I was a little surprised to hear that the song at the top of
the pops in Britain or pretty close to the top anyway, was “The Wicked Witch is
Dead.” The song itself is from The Wizard of Oz, however, it ‘s being played a
lot in Britain these day because of the death of Margaret Thatcher. It is also a
testament to how much the country hated and still hates the Conservative Party's platform of privatizing industry, diluting the strength of the unions and
generally moving Britain from a strongly socialist country to a more central
position, politically.
Thatcher had to put in some pretty tough legislation and
clearly she was hated for it. She was obviously
a person who didn’t have to be loved. She created for herself the role of the
“wicked witch” and seemed to find opportunities to enact the character again
and again.
I know in the theatre some actors can become synonymous with
a role, so much so that they seem to become that character in their real life,
off stage. Perhaps, this is what happened to Margaret Thatcher. I always
remember when she brought in the “head tax.” It was never scaled to a citizen’s
ability to pay. If you were a pensioner on limited means, you paid the same as
someone of virtually unlimited means.
My mother-in-law was in the former group and I remember the
family breathing a sigh of relief when the tax was abolished. This tax also
signaled Thatcher’s demise. It might have been the equivalent of the bucket of
water thrown on the Wicked Witch in the classic play. Eventually leaders fail,
regimes collapse and society gravitates to a middle ground.
I do like the song that Andrew Lloyd Webber added to his
production of the Wizard of Oz – “Home is a Place in Your Heart” – presumably with
out witches.
Have a magical day!!
Well, on this side of the pond, we knew what a witch was- and know that witches can be male, as well, since we've had our fair share of these "wonderful" folks...
ReplyDeleteNot that the little man behind the curtain is that much more appealing...
I vote (literally and figuratively) for the one who delivers- and needs no curtains to hide behind.
I agree with Roy that transparency is best, but I am not sure that any politician can be transparent. It goes against the definition. I know that Thatcher made mistakes, but given what she had to work with, she did the best she could at the time.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post, Carol. I don't know much about Britain's politics and didn't realize that Margaret Thatcher was know as the Wicked Witch. What a sad legacy to leave behind. That head tax does sound like a stupid and horrendous idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a head tax sounds unfair. But I believe socialism encourages poor work ethics and the feeling of entitlement. I admire her for standing up to that.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting. I wonder who thought of doing that.
ReplyDeleteWell obviously flying the flag here for the UK I will say this and I think you have already read this on my FB page. I was so in awe at 11 years old when a woman was made PM I then watched her destroy our country with her look after the rich and damn the poor. Yes she is universally hated by the majority of the country. Yes Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead is no.2 in the charts, I think is signifies what 70% of the UK feel about Thatcher. Today, We are all paying 10m ( through taxes) to make sure she goes where the goblins go !!!!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't living in this country when she was a PM, which means that I can't really comment on her actions.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I wish that france had a female PM. maybe it would change the politicians' perspectives?