Margaret Thatcher, Harlem Globetrotters & Morrissey

We read this morning that former British PM Margaret Thatcher had passed away... she was 87.

Respects and condolences to those bereaving..

We won't pretend to be experts in any sense of the word on the life and political career of Ms Thatcher.   From what we know of her, she had good governing qualities and other abhorrent ones..

When she was PM during the Reagan years, rightly or wrongly, the American press pretty much portrayed her as a female version of President Reagan with an accent.   The inference being the two conservatives were ideologically locked at the hip and the mind.

If that be the case, both were dreadfully wrong as far as finance and economy are concerned.  Yet on political issues Not involving the transference of wealth from the poor and working classes to the wealthy, both did a decent job governing their respective nations.

Most Americans today really don't have a clue who Margaret Thatcher is..  But that's alright-- most people can't recall who ran for President vs Obama just five months ago..

But the most famous thing Thatcher did for the few in the States that do know of her was the invasion of the Falkland Islands just off the coast of Argentina in 1982.  The more proper term is re-acquisition...

We felt then as we do now that the Falkland Islands are British possession and when a thief tries to steal what belongs to you, then there's perfect right to go seek to take back what's took..

Just like here and with US forced invading the tiny island of Grenada to free medical students held hostage, sometimes a nation needs symbolic victories against inferior foes to get their collective 'mojo' back.

From the early 1970s until Grenada, there was a decade long feeling of political and military inferiority in the US.

For Britain, who had given up massive amounts of territory from her once great Empire after WWII-- from India to Israel to Iraq... Their global-political inferiority complex had to feel like one massive four-decade migraine before the Falklands was presented to them.

You think defeating an inferior opponent in a speedy period of time doesn't boost the ego?  Go ask the Harlem Globetrotters after every 60+ pt victory over the intentionally inferior Washington Generals...

~ Oh those Globetrotters! Pulling down that man's shorts while he's trying to shoot.. heh heh..  And wearing a ski mask as if he's going to rob a liquor store.. too funny  ~snort~

** Two quick interesting factoids about the 'Generals' for those interested:

1) Both the Generals and Globetrotters have rosters not of 12 players but 48.  Why?  To make 4x the money, of course...

They play games in 4 different locations at the same time, especially weekends and people in Baton Rouge aren't going to know that another Globetrotters-Generals game is going on is Boise or Boston

2)  Ever wonder how it is the Globetrotters always beat up on those poor 'Generals'?  No, not cheating, even though refs are lax with calling fouls...

Nope.. See, no one on the Generals' roster is taller than 6'1" and no Globetrotter is shorter than 6'5"...  Most Generals players are 5'11" and most 'Trotters' are taller than 6'6"..  Yes, the Generals roster is that way on purpose.. Few go to the game to see real competition...

So back to our point-- inferior opposition beings out the hubris in a person or a nation..

~ Haw Haw... Those Brothas are Too funny.  Get that whitey!.. ~snort~

We're not quite sure how the British people will respond to Ms Thatcher's death.. Some will feel saddened... others will celebrate with exuberance and glee.   Its just what happens to leaders to force 'trickle down' economics down the peoples' throats..

How best to explain really what happened then and today..

Let's look at a typical ceiling fan one would find in living room.  You turn it on, the fan turns... different speed setting and when done, you turn it off..

OK..  But on most fans there's usually a switch like on/off on the fan itself which controls which direction the blades turn... clockwise or counter...

On a hot summer day, you want the fan to be turning counter-clockwise... This pushes any cool air downward in a fair & democratic fashion so that everyone in the room can enjoy a little comfort..

But if the fan is circulating clockwise, it moves the cool air upward to the ceiling so no one below can have any comfort except for little mere 'trickles' of coolness which evaporate in seconds and otherwise add to the warmth of the room.

The switch is present as an option because during the winter, you'd set the fan to turn clockwise to push down the warm air that naturally rises because its lighter..

But enough science lesson..  The point is that the powers that be then as in now, don't find it advantageous for them to see the masses living with any level of sustainable economic 'comfort'..

All the wealth or 'cool air' must be kept within their possession.. re-circulated Upward and strictly possessed.. And if a little 'coolness' or wealth slips down the cracks and touches the populace, 'Oh well.. can't win them all...'

And like Reagan and so many other misguided politicians with contempt of those of lower social rank and blind admiration for those holding the power, Thatcher will always have a deeply complex and controversial legacy evoking either admiration or deep despisal...

We end with lyrics from a Morrissey song he had written back in 1987 about Thatcher when she was still in power..  Let us say, its not flattering..

But we share for one specific reason and its not to disrespect...

It's so most people who perhaps haven't the slightest clue about her, will get the perspective of a normal everyday Briton who grew up and lived through her years in office vs the rosy accolades of the well-to-do, then balance the two..

The lyrics are quite raw.. Imagine what must have provoked it..

Truth always rears its ugly head somewhere in-between anger and annointment...

Margaret on the Guillotine

The kind people
Have a wonderful dream
Margaret on the guillotine
Cause people like you
Make me feel so tired
When will you die ?

And people like you
Make me feel so old inside
Please die

And kind people
Do not shelter this dream
Make it real
Make the dream real

Photo showing people's response to Thatcher's Poll Taxes- 1990; this contributed mightily to her political downfall