NJS

Nobody can deny she was huge figure in recent history - especially in the context of a forum based on mainly natives of the North East.

Probably in my top five perfect women. (Disclaimer: obviously real perfection would involve a brain and personality which can never be assumed)

On the bright side I'm glad I didn't do something I was very tempted to do when we got through the last round - I had a real panic attack about the possibility of us getting to the final and having no chance of getting a ticket so I almost bought a hospitality package on uefa.com. I told myself if we didn't make it it was likely that chelsea or spurs would so I could sell it on but decided to wait for at least getting to the semi.

And Man Utd would have 5 or 6 less titles.

One thing though - I'm much more hopeful for Sunday after geting a nice reminder of our best player. (Though he should be shot for missing the target with that chance)

Good effort - not quite good enough. If he'd started with the finishing team we'd have been 3-0 down by HT.

I was thinking last night about an episode of the daily show I saw a few weeks ago where the guest was someone who'd written a book about how 10m Americans go hungry every day and mentioned a similar report came out in the early 70s and such was the public outrage a government agency was setup which pretty much solved it overnight through food stamps etc Stewart asked the author what happened to make the problem return and she replied Reagan launched the agenda that if you were poor it was your own fault because you were lazy and feckless etc which worked so well the majority believe it and now don't support the help. I wonder where he and the current shower in the uk got the idea from?

And a shed load were closed in the 60s under Wilson - the difference was they were usually dangerous or unworkable even beyond "sensible" subsidy and weren't shut because of spite. Westoe had the biggest coal face in Western Europe untouched and accessible when it closed - absolute madness to do so. You talk about the XY and Zs ias if they were few and petty and debateable - I think you have to realise they are numerous and critical to how this country now is. I genuinely believe this country has been shaped into a harsher, nastier place over the last 30 years and a great part of that is her malign influence in engendering fear at one end and glorying in excess and moral bankruptcy at the other. .

2 days after she was elected she abolished exchange controls. Billions left the country within hours. But one Japanese factory makes up for it.

How did that banking deregulation work out?

I blame Thatcher.

I do okay thanks. I love the idea that they only have the same level as the 70s - care to prove it?

I love the idea that the country was fucked then as soon as she came in it became fixed - where the fuck were you in the 80s? - how were they in anyway better than the 70s? How is the North East in any way shape or form now better off than it was? Where is this successful country of which you speak? She destroyed the unions then what? - destroyed the industries which hosted them and replaced them with service shite and housing bubbles and fucking city traders which turned out great.

Genuine frontier gibberish - please try again.

Compared to the "bad old days" of the 70s all three of those are now acceptable. I know about absolute poverty but I also know how rich the wealthy are in this country and the gap has widened enormously.

So did socialism or capitalism cause the global financial crisis?

Yes and the country we have now is exactly what you and her wished for. Demonised poor with slave labour wages and no rights, global tax evaders taking the piss and a huge increase in inequality - what a victory.

Just confirms my definition of him above. "Opposite sides"? There is no Thatcher policy he wouldn't have introduced and virtually none of his she wouldn't have. Twat.

How would someone who was 4 to 14 understand what mess the country was in more than someone who wasn't born? She won 3 elections mostly because of a divided opposition and a savage media campaign along with a dose of war fever - as I said she never got anywhere near the majority of the country behind her.

Because the notion that the unions "ruled the roost" is nonsense so I can't say what the outcome would be. Let's say we agree that industry in the 80s needed massive changes - would it have been beter to do that with co-operation and negotiation and a plan involving phased replacement or by destroying entire towns with one blow and writing their populations off which is exactly what she did to your/our town.

He gave a little support over the Falkands which matters more than 30000 lives - I've always wanted to know how many he would have to have killed before it was a problem - 300k? 3M?

Heath

You haven't explained why they needed to strike if they were running the country. Some of the practices in industry in the UK were outdated in hindsight but you don't know the reasons behind them. My grandfather used to work in the shipyards in the 20s and 30s when workers were hired on a day to day basis picked out of a crowd by a foreman so union power evolved to ensure a bloke had a trade and so would have job security. How would you support your family if your car was allocated to one of a few blokes out of a crowd depending on the mood/bribe received of a foreman? Of course this is exactly what they now want a return to - will you be happy then?

No I only voted for Kinnock in 93 after a history lecture/bollocking off my Mam. I might have voted for John Smith but not Blair. He also did something within 3 days of getting into power that ensured my decision - topically inviting a certain bitch to no 10 for tea.

So why did they need to strike?