with the ‘levies’ they make good money/profits as well, so no-one wants to blow the whistle.
And pay-offs go all the way up to cabinet secretary/usec.
There is no change simply a redistribution.
90 billion pesos a year is the current figure being stated in terms of lost revenue through customs.
If only. It is far higher. Mckinseys say that capital flight from the philippines ( i.e. dubious money, not overseas investments amounts to 97 billion dollars, not pesos – equivalent to the natiinal debt, or 50,000 pesos for every man, woman, child. In essence 30% of all wealth is being extracted and hidden abroad)
Clearly a country of masochists who like to be screwed and treated as sh!t.
as eduardo proves he likes to show his stupidity and ignorance but can offer nothing to try and make the country better.
a perfect example of 3rd world education and outlook.
no wonder so many filipinos want tha americans back, but like a bad hooker, you don’t repeat the mistake.
leave it to the chinese, and good luck!
The US though has a pie in the face to throw at this.
It’s all lies, eduardo LACIERDA. It’s all LIES. This is fact-
Cory: Internal strife in her admin, screwed up constitution with dated laws that allow no real financial progress or growth, oh and the constant brownouts. No wonder people couldn’t remember, it was REALLY the *puts on shades* DARK AGES!
PNOY: Pork barrell. Got away with murder. Fun stuff. Potentially could have been linked with narco-politics but we’ll never as that is an unsolved mystery.
Set your priorities straight for once.
and not to leave attention seeking nutcase kris out of the family asylum.
Kris aquino meets 60 year old businessman in paris and goes to his hotel room for a ‘nightcap’.
he gets into bed and says ” i hear you are a member of the filipino KKK”
“Yes” she says.
” good, then get you are used to getting your head under a sheet”
“No, just giving it”
Next morning he leaves some money on the bedside table.
“What about a tip” she says
” the quick route to the airport is via rue de la madelaine”
If Thatcher were our president she would have dismantled the Cojuanco’s Luisita, kicked the Chinese, Americans and Malaysians butt, busted some machismo egos and could now be in jail for doing so.
Although she was known as the iron lady, we cannot hide the fact that she abuses her power during her terms; one of them is by sending young soldiers in war without any training, they don’t even how to handle riffles. She’s tough we know but she’s a murderer as well.
@traffice 2000
You should read about the Falklands War. She never abused her power during the war or sent young soldiers to the war without training. You said: “she’s a murderer as well.” That ignorant, brash name calling is libel to the memory of the dead former Prime Minister. Read about the exploits of the SAS and other elite British forces during the war.
Sorry I cannot give you the link. I just heard it in an interview that she let her people die in war without training nor know how to handle gun/riffle because they were too young to fight the war just to get the Falkland. My mistake if I tagged her as a “murderer” maybe you’re right I’m ignorant again my mistake.
calling thatcher a murderer a day after she died and making up stories says a lot – about you.
it was argentina that sent untrained soldiers!!
180 degrees wrong.
disgraceful.
research and engage brain before making such moronic statements.
bet you have never been an army officer – unkess argentinian!
“Then why did Britain win the war?
Key factors of victory were professionalism, committed soldiers and
leadership attitude. On paper, Argentina had an extra edge, in
material, planes, supply lines, military, and ships. For example,
British had sent their elite troops, such as Special Forces,
Paratroopers, and Commandos well trained to combat in the terrain.
Argentine leaders kept their elite troops in the mainland, fearing a
Chilean invasion and sent troops untrained troops to fight the war.
Under such circumstances, conscripted soldiers in the absence of
proper training and equipment had to fight against both the enemy
and lack of leader foresight.”
the falklands war
happy to live and learn.
please enlighten me on the info behind your comment.
you could provide a new insight to the british people.
@traffice 2000
Read this:
http://www.eliteukforces.info/special-air-service/history/falklands
Your claim of abuse and sending ill trained soldiers is totally false and utterly ignorant of how the british parliament works. That war with Argentina over the Falklands was approved overwhelmingly by a hostile parliament. Abuse of power you say? She would not last that long if she ever did so.
Cheers to the best British woman Prime Minister! One hell of a fighter, politician, economist and woman with guts and the natural feel for doing the best for the U.K. I will never forget her! This country should do well to vote for people with her credentials.
