First Thatcher government papers released...

[wibble]

People trying to compare Thatcher and Blair is like trying to compare cat **** with dog ****.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Except I didn't say anything about Austrian economics - I said that Thatcher's economic policies (partly monetarism) were based on the theories espoused by Hayeck in "The Road To Serfdom" - which is undeniaby true.

 

You're no doubt referring to 'the Austrian School'?

 

The fact that Hayeck was Austrian, Adam Smith was Scottish, Maynard-Keynes was English, etc, is irrelevant.

 

er...

 

Er, quite!

 

Undoubtedly, Thatcher was inspired by Hayek's "Road To Serfdom" in terms of the enforcement of individual property rights etc. Hayek's work, however, was inspired by the Austrian School, as you say, which shows that booms and recessions are inevitable via the creation of money through fractional reserve banking. This leads to capital booms and capital crunches, with recessions destroying the excess capital.

[stirlo]

The Al Anfal Campaign in 86-89 alone killed 200,000 Kurdish civillians.

 

I am not for a second justifying the actions of Saddam Hussein who was a horrid individual and led a grotesque regime, but I think its important to give that statement some context.

 

The Al Anfal "campaign" was a campaign whereby Saddam's forces were trying to gain control over Kurdish pro-Iranian forces in northern Iraq. This was part of an 8 year war with Iran which began in 1981 - a war in which Iraq was supported by (among others) the US, most of Europe (including the UK), the Soviet Union and most Arab states. Consequently, Saddam had no problem getting his hands on weapons (including the chemical weapons used in the Halbja poison gas attack).

 

My general point is this. Does what went on during the Al Anfal campaign and Saddam's regime generally (which for the most part was tolerated and in many cases supported by the west), justify the level of suffering that has happened in iraq since the 2003 invasion? I don't think so. In my opinion, the UK and US have taken a very bad situation and made it consideraby worse.

[Johanes de Silentio]

Er, quite!

 

Undoubtedly, Thatcher was inspired by Hayek's "Road To Serfdom" in terms of the enforcement of individual property rights etc. Hayek's work, however, was inspired by the Austrian School, as you say, which shows that booms and recessions are inevitable via the creation of money through fractional reserve banking. This leads to capital booms and capital crunches, with recessions destroying the excess capital.

 

Cool - a guid new year to you, Geoff!

[grumpyjambo]

I wasn?t trying to condascend you in anyway ? you are probably older, wiser and more intelligent than I

 

However I just can?t stand the whole stigma attached to the name ?Thatcher?

 

It has always been ?in vogue? to hate her. It is very uncool to like her

 

People just hate her to hate her and have no real substance

 

She was a remarkable woman and one fo the worlds greta leaders

 

I was proud to have her as my PM

 

She is synonomous with all of her mistakes but not her successes which is a real shame

 

I gaurantee we would live in afar different world today if she never existed and IMO a far worse world

 

 

Quite clearly you did not have to live through that period when I was always fearful of losing my job and home due to political ideaologies that were for the benefit of the South East of England. It was scary times.

[Munch]

Not a huge fan but she did some good things in power

 

Played the IRA at their own game. Dirty tricks, ambush and state sanctioned summary execution.

Sorted the Argies right out

Broke the unions that were strangling the country

Made it more affordable, more possible and more desirable to buy your own home.

 

Fecked up majorly with the council tax and took things way too far with the miners.

 

Cant think of much else that was either very good or very bad.

 

the music was good at the time, the pistols, the clash, the stranglers, and our very own Wattie of the exploited who was easy to spot at our games, i wonder if he still goes.