Margaret Thatcher and Her ‘Iron Lady’ Phenomenon

“I love argument, I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.” -Margaret Thatcher

Back then last week, I watched an exceptional movie about a bold, extraordinary, and gentle woman who lead United Kingdom in a longest period of 20th century. There must be something special carried on by her in  her values of life, as she made it as the first woman ever to serve as prime minister in such a powerful country.

Margaret Thatcher was born as Margaret Roberts. She spent most of her childhood in Grantham where his father owned 2 grocery stores. She was raised in a flat near the railway line. Whilst pursuing her degree in Oxford, she became the president of Oxford University Conservative Association in 1946. She has shown her early political ability, of course.

She is also a chemist. She had worked for BX Plastics as well as J.Lyons and Co. before she actually jumped into political career.

But, what’s so special about her?

She Crawled

“I am in politics because of the conflict between good and evil, and I believe that in the end good will triumph” -Margaret Thatcher

Margaret met Denis Thatcher, a young succesful divorced businessman who married her in 1951. Denis fully supported her career although he knew that political career must bring much consequences into their household.

Margaret started it out as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Conservative Party from Finchley. She also became the party’s spokeswoman for Housing and Land, in which position she advocated her party’s policy in allowing tenants to buy their council house.

She also experienced in becoming Education Secretary (equal to Minister of Secretary) and also The Leader of Opposition while Conservative Party lost in 1974 election.

At first, her husband was against her when she said that she was about to be a candidate of leader of the party. He said that it was her ambition.

To be later on appointed as prime minister, it was not a one-day-job for her. She crawled. She began to work on her voice and her image. She took speech lesson. It’s actually a funny part of the movie when she practiced to make her voice louder by calling his husband’s nickname ‘Denis’. Then again ‘Denis’ with a stronger volume. Then again ‘Denis’ with a really powerful and ambitious volume as her husband responsed ‘Yes’, he thought she called her. Hahaha.

The Iron Lady

On 19 January 1976 Thatcher made a speech in Kensington Town Hall in which she made a scathing attack on the Soviet Union:

The Russians are bent on world dominance, and they are rapidly acquiring the means to become the most powerful imperial nation the world has seen. The men in the Soviet Politburo do not have to worry about the ebb and flow of public opinion. They put guns before butter, while we put just about everything before guns.

In response, the Soviet Defence Ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) gave her nickname “Iron Lady”.

After Conservative Party won the next election, she took her office at 4 May 1979 at 10 Downing Street, one of the most popular address all over the world. When she firstly arrived at the office, she said in a paraphrase of the “Prayer of Saint Francis”.

Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.

Yea, since that day she took the office and began her truly journey. As the Iron Lady.

The problem is there to be solved

“We will stand on principle, or we will not stand at all.” -Margaret Thatcher

Thatcher became a prime minister when racial tension in Britain was increasing. She tried so hard to solve the problem. She met weekly with Queen Elizabeth II to discuss the government business. She was highly respected among the men in her office and even her opposition.

One of her popular role was privatisation. The process of privatisation, especially the preparation of nationalised industries for privatisation, was associated with marked improvements in performance, particularly in terms of labor productivity.

“The Falkland Islands belong to Britain and I want them back!” -Margaret Thatcher

Her other popular policy was in 1982 when she initiated a war against military junta of Argentina to defend Falkland Islands triggering to the Falkland War. Some of her colleagues were against her policy in initiating the war and suggesting to initiate a diplomatic intercourse. But she steadily responsed “With all due respect, Sir, I have done battle every single day of my life and many men have underestimated me before. This lot seem bound to do the same, but they will rue the day.” Yes, there are many millitary victims. But finally she WON the battle. Falkland Islands belongs to Britain until now.

Some of her policy were not popular like her policy of budget spending. But she powerfully said “Gentlemen, if we don’t cut spending we will be bankrupt. Yes, the medicine is harsh, but the patient requires it in order to live. Should we withhold the medicine? No. We are not wrong. We did not seek election and win in order to manage the decline of a great nation.”

