A ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN

[Sculptor]

As a counter - example of an intelligent, tasteful, civilised, attractive and eminently liberated woman, I give you the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher (one of my heroes). The following quote of hers from 1987 says it all...


"Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you tonight in my pink chiffon evening gown, my face softly made up, my fair hair gently waved...the IRON LADY of the Western world."

Now THAT, is what I call class !


Regards


Dachshund

Thatcher: the worst thing that ever happened to the UK.
Pure Evil.

Like every other so-called 'neo-liberal'.

Yes, like the Franco-German gang that have been appointed to the leadership roles in the EU this week.

[Dachshund]

Thatcher: the worst thing that ever happened to the UK.
Pure Evil.

Dear Sculptor


No, the worst thing that ever happened to the UK was Tony Blair ( Aka: "Phoney Tony", "Tory Blair"). "Cool Britannia" turned out to be not such a "blast", did it, Sculptor ? ( I mean any British PM who thinks its kewl to invite a wanker like Liam Gallagher to No, 10 for tea and cake, has got some serious personal issues).


Blair was part of a conspiracy that opened the UK's borders up to mass immigration. The public were deceived and not aware what was going on. Blair let millions of Muslims (and other foreign ethnic groups) immigrate to the UK during his time in office. This was a part of drive to promote a multicultural Britain. The whole thing went pear-shaped as you know. The Muslims never had any intention of assimilating into British society and frankly they have caused a lot of trouble in England in a number of different ways.


MARGARET THATCHER AND SOME OF THE GREAT STUFF SHE DID AS PM


* Showed she was a strong, gutsy leader when she successfully dealt with the Iran Embassy hostage crisis in 1980. If you can't remember the incident, a gang of 6 Iranian terrorists entered the Iranian Embassy in South Kensington and took 26 British hostages. When the terrorist shot one of the hostages, she ordered an assault by specialist armed forces to take out the terrorists. The operation worked; 5 out of the 6 terrorists were shot dead, and the remaining scum bag was captured. The 25 hostages were freed unharmed and the Iron Lady came up trumps. YAAAAAY !!



* Margaret Thatcher transformed the UK from being the shabby, socialist, "Sick Man of Europe" into a confident, prosperous nation by implementing a free market economy.


*In the 1970's militant trade unions were wreaking havoc in the UK. They'd fucked the economy up big time. Do you remember the freezing cold "Winter of Discontent" in 1979, Sculptor? Britain was struggling to run on a 3-day working week, garbage was piling up in the streets because it wasn't being collected, even the dead were not being buried. When Thatcher became PM in 1980 she sorted out the mess by standing up to the Union bosses and bully-boys, including 'orrible,little cunts like NUM President, Arfa' SCABurl ,(who was recently charged with rorting £2,000,000, BTW).


* Margaret implement a "Right to Buy" policy that enabled some two million Brits who were living in Council houses, to buy their home from their Local Authority. They never dreamed that one day they would be able to buy their own homes. Thatcher made it happen.



* "PRIME MINISTER... WE'VE JUST RECEIVED WORD: - THE UNION FLAG IS FLYING OVER PORT STANLEY "!! HURRAH !! HURRAH !!



Margaret Thatcher wins the Faulkland's War and the people of "Avalon" are delighted. Ingerlund rejoices and Margaret wins the next General Election by a landslide.



* The Iron Lady was a fearless warrior who played a major role in crushing "The Evil Empire" (the Soviet Union) and thereby ending the dreadful Cold War that had blighted the world ever since it began in 1945.



Well, I could go on and on listing more of Margaret's wonderful achievements, but I'm feeling a bit weary, Sculptor. It's time for Rupert Bear and me to "hit the hay" I think !




Kindest Regards


Dachshund



PS: Do you know who, IMO, summed up Margaret Thatcher (the woman) perfectly? It was the former French President Francois Mitterand. After he first met her he said that...


"She had the eyes of Caligula and the lips of Marilyn Monroe"

[Belinda]

Is charisma a suitable qualification for a political leader?

[Dachshund]

Is charisma a suitable qualification for a political leader?