Wish we had someone like Baroness Kesteven here…
some envy in some of the posts.
i am happy to have had a pm who enabled me to learn, live well, work hard and become a millionaire ( even though i now have to live abroad for tax reasons), rather than live in a shanty town with politicians stealing your money.
stupid is as stupid does.
time for another pina colada.
cheers
Wikileaks cables confirm that the US and the NBI thought jack enrile guilty or murder and should be prosecuted, but would not do because of impact on father ponce enrile and the marcos regime.
This is the level of filipino politics, not to mention the drug smugglers, rapists, money launderers etc who are all enjoying their time in congress, senate, cabinet.
Not a scintilla of decency amongst the legion of scum, headed naturally by the aquinos who obviously lead by example.
Hacienda luisita massacre, baby!
must go. the maid needs beating. she is too lazy to do it herself.
While I disagree with some of her policies. It will be a long time, before the world can see another Thatcher of Britain. The Lady had a nerve of steel.
While Aquino hides in every crisis situation. Lady Thatcher faced them and won…
She had better Balls, than most of some Presidents…
Thatcher did everything Reagan told her to do. She crippled the Unions, decimated the middle-class. The economic devastation that is visiting the U.K.now is all the downward spiralling path that Ms.Thatcher started all those years ago. Much like Reagan in the USA, the confused among the British people think she was a “Grande Dame” but just ask any workingman in the U.K. what his opinion of the woman is/was.Thatcher and Reagan, what a pair. Selling $500 hammers to their friends and having the people pick-up the tab, sound familiar?
Great work, if you can get it.
7$ hammers and bad accounting practices.
don’t fall for urban myths.
the communists lost, quite rightly. hence the vitriol, but nobody is listening.
the middle class expanded – now 800,000 people in uk on salaries above 150,000 $ per annum, and 700,000 millionaires.
please try to get facts right and avoid quantum leaps in illogical thought/erroneous connections.
No, don’t YOU be fooled. OK? I do not want to be vulgar as this is looking like a tribute to a dead woman, but TRUTH? the U.K. prospered under Thatcher , not because she cut interest rates and financed public housing with low interest rates, because the reality was: IT WAS all paid for and subsidized by the NORTH SEA OIL. North Sea Oil was a boom for the U.K. economy and happened to come along as Thatcher entered the scene. There was NO MAGIC THATCHER WAND. all the prosperity was from the North Sea Oil and had the U.K. had the foresight to shovel a mere 10% away for the rainy day fast approaching the U.K. pound sterling would not be headed for the disaster coming RIGHT NOW!
Thatcher destroyed the working/middle-class in the U.K. and acted as if her economic policies were responsible for it, THEY WERE NOT. North Sea Oil did all of it,
so don’t YOU be fooled buddy!BTW, it was $500, not $7, was the price of the famous Reagan hammers.the Bush toilets were even pricier at $10,000.00
the second to last paragraph has a mistake, the second sentence should be that ‘Thatcher tried to act as if her ploicies were NOT responsible.
oh and @Libertas, yes ,surely their are millionaires, even billipnaires being made by the speculation and de-regulation of the banking system in London, anyone knows that, but it is done at the expense of the rest of the people. the 1% do not and should not rule over the rest of us! Greece and Spain will not let it happen without blood in the streets.BUT Ireland looks like they like being robbed.
Not†Pinoys†but “Filipinosâ€? Literally speaking, there’s no difference between the two terms. They both refer to natural-born Filipinos in the Philippines and overseas Filipinos around the world. Except that a very few smart-__s Filipino elitists (not the elite) regard “Pinoy†as pejorative for no logical reason. Like any social climber or person who attempts to gain higher social standing by obsequious behavior, they just delude themselves into thinking they’re “elite†by rubbing elbows with members of the high society. Some even go to lengths of kissing their elite asses. Little did “they†know at some point in history, the Spanish had already classified “them†as the derogative “Indiosâ€; and the Americans had labelled the natives of the Philippines as FLIP (f___ing little island people). Yes, those Pinoys, those Filipinos, them, we. So it’s useless to assume an air of superiority in this third world country. For in the eyes of the westerners (and some Chinese who branded us as “dogâ€), we are below the standard of world-class citizens. And “we†means all of us – Pinoys/Filipinos. Sad.
