The Economist: Staff Writers: Margaret Thatcher: Freedom Fighter: Moving a Socialist-State To The Right

Margaret Thatcher: Freedom fighter | The EconomistTo understand Margaret Thatcher's Conservatism or lets call it Thatcherism which was probably a different form of Conservatism then even Britain is use to. You need to understand the differences between British-Conservatism and American-Conservatism and even Canadian-Conservatism. Because American-Conservatism in its classic sense is a form of Libertarianism, Conservative-Libertarianism. That at times anyway sounds antigovernment but pro-freedom that balances economic with personal-freedom. That also believes in a strong national-defense but that it has to be limited and that the best government is the. Government thats closest to home and slow in willing to expand government at all forms especially at the Federal-level. Thats the Barry Goldwater American-Conservatism that to a certain extent Gerry Ford and Ron Reagan embraced as well when they were President. And that to a certain extent is the even the type of Conservatism thats going on in Canada today. But less antigovernment and anti Federal-power.The American-Conservatism that I just laid out is not the British-Conservatism of today or back when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. And to also understand Thatcherism you need to know the political and economic situation that Britain was going through in the late 1970s when Maggie Thatcher. And the Conservative Party came to power where it was basically a Socialist-paradise ideologically with not only a huge welfare-state and with trade-unions. Having a lot of power but also with nationalized industries like airlines and banks and in the energy-sector. So any move to the right at that point would've looked very Conservative compared with the situation that Britain was going through at that. Point even though it would still be pretty far to the left by American-standards with a nationalized healthcare-system to use as. An example and with the Central Government in the U.K. having so much power over the education-system. As well as a very large welfare-state.Its not as if Maggie Thatchers transformed Britain from a Socialist-state to a Libertarian-paradise. Thats not her legacy but what she did was transformed a Socialist-state thats still pretty Socialist even today. Compared with America and even Canada to a state where government-benefits are still pretty generous. But where Brits who are able to take care of themselves are expected to do so and where people who lack those skills. But who are physically able are expected to educate themselves so they can be independent of government financially and where most industries and companies in Britain. Are now privatized, what Prime Minster Thatcher did was make Conservatism mainstream in Britain.
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The Economist: Staff Writers: Margaret Thatcher: Freedom Fighter: Moving a Socialist-State To The Right Images