Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Taping an episode of Uncommon Knowledge yesterday, Charles Moore, former editor of the Daily Telegraph and Mrs. Thatcher's authorized biographer, mentioned that in Britain in recent years Lady Thatcher's reputation has risen. "She's still a divisive figure," Charles said (and I'm quoting from a quickly scribbled note), "but more and more these days I hear people saying, 'We could use a Maggie Thatcher.'"
Why? What do they see in her?
They see someone who dealt with reality. Mrs. Thatcher always believed that you had to tell the people the truth and state very clearly just where you stood. She was always very worried about illusions. She saw that in a democracy there would always be a temptation to deal with illusions rather than reality. Illusions can be so much more popular. They're easier to believe. She insisted on reality.
Reality, not illusion.
Anyone care to suggest how to apply Mrs. Thatcher's reality principle to American politics today?
P.S. In the photo nearby--the only one I could find of the two of them together--Charles Moore accompanies Lady Thatcher in the rain in St. Peter's Square a couple of years ago. They were there to see Benedict XVI.
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May '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Simple. The RNC needs to launch a national advertising campaign - Not for 2012 - NOW. And not web ads. The nightly news and saturate cable.
Explain how all of the Federal pension funds have ZERO assets beyond Treasury Bills. They've all been raped of over $4T, including Social Security. That there is a SS Trust Fund, that's an illusion.
They need to list Obama's biggest contributors, Wall Street and corporate. That the GOP is doing the bidding of the Fat Cats, that's an illusion.
He has the bully pulpit. We have to beat him over the head with it.
Jul '11
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
I think EJ is 100% correct. The RNC needs to stand up and calmly, rationally, methodically tell the truth. The facts are on our side. We should play cool, calm and collected to the DNC's rabid, fear-mongering lies.
[Added] I am also pleased to see the UK come to appreciate one of its greatest contributions to modern politics. The Iron Lady was/is a pillar of conservatism, humanity and faith. How can you not love her?
Edited on Jul 15, 2011 at 11:20amMay '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Given the utter fantasy world in which our President lives, and the fantasies he is constantly trying to peddle to the American people (Corporate Jets! Corporate Jets!), a does of reality in our politics is just what we need.
May '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Republicans might start by calling a liar a liar. Their ads should use Obama's own words against him.
What's this about the "Politics of Realty"? If Thatcher wants to sell me a house, she can email me like every other spammer.
Oct '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Ditto to many of the above comments.Only Paul Ryan, Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain seem to be willing to do it.
Oct '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
It was all part of the Tories desire to create a nation of home-owners...
(But it does bring up a pet (very minor) peeve of mine: the lack of proof-reading by (for?) contributors. We members pay $3.58 a month to be able to misspell, but it is rather jarring to read an extended piece by a professorial contributor (in their voice, of course) and be brought up short by repeated mistakes...)
May '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Sad to say, but people really don't like being told unpleasant truths, hence the "temptation to deal with illusions rather than reality" that Thatcher recognized. Few politicians have the courage to speak these truths nor enough public trust and influence to be widely believed. Even Thatcher was able to speak hard truths only because much of the British public had already seen the hard reality themselves; she gave voice to their own feelings. Even then she was "divisive", as Moore say (and he's being kind).
The importance of the Tea Party movement is as an indication that a good number of Americans are waking up to "reality" and looking for someone to give their concerns a voice. The bad news is that it still takes real courage and the "iron will" that Thatcher displayed. Rare qualities in modern politics, alas.
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
genferei
It was all part of the Tories desire to create a nation of home-owners...
(But it does bring up a pet (very minor) peeve of mine: the lack of proof-reading by (for?) contributors. We members pay $3.58 a month to be able to misspell, but it is rather jarring to read an extended piece by a professorial contributor (in their voice, of course) and be brought up short by repeated mistakes...) · Jul 15 at 12:01pm
Thanks for the catch. Fixed the error.
"Professorial"? Me? Gee, genferei, that worries me a lot more than my misspellings.
Mar '11
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
Mr Moore is one of my favorite journalists - he usually has a piece on Saturday, which I read, as I do Mark Steyn, when he is around.
I'm afraid I am the Steynian pessimist, these days - must have been reading him too much. Mrs Thatcher is indeed very polarizing in the UK (where I am at the moment). Most of the people I know hate her (like in the US, I am surrounded by Liberals, or, as we say in the UK, more honestly, Socialists). I am sure there are people who love her, too - mostly around London.
As you know, in the UK the present Prime Minister is a "Conservative" - a fine person, a vast improvement over Mr Brown and Mr Obama, but no Margaret Thatcher. It seems to me that the UK will never see another Thatcher elected - it has moved too far to the left, past the tipping point.
Similarly, I don't see a Mrs Thatcher in the US - well, I do: Mrs Bachmann and Palin. Very different personalities, for sure, but Conservatives.
Sorry to keep bringing up Mr Murphy, but he assures us that the US will never elect a Mrs Thatcher - too polarizing...
Edited on Jul 15, 2011 at 12:48pmDec '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
American politics, today? We are aligned against a field that surrounds us on all sides. Meryl Streep as Thatcher? There's your illusion, versus reality!
genferei's comment is humurous, but I find it more annoying when people say that word incorrectly, as when they say, "relator". They somehow think a realtor should have an name that sounds like "real estate". Or something. And don't you dare get on me about whether quotations should be inside our outside of punctuation! People that pay my bills insist that they should be where they request them to be, and they all disagree. I just try to keep track of whom wants them where!
Aug '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
The most unpleasant truth people have to face is that you can't run a civilization on the principle that people can have fewer than two children per family, and then enjoy an 18-year vacation at the end of their lives that includes the best medical care on Earth, all at the expense of somebody else's children.
May '10
Re: Margaret Thatcher and the Politics of Reality
The illusion that most conservatives currently have is the belief that, in the event of a default, there's even one chance in a trillion that we can keep all our members unified against the President.
We can't. We'll cave as surely as night follows day. Wish it weren't so, but it is. Therefore we can't win. Therefore McConnel's the one being Thatcher-esque at the moment.