Spring has been unusually late this year, so the
strategy of hibernating in the tropics during the northern winter has not been
wholly successful. Instead, we walked right into a barrage of chilling winds,
sleet, snow and rain.
But now, at last, thankfully, Nature is showing signs of reverting to its usual
rhythm. The sun shines and warms the air to a pleasing 18C. Not before time.
Time too, evidently, for a lady of iron to die in a stylish venue. Can’t
imagine how or why she should have chosen to die at the Ritz Hotel in downtown
London except, perhaps, that it was a final act of provocation towards the
proletariat with whom she had those epic fights during her heyday.
Even without her dying where she did, the old battle lines are still as fresh
as they were thirty years ago, and some with appropriately long memories are
showing little respect for the dead. One has often heard it said that “people
will dance in the streets” when some controversial character (usually a family
member) or the other dies, but it must be highly unusual to actually witness a literal execution. There was always the possibility, I
suppose.
These local wars are of course interesting, but where I was taken aback was to
hear that Mrs Thatcher was a great anti-apartheid warrior who fought tirelessly
to have the ANC unbanned, and for Nelson Mandela to be freed from prison so
that he could lead his nation to a better place.
In 1996, the Independent newspaper reminded us of Mrs Thatcher and her
party's attitude to justice in apartheid South Africa. It was not pretty:
So, I can’t imagine what the conversation would go like when, in the fullness
of time, Mandela and Thatcher shall meet.
Tell Fren Tru
Mandela and Thatcher will never meet in the fullness of time! Why do you think heaven and hell were invented?
ReplyDeleteGood point
ReplyDeleteIt is impracticable to engage with a blogger who withholds a profile. As a Christian I cannot profess to be capable of judging who ends up in heaven or hell in a defensible, and objective way. I cannot understand why it is considered so despicable that an old widow suffering from dementia with both children living overseas should have been offered hospitality by a friend at a location handy for her continuing medical treatment that attracted no adverse observation by the citizens of this country. I speak as one who lived through the terrible experiences of the state of this country when she was elected again, and again to allow her to take the decisive actions necessary to save us from total disaster at a time when the whole world was divided in many ways: left v right, Germany was divided, the UK was being held to ransom by some formidable Unions, the dead were not buried, streets were blocked with uncollected refuse, there were rats and vermin everywhere, we had regular strikes depriving citizens of services such as the railways, and goods, Industry was on a rapid decline and, yes, the
ReplyDeleteprevious Labour Government had already closed more coal mines than the remainder that closed under her against some vicious actions by Arthur Scargill the Union leader who had already brought down the Heath Government, and was determined to also destroy the Thatcher Government, which was our democratically elected body. I am proud to be a member of the Conservative Party, and an ex-local Councillor, and supported the party position on those deemed to be terrorists in those difficult days irrespective of whether they were fighting/operating in Ireland, South Africa or wherever. All British citizens caught up in any terrorist capture where ransom was demanded found a Government that meticulously refused to pay any ransom in order not to lend credence to such behaviour. At the same time, the government believed in democratic rule, and worked tirelessly in the right institutions to secure self rule for peoples across the world. The real question must be What has the ANC done for their people since? I was privileged to witness first hand in London yesterday, standing outside the RAF Church of St Clement Danes as most citizens present applauded the cortege of our illustrious leader for all she did for this country in particular and the world in general. We take the mobile phone for granted forgetting that when she started, landline telephones were the order of the day, it took three months or so to apply for one to be installed in the house, and we shared party lines with our neighbours and had to wait if they were on the phone when we needed to be; she led the way to change all that. It was noticeable that many of those demonstrating were the young who could not have been alive 30 years ago. Others, including the Labour Party have their own agenda. Even Sierra Leoneans would not favour Maada Bio in our latest elections because of his status; I presume he has to serve time within democracy to stand a chance of acceptance; we were sensible. So you can see why I found this particular posting ill-timed, ill-informed, and insensitive in many respects. A difference of opinion is ok if based on the truth, and facts, and identical opinion is not a pre-requisite for eternal bliss. As I do not intend to engage in a protracted argument, it may well be best to withdraw from this group. May Baroness Thatcher's soul rest in perfect peace.
I can definitely see where you are coming from, but there are few who would argue that apartheid is a doctrine that is superior to any other form of government, notwithstanding the ANC’s failure, so far, to deliver all that it promised.
ReplyDelete