Margaret Thatcher passed away this morning in Britain. She was a giant on the world stage, and she was the woman who single-handedly turned the UK around. Baroness Thatcher was the first woman to become Prime Minister, and she served longer than any other in that office in the 20th century. She rose to lead the nation on her own. Her father was a grocer, a position that provided Lady Thatcher no advantage within either the Conservative Party or the British nation. Lady Thatcher advanced, however, on the strength of her ideas and her convictions. She was known as the Iron Lady because that is what she was. She knew what was right; she knew what had to be done, and she went about doing just that. Her party and her nation recognized that quality in her and placed her in power in reliance on it.
Lady Thatcher completely remade attitudes in both Britain and the world. Within her country, she brought back the discipline of the free market to an economy that was decaying under socialism. Her moves were bitterly opposed by those who benefited from the welfare state, but she achieved her purpose. The British economy began growing again after many yeas of stagnation. On the world stage, she worked with president Reagan to change the basic paradigm of the Cold War. Until Lady Thatcher and Reagan came into office, the basic goal of the West in the Cold War had been not to lose. We were always playing defense. Reagan and Thatcher reoriented policy to one in which the West began trying to win; we played offense. After less than a decade, the Soviet Union collapsed under the stress.
I cannot properly outline all of Baroness Thatcher's achievements. I can only say that this morning the UK and the world lost a great lady.
Lady Thatcher completely remade attitudes in both Britain and the world. Within her country, she brought back the discipline of the free market to an economy that was decaying under socialism. Her moves were bitterly opposed by those who benefited from the welfare state, but she achieved her purpose. The British economy began growing again after many yeas of stagnation. On the world stage, she worked with president Reagan to change the basic paradigm of the Cold War. Until Lady Thatcher and Reagan came into office, the basic goal of the West in the Cold War had been not to lose. We were always playing defense. Reagan and Thatcher reoriented policy to one in which the West began trying to win; we played offense. After less than a decade, the Soviet Union collapsed under the stress.
I cannot properly outline all of Baroness Thatcher's achievements. I can only say that this morning the UK and the world lost a great lady.
No comments:
Post a Comment