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Original poster

to think Thatcher's funeral procession will attract protesters throughout UK?

293 replies

Corygal · 09/04/2013 07:36

Strikes me they're really pushing it with a full military fanfare and procession through the streets of London - it's catnip for every pissed off Briton in the country to come and have a go.

The last people who had this amount of fuss were Queen Mum and Diana, neither of whom exactly attracted violent dissent. But a parade through virtually every main thoroughfare of the capital for Mrs Thatcher...

OP posts:
flatpackhamster · 09/04/2013 19:44

Pan

All of which rather proves the point a few of us have been making, flatpack. ( political ideology and financial self-interest over democracy and freedom of SA people). Thanks for that.

Actually, what it proves is that your politics haven't grown up.

In a university common room, or when you're 15, the world is full of simple binary choices. In the world of RealPolitik, it's complicated. Let's say Thatcher kowtowed to the extremists who wanted a total boycott of SA. The SA government falls. A Marxist ANC government takes over, backed by the Soviet Union. SA becomes a communist state and drives out the evil rich white people. The economy goes the same way as Zimbabwe, because that's what happens with a socialist economy.

How does that advance the freedom of the SA people? They're no freer now than they were under apartheid. The only difference is that their leaders are black.

So Thatcher worked with people that she might find politically distasteful, in order to secure Britain's long term security. She was elected to serve the British people, not the South African people.

NiceTabard · 09/04/2013 19:49

So in your opinion people are wrong to support things like anti-apartheid?

Well OK then, whatever.

NiceTabard · 09/04/2013 19:51

Oh soz just seen you're a supporter of people like de klerk and pinochet.

Each to their own I guess but I'm not interested in engaging.

Dawndonna · 09/04/2013 19:51

Psml at flatpacks latest gem.

Kendodd · 09/04/2013 19:53

KDDD - I'd happily sign it IF it was in any way accurate. Take your point about it not being a state funeral anyway, but that thing undermines it totally. If it said 'no public money to be spent on her funeral' then fine. But as it stands it makes the 'protest' look silly and uninformed? Sorry.

Yes I know it's far from perfect but I've signed it anyway, it gets the feeling across. I suspected there may by a petition about it and so had a look on the Gov petitions website for 'Thatcher' three active petition came up including 'Rename the Falkland Islands to Thatcher Islands'.

There are a lot of closed/rejected petitions wanting no 'state' funeral. My favourite was 'Thatcher state funeral to be privatised' it's very clever and funny.

Pan · 09/04/2013 19:54

oh flat get over yourself and your fear fantasies! A Marxist govt in Pretoria was never, ever a likelihood. Even IF it was, SA would have been a democracy and so chose it's path of self-determination? But that sort of fear-mongering may serve the needs of the financially-interested parties to maintain a status quo. i.e. keep the majority of it's population powerless.

I'm not sure which colour on the roulette wheel was feared most. Black or red?

Kendodd · 09/04/2013 19:54

Link again

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45966

Pan · 09/04/2013 19:56

yes NT - I should leave some people to events in their own head.

NiceTabard · 09/04/2013 20:02

Hold on a sec

It's on weds and is basically a state funeral. Do we all get a day off work then? No? And central London's going to be fucked isn't it, for commuters, because of all this.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

ravenAK · 09/04/2013 20:10

I rather hope people don't protest at the funeral..

Can't stomach the thought of Nick Robinson smugging faux-disapprovingly over the spectacle of 'rioters'.

Bad enough we have to pay for this disgraceful farce without giving the Tory party a free gift like that.

Looks like 'Ding dong the witch is dead' is doing rather nicely in the charts. That'll do.

flatpackhamster · 09/04/2013 20:23

NiceTabard

So in your opinion people are wrong to support things like anti-apartheid?

Well OK then, whatever.

Oh soz just seen you're a supporter of people like de klerk and pinochet.

Each to their own I guess but I'm not interested in engaging.

This is the problem. To you, the world is simple and binary. It's impossible for you to comprehend a world where it is more complicated. A thing is either good, or it's bad. Your thinking is a perfect exemplar of why left-wing politics is so ridiculous and why people grow out of it.

Why isn't it possible in your head to dislike apartheid and still work with an apartheid government to ensure that a less friendly government doesn't take power?

Pan

oh flat get over yourself and your fear fantasies! A Marxist govt in Pretoria was never, ever a likelihood. Even IF it was, SA would have been a democracy and so chose it's path of self-determination?

You do know that 'marxist government' and 'democracy' don't go together, don't you? How would they achieve 'self-determination' with a Soviet jackboot on their necks?

But that sort of fear-mongering may serve the needs of the financially-interested parties to maintain a status quo. i.e. keep the majority of it's population powerless.

Yes, and I expect the illuminati and lizard men will be along in a minute to explain what a cunning plot it all was. Come on. Are you too young to remember the Cold War?

I'm not sure which colour on the roulette wheel was feared most. Black or red?

Probably a fair question in the 1970s. Luckily nowadays - and thanks to Thatcher - red has been consigned to the dustbin of history.