Belinda,



I tend to think of a "qualification" as something that you earn and acquire, like a university degree. Charisma isn't like that - it an innate personal quality. In any case the notion, of a bad/incompetent charismatic politician is oxymoronic, well, at least it is in the civilised Western world. (I see kids walking around wearing T-Shirts with Che Guevara images printed on them because Che is still a charismatic figure all these years after the CIA gunned the bastard down in 1967. Here you have an example of a man who was a politician in Cuba's revolutionary government political, who had an army of devoted admirers, but was, truth be told, a brutal "stone killer" who coolly executed untold 100's of civilians (including) children with gunshots to the face).


So, I would answer your question by saying that I have noted that some great political leaders are very charismatic, and some that are not.



Donald Trump, for example is obviously a charismatic politician. He has a personal magic and electrifying spiritual power about him that sets 1000's of his supporters cheering and up on their feet at his big MAGA ("Make America Great Again") right across the length and breadth America. I always watch his MAGA performances, and I have to say I've never seen politician fire-up a crowd like Trump does in my life (and following US and UK politics has been one of my hobbies for years) I get excited myself just sitting in front of the telly.


Still in America, ( but before my time), there was another great political leader, Huey Long, his nick name was "The Kingfish", and he was even more charismatic than Trump. Huey became Governor of Louisiana in 1928. You would like him as he was a (real) socialist who actually got things done and made a difference: helping the poor; building schools and libraries; going into bat for unemployed families during the Great Depression, etc. I've watched all of the old black and white news reels I could find of HL; there are a couple showing him giving speeches in Congress, and man, he was a knock out! Huey long was charismatic, but he was also a fire-brand and his defiant, uncompromising political views made him lots of enemies among the ruling class of Conservatives. Huey was given the nod to challenge Roosevelt for the Presidency in 1936. In 1935 national polls were showing that Huey was closing in fast on FDR, but that same year he was, tragically, shot dead by mentally disturbed gunman.



In Britain Margaret Thatcher, of course, was a charismatic figure. I know that she was not exactly loved by EVERYONE in Ingerlund, but she was, as the record confirms, overall, a very successful Prime Minister and she did have millions of devoted fans in Blighty. I mean, lets face it Belinda, I know you hate the Tories, but the UK was in bad shape in the 1970's, the Unions had screwed up the national economy and I'm sure you remember "The Winter of Discontent" in 1979 ! Things just couldn't keep going on like that. Margaret came in the next year, she stood up to the Union Bosses and their bully-boys and said THAT'S IT- GAME OVER. Thatcher sorted out the mess quick smart. You have to admire her, Belinda, she had to constantly deal with men (Politicians, Unionists, Tory Party grandees, Businessmen) who were real arseholes and deliberately tried to make her life as PM hell, but she stood her ground and refused to take any shit from them. IMO, she was a class act - a very strong and very dignified Lady.



Still in Britain, an example now of a good political leader who do NOT have charisma. This was John Major. "Citizen John" was my fave British PM because I loved his debating style in the Commons. (Their was only one blot in John's copy book and that was the 4 year affair he had with Edwina Currie. Disgraceful behaviour !).



Finally, another outstanding girlie political leader who was super-charismatic. I'm talking about Eva Peron in Argentina. What can I say, but: beautiful, passionate and a fighter to the end ! She was a great leader and a great role model for the women of her generation. A truly remarkable and inspiring woman.




Regards


Dachshund

[Belinda]

Poodle !

[Arising_uk]

(I see kids walking around wearing T-Shirts with Che Guevara images printed on them because Che is still a charismatic figure all these years after the CIA gunned the bastard down in 1967. Here you have an example of a man who was a politician in Cuba's revolutionary government political, who had an army of devoted admirers, but was, truth be told, a brutal "stone killer" who coolly executed untold 100's of civilians (including) children with gunshots to the face).

Right wing BULLSHIT.

[Sculptor]

Thatcher: the worst thing that ever happened to the UK.
Pure Evil.

Dear Sculptor


No, the worst thing that ever happened to the UK was Tony Blair ( Aka: "Phoney Tony", "Tory Blair"). "Cool Britannia" turned out to be not such a "blast", did it, Sculptor ? ( I mean any British PM who thinks its kewl to invite a wanker like Liam Gallagher to No, 10 for tea and cake, has got some serious personal issues).

Everything Thatcher touched created hardship, inequality and misery.
Blair was just Thatcher part two.

[Walker]

(I see kids walking around wearing T-Shirts with Che Guevara images printed on them because Che is still a charismatic figure all these years after the CIA gunned the bastard down in 1967. Here you have an example of a man who was a politician in Cuba's revolutionary government political, who had an army of devoted admirers, but was, truth be told, a brutal "stone killer" who coolly executed untold 100's of civilians (including) children with gunshots to the face).

