Margaret Thatcher, R.I.P.?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

For me, all of this is more interesting than the question of comparing her to Attlee. Though some questions do occur to me there - did Harold Wilson, the Labour PM in 1967 when Attlee died, ask the Queen for any kind of state funeral? Had Atlee himself been asked what he wanted? If so, what was it? What did his family want?

I ask these questions despite thinking the comparison is lacking in other ways. State/ceremonial funerals have a strong military element, and Attlee was never involved in any war in which British territory and the protection and self-determination of British citizens was at stake. Likewise, Atlee was not the longest serving PM since 1827, nor was he a major first of the order of 'first and only female PM of the UK' and 'first elected female leader of any major power in history'.

You do Attlee a massive disservice. Whilst most of the Tory party plotted and intrigued against Our Winston for much of the duration of the war (after all, its was Halifax's turn don't you know old boy), Attlee (along with Herbert Morrisson) stood four-square behind, or indeed shoulder-to-shoulder with Churchill, and provided much of his strength and power base for the duration, putting aside petty political squabbles.

And then, despite standing against the most popular Prime Minister this country has ever known (perhaps one of the most universally "liked" on the planet in all history) and despite the country and its Empire on its knees and falling apart and in extreme penury, he not only won an epic, unheralded landslide, he managed to implement a change for the benefit of absolutely everyone in this country, a change so far-reaching and popular that even the darling of the right, and a woman who self-admittedly didn't agree with consensus, Magaret Thatcher, was afraid of touching. And it still stands to this day, just.

And he didn't have to fight a gimme colonial war 8000 miles away, he was in the thick of it during a proper war that meant something to the future of this country.

Apart from that though, I take your points.

I don't mean to do Attlee a disservice. Apart from not knowing enough on the subject of Tory intrigue against Churchill in WWII, I dont' disagree with any of that. When I say 'not involved', I do of course mean 'as PM and de facto Commander-in-Chief'.

[BWFC_Insane]

So the BBC will only play a "clip" of a 51 second song.

What a fudge.

Either play it or don't.

Fact is it's a chart recording what songs people have bought in the last week. I don't really see what grounds there are NOT to play something. Plenty of "offensive" songs are played albeit censored to remove swear words.

I don't see this as being any different.

Beeb not exactly living up to their "leftie" agenda that people erroneously accuse them of having!

[CrazyHorse]

It's nonsense. Five Live have been pontificating about Radio 1 playing it for two days straight now and giving the whole thing far more exposure than just playing the fooking song on Sunday would ever do.

[CrazyHorse]

I imagine Mrs Thatch is up there in heaven looking down and pissing herself at all this nonsense.

[thebish]

I imagine Mrs Thatch is up there in heaven looking down and pissing herself at all this nonsense.

that's not very nice... just cos she was old...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I imagine Mrs Thatch is up there in heaven looking down and pissing herself at all this nonsense.

"in heaven" ?
I see now where the Crazy bit of your moniker is derived from.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Anyway, I've checked and I was by far the first person on any social networking site to state I was actually going to go and play "ding dong, the witch is dead".
Therefore I'm claiming to be a spokesleopard and a cool one at that. After dinner speeches can be arranged through my agent at Missus Lost Leopard Spot thank you very much.

[CrazyHorse]

I imagine Mrs Thatch is up there in heaven looking down and pissing herself at all this nonsense.

"in heaven" ?
I see now where the Crazy bit of your moniker is derived from.

I'll leave it to your imagination as to where the horse bit comes from....

[Annoyed Grunt]

I imagine Mrs Thatch is up there in heaven looking down and pissing herself at all this nonsense.

"in heaven" ?
I see now where the Crazy bit of your moniker is derived from.

I'll leave it to your imagination as to where the horse bit comes from....

Long face?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I imagine Mrs Thatch is up there in heaven looking down and pissing herself at all this nonsense.

"in heaven" ?
I see now where the Crazy bit of your moniker is derived from.

I'll leave it to your imagination as to where the horse bit comes from....

Long face?

