Re: Baroness Thatcher dies, age 87
No, actually they weren't very happy in the 1950's. They still had food rationing from the Second World War for part of it. It's hard to be deliriously happy when you still have food rationing.
Not to mention the failing Empire. People tend to forget, that people even during Thatcher and even some today in the conservative party, think that the UK is as powerful and important as it was during Empire times and try to project this.
It takes time for people in general and more often longer for the political elite, to understand that the glory days are over. It happens to every major power. It happened to the Soviets/Russians, it is happening to the US now, and will happen to the Chinese and so on. It is how things work.
But there are always, mostly right wing but not exclusive, that reach out and try to rekindle old glories for political gain. Lets look at a few.
Al Q, has in part been driven by the myth of Al Andalus and the glory days of the Islamic world. They use this myth as a political recruitment tool to pull in lesser educated peoples to their cause. Especially AL Q in Northern Africa have used this tactic.
The UK and Trident. Just last week Cameron and the Tories justified spending billions on a nuclear weapon and pushed for an upgrade that could cost trillions.. based on the supposed threat from North Korea. By linking the two, Cameron tried to use the imperial days power and reach tactic and totally glossed over the fact for North Korea to reach the UK with a nuclear missile, it would have to send that missile over Russia or the US. But in Cameron's mind and that of his party, holding on to expensive nuclear weapons in a world where there are next to non threats, shows the same strength as the British Empire.. the glory days of the Conservative Party.
Or look at Italy where Berloscloony and some of his allies have attempted to use everything from the Roman empire to the "good" days under Mussolini to rally the faithful and to project an Italy of the past, where Italy was strong and powerful.
Or look at white racists and neo-nazies that use Nazi Germany as some sort of glory years to justify their hatred and political views.
Or many Eastern European countries longing for the so called good old days of communist rule.
I could go on with examples in the middle east and elsewhere, but that will get this thread moved to the gulag of the middle east forum
Point is, some parties and politicians and people tend to view the past in a very narrow viewpoint and tend to only remember the good things, but gloss over the bad.
