Margaret Thatcher has passed

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blogs, England, Great Britain, news, postaday2013, Prime Minister, writing

Today the news coverage was very extensive over the passing of Margaret Thatcher at 87 years of age. The coverage was quite varied from extremely complimentary to quite critical, I would think that the varied reactions show how important and influential Margaret Thatcher’s policies were domestically and internationally. If she hadn’t had such an influence, her passing would have elicited less of a response

What I remember about Margaret Thatcher is her close relationship with our former President Ronald Reagan, they seemed to be two peas in a pod. I used to wonder if Nancy Reagan was ever jealous. I was a teenager back then so my mind would go to the potential love triangle and such, just like in my favorite soap opera’s General Hospital and One Life to Live. Former President Reagan said himself that in Margaret Thatcher he had found a soulmate, so one could see how I could have wondered about any jealousy on Nancy’s part. That reminds me of something a former governor of South Carolina or was it North Carolina, anyway it was one of the Carolina’s, Mark Sanford when he explained why he had lied about his disappearance on the Appalachian Trail; he had told everyone that he went hiking when in actuality he had gone off to see his mistress. His explanation for keeping a mistress was that she was his soulmate. I don’t think married men should refer to other women as their soul-mates, it just doesn’t seem right.

Anyway, I am not saying that Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were doing anything untoward but it seemed odd to me that one would refer to the other as a soul-mate. They did share the same economical and limited government vision even though they had an odd way of showing it. They both seemed to view big military as crucial to government. Ronald Reagan had his “Star Wars” initiative, his explosive defense spending that had put the U.S in the red for years after. Margret Thatcher had her war in the Falkland Islands which I never understood why it happened in the first place. The Falkland Islands are so very far away from Great Britain but that was then and Reagan sent help during that time.

Seeing Margaret Thatcher’s tributes and reactions to her passing just reminded me about how much Ronald Reagan and she had influenced both their own countries and the world beyond their terms, the direction that the United States and Great Britain would go far into the next century. I wonder if they realized this when they were discussing policy and when they were just talking, if they would dream about the future and their own legacies. I see those two sitting in easy chairs sipping brandy and agreeing with each other over a variety of issues. It’s a vivid portrait of two people comfortable with power.

I will be in my easy chair playing spider solitaire on my iPad feeling very comfortable with my special power of solving my little mental gymnastic games.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

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comedy, commentary, news, political humor, postaday2013, television

I am a faithful fan of this must see television program. It is a comedy program but their political coverage is so much more informative and analytical than our traditional news media. Jon Stewart and his team of correspondents such as John Olver, Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, bitingly and sarcastically take apart the ridiculousness of what takes place not only in Washington D.C but everywhere in the United States where political and economic mayhem exists. They never have to look too hard to find something outlandish to skewer which is what makes this show a must see television show.

The sister show to Jon Stewart’s show is of course the Colbert Report, led by the irreverent Stephen Colbert. His secret weapon is obviously his far right, conservative persona, and what makes it so funny is that some of his guests are oblivious to the fact that they are being interviewed by a persona. It becomes glaringly clear very quickly and makes those interviews that much more hilarious and special.

I am ashamed to say that right now our Supreme Court is deciding if section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is still relevant in this day and age. I am ashamed because just two weeks ago, Mississippi just ratified the 13th amendment, they were only 150 some odd years late in formerly abolishing slavery in their state and a slew of states are establishing restrictive voter i.d’s and procedures making it much harder for minorities and poorer people to vote. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and their respective staffs make it their mission through the backdrop of comedy and political satire to highlight how damaging and destructive these current issues are to our democracy.

I know that these two gentlemen consider themselves to be comedians first and activists second, but it doesn’t stop a growing segment of our population from wishing for them to consider doing more. I’m very happy with what they do right now, I just ask for them to never quit or retire. That’s not asking too much, right?
If it weren’t for these two shows, I am sure that many younger people would not be as well informed, because even I who read about politics on a daily basis, rely on these two shows to get other points of view and to weigh what I have read against their barometer of common sense. Comedy requires intelligence and I think that is part of why these shows have merit aside from being solely entertainment.