Margaret Thatcher - The Iron Lady & My Shero

Margaret Thatcher, who recently died at 87 years old, was derisively referred to by both her opponents and members of her own party as "the grocer's daughter", when she was the only woman to serve as Prime Minister in British History.   Since this Blogger was a grocer's son, I see that characterization as a badge of honor.  When she and her Conservative Party came to power in 1979, Britain could not be called Great; that's for sure.   The empire was gone.  And, years of Socialist government had made a mess of Britain.   When Mrs. Thatcher came to power, unemployment was nearing 14% and Britain was in decline to say the least.  Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady and my Shero, changed it all through her sheer will and strength of conviction and character.

As a Conservative, Margaret Thatcher believed in free market economics and freedom.  Beginning in 1979 and for the entire 11 years she spent in office, she beat back establishment members of the Conservative Party and the Socialists and Communists in her country by selling off industries that had been nationalized, battling the unions that were destroying their country, and cutting taxes and regulations to get Britain back on track to create economic growth and jobs.   The end result is that by the time Margaret Thatcher left office in 1990, there was just 5.8% unemployment and Britain was growing again. 

This very tough woman was also active on the world stage and worked with fellow Conservative, Ronald Reagan, who came to power a year later, to bring down Communism.  When Reagan referred to the old Soviet Union as the Evil Empire and Socialists and the lame stream media went crazy calling Reagan a cowboy, it was Margaret Thatcher standing right next to him, more boldly than any man then in office.  And, when Argentina attacked the Falkland Islands, a British possession for decades,  Thatcher, against the advice of her Generals and Admirals, sent the British Navy and military forces thousands of miles away to secure those islands for the British people. 

Margaret Thatcher put the word "Great" back into her country's name, Great Britain because she herself was one of the greatest Prime Ministers in British history.   This grocer's daughter, with nerves of steel and resolve, saved Great Britain by pushing back years of Socialism, that was destroying their country, without compromise. 

Margaret Thatcher predicted the outcome we see today in Europe because she knew that the European Union and one currency was unworkable.  This was one very smart lady.  Where are the Reagan's and the Thatcher's when we need them today.   We can only hope that a Conservative will emerge in the US in coming years who can live up to the Thatcher/Reagan tradition.   We desperately need this tough Conservative leadership once again to push back 100 years of Socialism in the US that is destroying our country.