Some say he is more of an ass than anything else

[a1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFmuUwkwZYA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

So the BBC will only play a "clip" of a 51 second song.

What a fudge.

Either play it or don't.

Fact is it's a chart recording what songs people have bought in the last week. I don't really see what grounds there are NOT to play something. Plenty of "offensive" songs are played albeit censored to remove swear words.

I don't see this as being any different.

Beeb not exactly living up to their "leftie" agenda that people erroneously accuse them of having!

Or just fecking disgustingly poor taste. Hey, you decide.

[BWFC_Insane]

So the BBC will only play a "clip" of a 51 second song.

What a fudge.

Either play it or don't.

Fact is it's a chart recording what songs people have bought in the last week. I don't really see what grounds there are NOT to play something. Plenty of "offensive" songs are played albeit censored to remove swear words.

I don't see this as being any different.

Beeb not exactly living up to their "leftie" agenda that people erroneously accuse them of having!

Or just fecking disgustingly poor taste. Hey, you decide.

So who decides what is good or bad taste?,

Plenty of other songs have been 'bad taste' for one reason or another.

But ultimately they reflect what the public are buying.

Bit dangerous once we start opening the arbitrary 'taste police' IMO especially in something as meaningless as the UK top 40!

[Bruce Rioja]

So the BBC will only play a "clip" of a 51 second song.

What a fudge.

Either play it or don't.

Fact is it's a chart recording what songs people have bought in the last week. I don't really see what grounds there are NOT to play something. Plenty of "offensive" songs are played albeit censored to remove swear words.

I don't see this as being any different.

Beeb not exactly living up to their "leftie" agenda that people erroneously accuse them of having!

Or just fecking disgustingly poor taste. Hey, you decide.

So who decides what is good or bad taste?,

Plenty of other songs have been 'bad taste' for one reason or another.

But ultimately they reflect what the public are buying.

Bit dangerous once we start opening the arbitrary 'taste police' IMO especially in something as meaningless as the UK top 40!

Quite simple. There is only one reason that that song's been bought: disgustingly poor taste. You can make a case for others. Not difficult really.

[BWFC_Insane]

Maybe so. But whatever the reason, the rights or the wrongs folk are buying it.

If you're comfortable with that sort of censorship then fine, but not sure I fully agree with it meself.

[TANGODANCER]

Maybe so. But whatever the reason, the rights or the wrongs folk are buying it.

If you're comfortable with that sort of censorship then fine, but not sure I fully agree with it meself.

As mainstream pop music I doubt many of the people buying it know very much about Margaret Thatcher anyway. Just band-waggoning. All be forgotten in a week and the disc binned within a fortnight. Most rapid chart slide of all time, no doubt.

[BWFC_Insane]

Maybe so. But whatever the reason, the rights or the wrongs folk are buying it.

If you're comfortable with that sort of censorship then fine, but not sure I fully agree with it meself.

As mainstream pop music I doubt many of the people buying it know very much about Margaret Thatcher anyway. Just band-waggoning. All be forgotten in a week and the disc binned within a fortnight. Most rapid chart slide of all time, no doubt.

I suspect you're right, but that's not the point.

Loads of stuff is broadcast that people find 'bad taste'. I'm just uncomfortable with the BBC's handling of this. Folk are buying it in sufficient numbers to get it into the top ten. I don't think the reason matters, they should play it. This fudge of playing a 'clip' and explaining why it's in the chart is just ridiculous.

If it were that offensive they shouldn't even acknowledge it.

[bobo the clown]

They should simply play the thing. I doubt the Grande Dame would have cared very much.

It's evidence of immaturity by a vast bunch of scrotes, but so what ?

Oh, & amyone thinks the BBC's leftist agenda is a myth they're bonkers.

[Bruce Rioja]

T
Oh, & anyone thinks the BBC's leftist agenda is a myth they're bonkers.

Or, indeed, insane!

[BWFC_Insane]

I think people just think the neutral BBC are left wing because their senses are so corroded by the right wing nonsense they read in the Torygraph, Sun, DM etc.....