But it doesn’t mean that their racist slurs or elitist remarks are true. What’s real is the fact that some small number of narrow-minded people will always think highly of themselves…with delusional fantasies of power and omnipotence…while hurting other people just to make themselves feel good. There’s a term for this type of psychopathological disorder – Megalomania.
With regards to the†Iron Ladyâ€, I think this country is better off having an “Iron Manâ€, instead. For he is an industrialist and ingenious engineer who has the capacity to build weapons of mass destruction. With him as the leader who can fight enemies with repulsor rays, electromagnetic pulse generator, and defensive energy shield, I bet no one would dare bully this little nation anymore.
Reagan started the war against the workingman by firing the air-traffic controllers that went on strike in 1982(?). With that firing the war against the middle-class in the U.S.A. + U.K. was on. The war against the workingman is now? Well, just about over, with virtually every single manufacturing job in both of the two formerly strongest nations on Earth…gone. Yep, gone to China + S.E.Asia and NEVER to return. That the hollowing out of both economies has ended at just about the same exact time, the two that started it, Reagan and Thatcher, are both now gone. The ‘lady’ almost got to see it herself although her dementia probably prevented that realization getting through to her.
The glorious Falklands War and various military endeavours of the U.S. Military during Reagans terms, and after, will cement their legacies as great leaders.
They did win all the wars they fought, even the ones against their own citizens.I will say that the notion of ‘trickle down’ economics does not work for if it did, the recent crisis of ’08, would not have happened.
As for the Philippines being able to tolerate such a woman? They would first have to produce one such as Thatcher.
10 lessons i learnt from margaret thatcher.
1. Market economics through competition and choice. ( adaptation of galbraith and hayek)
2. Innovation and creativity in business. ( new tech, high tech, value added)
3. Conviction politics – passion and beliefs.
4. Individual freedom through wealth sharing/ownership ( inclusive growth)
5. Individual opportunity through education. ( lifelong learning)
6. Intellectual discussion as the basis of democratic elections.
7. Clarity and communication of Vision and concrete plans ( be judged on facts)
8. Aim for Respect through achievement, not popularity through false promises
9. Leadership by example (work ethic, ability)
10. Integrity, professionalism, and honesty.
yan lang?
That’s 10 more than anyone will learn from your BS lord, dumbass.
Wala palang binabat yan sa pangulo eh!
@eduardo: Very very funny. 🙂
Because you can’t even cite one. All is anti-corruption talk, which is a farce. 😛
The 10 things aquino brings to politics
1.reluctant president – not interested/self-interest ( hacienda luisita)
2.Corrupt (bribes and dubious contracts)
3.Lazy and no results ( noynoying)
4.Hypocritical ( lie, deny,blame)
5.Psychological disorder ( narcissistic personality disorder)
6.Intellectually stunted ( an academic pygmy)
7.Socially awkward ( gormless look, no friends)
8. Dynastic/autocratic rule (all about the brand)
9. Elitism/oligarchy ( divisive nation)
10. Gay ( and don’t we know it)
the long list is p-noy – 1000 days – 1001 mistakes
eduardo,
wala talagang binatbat yan si pangulo(ng aquino)!
“Pangulo,” Amir? I thought it was “Panggulo.”
did your dear lady ever tell you how she financed everything? it had NOTHING to do with slashing interest rates and destroying UNIONS, NO it did not.
it was called NORTH SEA OIL $$$$/subsidies, THATCHER had no magic wand and her policies that are still around today are now failing because the North Sea Oil $$$/subsidies have dried up and are now less than .5% of U.K. GDP.
meet the new boss.
Oil revenue was a critical component and the key to tapping into that was a heavy capital investment programme and the privatisation of BP.
I worked on reforming ‘lame duck’ companies and am only too well aware of the state of industry in the late 70’s and the strategies which were necessary to save companies and jobs, where they could be saved.
The communist run unions had done irreperable damage in some industries and paid a price.
Sounds like you are repeating a newspaper story without delving beyond or understanding the whole picture/context.
I have been there and done it not just read selective texts.
so i know absolutely.
and my family are industrialists so i lived through it from multiple perspectives.
Communist run Unions? It appears that you are neither a professor nor a clear thinking blog contributor/commentator. You are surely delusional for saying that buddy.