Dawndonna · 09/04/2013 20:27

Oh for God's sake flat, get over yourself. I was a fucking historian. It didn't happen, it wasn't even likely to happen and if you as paranoid as this all of the time, you need some help. Stop being so bloody patronising, you are not the only person on these boards that understood/understands the politics of the time. Now, run along and get that paranoia sorted.

SingingTunelessly · 09/04/2013 20:27

Are you really going to protest/cause a disturbance at the funeral of an 87yo woman who's just died of a stroke? Who left Government office over 20 years ago. Words fail me.

Maggysinge · 09/04/2013 20:28

What I'd suggest is that there should be a fly by on the day of her funeral using military jets powered by the money saved with the benefit cuts. That would be lovely.

NiceTabard · 09/04/2013 20:29

Proper ROFL maggysinge Grin

JakeBullet · 09/04/2013 20:33

Flat pack...I am left wing but my politics are not simplistic or ridiculous....unlike on the "bedroom tax" thread yesterday where more than one right wing supporter made comments about "the poor waiting for society to look after them" and one poster asserting that her disabled cousin managed okay so the rest of us must be lazy for needing disability benefits or that extra bedroom.....I was probably deleted for my apoplectic response to her idiotic comments.

So trust me...right wing voters can be just as simplistic and fuck witted when it suits them.

I wasn't a fan of MT but she did some good stuff as well as bad, she's been very unwell over the past few years and I am glad she is at peace now. I certainly will not be protesting at her funeral.

ravenAK · 09/04/2013 20:33

It would certainly be in keeping with the entire ethos of the event, maggysinge. Smile.

JakeBullet · 09/04/2013 20:34

Ah it's Maggy who knows all about disability owing to having a disabled cousin.

Trolling a bit aren't you with another fuck witted comment there?

Kendodd · 09/04/2013 20:34

You know the more I think about this 'state' funeral business, I just can't believe that they have gone along with it, it's such a bad idea. Inevitability there will be protests/parties, how are they going to stop that along the route? Leaders that are attending from other countries will see it all. It's just going to be embarrassing. Having said that, they're not going to cancel it now, so will London be in total lock down? The quoted figure of £8,000,000 seems no where near enough to police it and I'm assuming that figure doesn't include losses to business due to disruption. Bad, bad, bad idea.

Pan · 09/04/2013 20:37

Nope flat. I'm 15. Too young to remember the Cold War. Sorry.

Another mark on the right-wing bingo card. 'Soviet jack boot'. House!
You do realise that the more you post the more of a parody you present yourself?

I also hope there is no 'disruption' at her funeral. But I'd also hope there is a mass of civil disobedience as much as is possible elsewhere. Reminds me of Osbourne at the Olympics when it dawned on him that the boo-ing of him at an awards ceremony was sustained and not just a 'joke'.

JakeBullet · 09/04/2013 20:39

She was an iconic figure, she did some good stuff too....a lot of world changes occurred due to Margaret Thatcher, President Reagan and Pope John Paul II.

I think this funeral needs to acknowledge her contribution to the world...although she definitely polarised opinions.

I have no issue with the funeral personally...

Maggysinge · 09/04/2013 20:42

Not trolling at all jake just you know all the lefties come here with their hate and vitriol against a dead woman but oh if I post something you don't like its different then isn't it? Hypocrites the lot of you.

Pan · 09/04/2013 20:52

I don't think it's hate and vitriol against a dead woman. It's what she did when she was alive that is being roundly denounced. I'm not sure anyone on this thread has urged an 'incident' at her funeral?
As Billy Bragg said, 'don't celebrate, organise.' To ensure her acolytes don't get a 2nd term.

Viviennemary · 09/04/2013 20:57

I'm in no way a socialist. But I think this kind of pomp and ceremony and public money spent in these times is not good judgement. It's always the case though that no matter how hard up the country is, money can be found for this. Not good.

JakeBullet · 09/04/2013 20:58

Maggy your comment yesterday was fuck witted beyond belief...until you have spent some time on the SN board and seen what some of us have to cope with EVERY DAY you have no right to make such bloody stupid comments. Certainly not based upon ONE disabled cousin....

What's your cousin's disability, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, ADHD, Diabetes etc etc...there are thousands of types of disability (just so you know) and they affect every single person in different ways (just so you know) which means that some people will be more able than others (just so you understand). So to make the comment you did yesterday was crass, stupid and a fucking insult to those of us who have to cope with it every single day.

You might also like to know that I was fully employed for 30 years....so hardly waiting around for the State to look after me.

It sometimes takes just ONE thing out of your control to change everything .....remember that, because one day it might be YOU. If it is (and I hope it to God it isn't) then you might also have to rely on the welfare state to support you too. That is why I support it....so that when the chips are down there is a system which will support any one of us.

I don't agree that people should abuse the benefits system but nor do I expect to be judged by someone just because after years of paying in I actually have to take something out....and yesterday you judged ME and every parent in my position.

That's me out of here....end of.

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