Right wing BULLSHIT.

My God, based on life and not belief, that sounds monstrous.

What's worse for the believers in Che: killing nuns, killing babies in the womb, or killing the old?

Any kid wearing that kind of a T-shirt is most likely either a true believer, an indoctrinated moron, a Progressive, or cultivating an image for his own purposes which might just be hormonal in nature when he goes spooning unchaperoned to perhaps woo some girl too dumb in the Information Age to practice birth control, pre-conception so as not to kill life.

A supporter of The Great Trump wearing that shirt (greatness in this case being empirically based on his job performance, and not belief*), would be as rare as a divine unicorn, of which Legend movies are made.

I'd bet a few understood this posting, but I wouldn't bet on the bad ponies who don't.


*Kind of a shame that among intelligent folks, the obvious requires so many qualifiers to pick at.

[Arising_uk]

My God, based on life and not belief, that sounds monstrous.

What's worse for the believers in Che: killing nuns, killing babies in the womb, or killing the old?

You tell me as your troops in Vietnam did most of that and more, rape was very popular, whereas Che didn't.

A supporter of The Great Trump wearing that shirt (greatness in this case being empirically based on his job performance, and not belief*), would be as rare as a divine unicorn, of which Legend movies are made.

I'd bet a few understood this posting, but I wouldn't bet on the bad ponies who don't.


*Kind of a shame that among intelligent folks, the obvious requires so many qualifiers to pick at.

The Trumpette represents everything that conditioned your troops in Vietnam to indiscriminately kill the Vietnamese villages regardless of whether they were of the South or the North but since he is a draft-dodger with widdle bone-spurs he took the rich cowards way out. Ironically enough if he had served in the front-lines he'd more than likely have been fragged by his own men as he's clearly that kind of officer.

[Walker]

How is the opposition to war by college students consistent with your fantasies based on hatred of the current POTUS, and with college students wearing a T-shirt displaying an image of the murderous Che Guevera?

Once you step away from childish analysis and belief, it's obvious that a deal maker-who keeps war-hawks as close advisors to balance his peace-loving tendencies indicates wise impartiality ... quite unlike the weak British Neville Chamberland whose message of "please don't hurt us," was comprehended loud and clear.

[Harbal]

the verdict of empirical science today is that it was all BULLSHIT, that is, gender is NOT socially constructed.

But the concept of human rights is, and how they are distributed.

Fat chicks with foul mouths, boy's haircuts, hairy legs and armpits

The classification of these things as un-feminine is a social construct. I don't have a problem with women having short hair and not shaving their legs and armpits. As for being foul mouthed: is that more attractive in a man?

As a counter - example of an intelligent, tasteful, civilised, attractive and eminently liberated woman, I give you the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher might be your antidote to erectile disfunction, but all men are not the same, not every man would want to wake up next to her.


When people attack feminism, they usually site examples of an extreme, fanatical form of feminism. Feminism that simply asks for the removal of social prejudices that work to the disadvantage of women seems quite reasonable to me. What man without a stone-age mentality could object to that?

[Belinda]

Walker wrote:

quite unlike the weak British Neville Chamberland whose message of "please don't hurt us," was comprehended loud and clear.

Neville Chamberlain was not weak but a clever and hard working statesman who tried to stem Hitler's rush to war.

[Walker]

History is written by results, not intent.

Action defines.

[Belinda]

History is written by results, not intent.

Action defines.

Results, however evidence based they be , are variously interpreted.

If Trump manages to avert total war with Iran over tankers in the Strait of Hormuz his intervention will be diplomatic not jingoistic.

[Walker]

History is written by results, not intent.

Action defines.

Results, however evidence based they be , are variously interpreted.

If Trump manages to avert total war with Iran over tankers in the Strait of Hormuz his intervention will be diplomatic not jingoistic.

Interpreting the results of WWII ain't so difficult.

Trump's tendencies are always diplomatic. He's a deal maker, only he deals from strength rather than roll over on your back appeasement. So far he has been whipping to heel the fanatical government of Iran with sanctions.

So far he's proved to be a master diplomat, keeping enemies off balance, speaking to them and not adopting Obama's perpetual straw-man oratory.