Just because you prop yourself up and say you did something(‘my family are industrialists”) does not prove you did anything.Nor does it impress anyone but yourself. Good for you if you got rich because of the “Iron #!T@H” but it does not mean that a lot of workingmen in the U.K. think she did anything good for the country.
After she left office the North SEA OIL started to dry up, and at the same exact time GDP has steadily gone down. The U.K. is now in a recession that resembles more of a depression than anything else. The likes of Cameron and Osborne are going to need another OIL field, not austerity or ZIRP, to get the U.K. out of the hell-hole it is slowly sinking into. That is a fact, and all they have are the policies of Thatcher and that is going to get the bankers/speculators rich and everyone else will go NOWHERE but the poor farm.
I use capitals where and when I feel like it too. I am not your student and if you were my professor I would demand that the school cough up a refund.You tell OTHERS(maybe!) to go read accounting practices at the time, not me!
You do realize that just because you SAY you are something, or do something, that no one else has to believe it that has not seen it, don’t you?
I do not care who you are, or what you say you or your family are/did. It sounds like you are the one who is reading news stories and believing them.
You will NEVER convince me that the North Sea Oil revenues are NOT what enabled Thatchers policies to work (it is the ONLY reason they worked!). It is only now that the Oil is drying up that those policies are being exposed as not being the magic wand they once appeared to be.
Compound that fact with the fact that the U.K. economy is now a service economy (one that does not produce anything!)and it is a recipe for a total collapse of the economy. Thank You Maggie!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/glenda-jackson-on-the-death-of-margaret-thatcher-i-had-to-speak-out-to-stop-history-being-rewritten-8569392.html
here is a link for you jackass, the Brits hated her guts, and you think you know? you know nothing! all you have are insults, you and your jackass buddy! your just a couple of know nothing dip-shits!
a student should never mix it with a professor.
read up about the DoD contracts and accounting practices applied at the time.
a little knowledge leads to pointless conclusions
think clearly and read galbraith.
and avoid capitals.
Never let it be said that Glenn let the truth get in the way of his ranting.
I see you have not been to your Dr.s office for ur re-up of Prolixin. Havin any seizures yet?
Don’t stop takin ur meds cause you were wrong once, and got called on it! Dude, u can RECOVER!
Still crying like a two year old I see. Still fond of repeating regurgitated Michael Moore drivel. And still supremely proud of yourself that you don’t bother with the facts as part of your argument. Pointless when you can never be convinced otherwise.
u know nothing, and prove it with your mindless comment above.
I was wrong, MAYBE you can’t recover!
That’s the default reaction you have for anyone who has an opinion you don’t care for isn’t it? You don’t like it therefore the comment was posted by someone with deficient mental faculties. Anything to convince yourself that all is right in your tiny little mind.
BIOYA DUDE, u think u r a professor of knowledge?
U may think Thatcher did save the U.K. and there are others that think it went down the drain because of her….it is called an opinion.
The U.K. prospered during the 80’s because of NORTH SEA OIL revenues, not because of anything Thatcher did. She wiped out the Unions, and made the wealth of the country slowly disappear into the hands of the wealthy and away, far away from the ‘commoners’. That is a fact, and my OPINION is that she , almost single-handedly, ruined the U.K.. Ditto for Reagan and the U.S.A., except a guy named Clinton righted what Reagan did, only to have it all undone by the guy who stole the election in 2000….remember him? What was his name?
Hey, mind your manners, don’t put your socialist-liberal shit in this forum, all of us can get to agree or disagree about the late Mrs. Thatcher, but don’t taint it with your political crap okay? were still trying to uphold the relevance of “Philippine Democracy” in this era of “Oligarchic Despotism” and your so-called “liberalist” views which unfortunately haven’t even help the UK & the USA except more “freedom” and “democracy” in their societies, as if the Philippines is not plagued already with all that crap. What we need is more responsibilities than more rights dude, and a level and fair playing field to make Filipinos to compete and excel, what we learn about Reagan and Thatcher’s mistakes should be a textbook learning for all of us and to our aspiring leaders, so we don’t copy their mistakes. Oh and about idelogies, either conservatism and liberalism don’t hold shit to common people today, they vote for those who protect their interests, and less crap rousing.
u talkin to me?
ok DUDE!!
i will respect your right to be wrong.
you can lead a pig to water and all that.
watch peter sellers in ‘ i’m all right jack’ to understand the state of british industry pre-1980
and sorry you have such a chip on your shoulder.
