I know why you want to celebrate Thatcher's death but is it in good taste?

They want to get 'Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" to number 1 in the charts, to shout an almighty yay at the fact that Margaret Thatcher is dead, amidst all the masturbatory articles published by the right about how great she was. The air is so polarised, you can smell the ozone.

What I want to say is, yes, I fully understand why you want to celebrate Thatcher's death, but I do not agree that it's the time for revelry. This is not a right-wing viewpoint at all, I don't want to start espousing her greatest points and paint her as a kind of saint. But why, like so many others, do I hold such a viewpoint?

Basically, yes, feel free to criticise what she did. But just leave it at that. This isn't a time for any kind of happiness.

Why I understand your need to celebrate

Let me tell you a story. Not about Thatcher, but about a senior political figure from the works of fiction.

Lord Sidious (Also known as Chancellor, later Emperor Palpatine) was a Sith Lord who rose to the highest station of government. Lord Sidious took control from the incompetent Chancellor Valorum, who had let the factions of the Galactic Empire rule him. It was an embarrassment, and the world of Naboo was embroiled in a rather seedy affair with the Trade Federation placing a blockade around their planet, hoping to annex the world.

Lord Sidious was this sort of person.

A leader with a tough, uncompromising attitude, never one to be wavered by troubles, and never one for turning. In fact he turned them.

An accomplished public speaker, knowing how to get people on his side.

Outwardly, appearing to be a good, moral person; in control.



The person to bring radical change, transforming the Republic totally. This did much to polarise public opinion; people either loved or hated him.

It was as if he was superhuman.

 And he had marvellous hair that made his head look bigger.

 

During his tenure, he brought order to many, a growing economy, at the cost of annoying (and destroying the lives of) quite a few people, who did much to fight back.

But what happened to poor, old Palpatine?

In the end, one of his many proteges stabbed in the back, and threw him down a ventilation shaft. Yeah, boy. For hurting his family. Nevertheless, a quick death.

And after his death, there was much celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, this is why I understand your frustration. I know you may have been hard done by Thatcher, and I know why you want to party.

 

Why I disagree with you

Thatcher did not enjoy the privilege of a quick death.

 

Yes, she may have had many other privileges during her lifetime, and died in the relative comfort of the Ritz Hotel, London, but when you die, when anyone dies, they are alone and no amount of material wealth can ultimately bring comfort. Only love surpasses all. But I feel that even this may have been absent in the case of Margaret Thatcher.

You see, she spent the remainder of her days suffering from the degrading process of dementia, much like her good friend Ronald Reagan, another conservative icon.

 

You may or may not have known someone to suffer from dementia. It is a horrible disease which can only be described as a slow death. You begin with a person, and you are left with someone resembling that person in appearance, but they may not know who you are, who they are, or what on Earth is going on. They may want their deceased partner, but don't understand why they can't be there.

To be honest, I fear dementia more than I do a quicker death. I like the feeling of wholeness and it irks me when I forget the most simplest of things from time to time, let alone all the time. And no one ever gets better from this disease.

 

And it doesn't just affect the sufferer too, it affects family, friends, anyone who cares.

We live in a country where free speech is promoted, and it is perfectly OK to criticise Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister. But to go out and party, to get a song in the charts to celebrate her death with a bit of fun, all you do is bring more hurt to those that survive.

And I thought you were human beings.

I'm sticking with the option of rising above all of this. I don't want to drag myself to her level. Let's be civilised and show everyone else how good we can be.