She knew that she would face a huge backlash. She was unwilling to bend

Making The Impossible Possible

As once she was asked to take the battle of becoming the prime minister, she rejected.

Margaret Thatcher: “Prime Minister? Oh no. Oh no no no. In Britain? There will be no female prime minister – not in my lifetime.”

But then what? She made it. She did what she thought it won’t be before.

Margaret Thatcher: “I will run…I will run. Just to nip at their heels and to make them reaffirm the principles on which the Conservative Party must stand.”

At first, she didn’t really aim to be the prime minister. She just wanted to become a candidate to ‘frighten’ the party. But then her colleagues told her to really becoming a prime minister. One of them said, “If you really wanna change this party, be the leader. If you really wanna change this country, be the prime minister.” As well eversince the conversation, she determined to be a prime minister. Though the steps may not be easy.

She firstly just meant to give the party a bit of a kick in the knickers. But then she truly did what she need to to. She lead. She illuminated. She made the impossible possible.

Economics

She made many controversial policies.  So many people loved her as well as many people hated her. One of a young man in the movie even said “You’re just a mom. You should be home with your kids.”

In economics, she revolutionized. She made it simple. She said, “Economics is just like managing your household.”

As a student in School of Economics, that might be one of the simplest theory to explain about the complicated ‘melody’ I’ve learned these days.

She’s quite a genius icon.

Her Struggle

The movie of ‘The Iron Lady’ likely describes Margaret Thatcher in her nowadays life. She is described as an old yet tough lady. She is described to have an imagination about ‘yesterday life’ while in the movie recognized as flashbacks. She also makes some conversations with her imagination of her husband Dennis who actually died in 2003.

This is a unique movie. As she is described in her old life, she is a bit revealing her memory of the past, both in her professional career and her personal relationship with her husband and kids.

My favorite part of the movie is when she went to a convenience store by walk in her old life. Nevertheless, she received terrors many times. From IRA (Provisional Irish Republican Army) or even from her opponents.

My another favorite part is when she goes to a doctor to do medical checkup (a routine activity that old lady might do). The doctor sees that she’s not well then she responsed in a very energetic soul.

Margaret Thatcher: “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become…habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny! What we think we become. My father always said that, and I think I am fine.”

 

Margaret and Denis. The Thatchers.

Margaret has a deep relationship with her husband. Margaret and Denis supported each other even after Denis died. In the movie, her imagination about Denis which much irritated her describes the deep intention between two of them. They carry on affection.

One of the unique saying from Margaret is when Dennis proposed her in 1951.

Margaret: “I will never be one of those women, who stay silent and pretty on the arm of her husband. Or remote and alone in the kitchen doing the washing up for that matter. One’s life must matter, Denis, beyond all the cooking and the cleaning and the children. One’s life must mean more than that. I cannot die washing up a teacup.”

Denis Thatcher: “That’s why I want to marry you, my dear.”

Margaret is hard to live with. And Dennis did it. They are meant to be together. Dennis had become very supportive to his wife in the middle of unstable political career. He was willing to take risks of becoming a spouse of the leader of the country.

In the movie, their closeness is very intense and deep. What a lovey old couple has been described. You gotta see it yourself!

What to learn?

“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” -Margaret Thatcher

We should not set ourself to always be liked. We gotta be willing to accept critics in order to become a better person, rite?

“It’s passionately interesting for me that the things that I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I believe have won the election,” she said. She came from a small town. Bringing hope. Then she made it. To the top. Great Britain’s leader. What a great thing for a woman, ain’t it rite?

So, friends. There are so much to learn from the movie as well from the life of Margaret Thatcher. If you haven’t watched it yet, you gotta do this dude! It’s a recommended movie that will teach you the values of life and love, and of course striving for success. As she said, “What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.”

Have a great Saturday!

PS : Watch the movie!! For what it has earned a Golden Globe for best actress in drama for Meryl Streep. Watch the trailer!