Oxford would not be for you.
and suggest you try to think about how to put your own house in order than be jealous of those who have achieved through study and hard work.
the best thing we did was get rid of the communists, scargill and his luddites. that was the first step on the road to progress.
still telling others what to do, at least you notice they do not listen to you brag about yourself and how right you think you are.
if your calling me a pig, your out of line there sonny! talk like that in the street to a thug…see what happens!
The only one acting like a “thug” around here, Glenn, is you.
When you dislike the commentary the person who posted it must be mentally deficient. You ask people to prove their statements and then you whine that the person is a braggart. But of course you don’t care to read or listen to the opinions or responses you asked for. Instead you brag about your ignorance like it’s some kind of virtue.
Stop crying like a little bitch. Being the person with the loudest voice in the room doesn’t make you right. It only means you’re just another small minded, obnoxious little prig in desperate need of attention.
NO, wrong again, you insult others who prove you wrong! and there ya go with the insults again. You have a problem,no doubt! and it sounds personal. you’d do best stickin to commenting on the likes of people you might be able to handle, like poor eduardo that everyone seems to gang up on.U C….
you can’t handle me, could never, not on your best day….so…..
Go hide behind your li’l acer, and insult all the others who make you look like the idiot you no doubt are, coz ya can’t handle the likes of me,Son. all that, and no insults either.u got nothin but a low self esteem level and insults.
You really are laughable. Proven me wrong? Ridiculous. The only thing you’ve ever done is to whine that you won’t bother reading responses to you because you won’t believe them anyway. Pathetic.
haha.
With the level of wit, intellect, creativity, and repartee you display, that would be an insult – to the pig.
Put some lipstick on it, and deal with it.
Enough banter with the bottom 1% and dumbing down. Your attitude, lack of lucidity of thought or clarity in writing explains why you gravitate towards chaos theory and only exhibit the rantings of someone who knows so little about so much and shows it so often, but clearly enjoys being cantakerous and obnoxious purely for the sake of it.
No corporate office for you. Enjoy the pig-sty and the prison of a small mind.
And have dignity in losing. Clearly not a golfer, just a gofer.
Now go fetch little boy, and don’t bother the grown-ups. Try impressing kindergarten kids first.
“Had I a sucking-pig,
Ere he had grown as big
Even as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin
He should have learned to be
Faithful and true to thee,
Yes, his first squeak should be
Comrade Napoleon!â€
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
“It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living
goal.â€
― Steve Maraboli , Life, the Truth, and Being Free
OK, so insult me all you like, it doesn’t make you right.and BTW, what are the people in the streets of the U.K. singing about RIGHT NOW?
they are singing “Ding-dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch, the wicked witch.Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead.”, huh? What are they singing about? you come on here and talk about shit you know nothing about(thinking the destruction of the unions in the U.K. was anti-communism at work, HA!) and deny the reality of North Sea Oil and what it did for the U.K. and then think it was Maggie and her,now failing coz the oil dried up, economic policies!LOL, ROTFLMAO! at you both!
try talking to the crowds in the streets in London about your dear Maggie.insult me and others all you like, it does it make you right, ya shit-heads! there I stooped to your level and insulted you! u dipshits, make me laugh!
No. Just no. It’d turn into a bloodbath given enough time.
That idiot above you post some of his stupid faggotry here, since he likes those kids in Narnia singing the witch is dead, he thinks he is the Faggot version of Aslan, the omnipotent almighty..NOT!
P.S. – to MR. Moderator, you can removed this post if you deemed it offensive, just letting out my steam out with this pathetic, miserable pile of a man..
The Philippines could not produce a Thatcher, or an Attlee, or Lee Kuan Yew, or a Mandela, and certainly never a Churchill.
The Constitution is a replica of the US constitution, with the powers of the Executive weakened, once in 1936 for fear of Quezon and again in 1987 for fear of Marcos, and with a franchise which weakens party organisation and promotes the power of regional barons, aka dynastic politicians.
Margaret Thatcher could do what she did because:
1. She married an older man, an oil millionaire, who was happy to devote himself and his money to her career.
2. She was able to join, rise through and lead an old established and very well organised political party (which, in the Philippines, we have not got).