Worldwide Tributes to Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher worked, learned and succeeded in a world where there were no other women. She has been criticized by some feminists as a woman who could have helped women, but chose not to. I think perhaps Margaret Thatcher was the best possible example of women's success. Ask no quarter. Be judged as a leader, a human being, not in that all too often condescending category..."women"...as if less is expected because less is possible. Maggie would have said, "Nonsense." And as usual she would have been right. But, today as we consider some of the worldwide tributes pouring in at her death, one of the simplest, most personal and most heartfelt came from another woman, Nancy Reagan. "She had a nice, soft side...she wanted to deliver a eulogy for Ronnie but wasn't sure her health would hold up...so she taped her eulogy. It was beautiful. What a thoughtful thing to do. And she came to the funeral and stayed on the plane to go to California despite her age and illnesses." ~~~ President George W. Bush said, “She was an inspirational leader who stood on principle and guided her nation with confidence and clarity. Prime Minister Thatcher is a great example of strength and character, and a great ally who strengthened the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States." ~~~ Not everyone saw Margaret Thatcher so warmly. Consider the story told by her official photographer, who remained in the room with French President Francois Mitterrand, who during a break in a meeting with the British Prime Minister, unaware that the photographer spoke French, muttered in her absence, "Je n'en peux plus...je n'en peux plus." (I can't take any more...). ~~~ Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, offered a sweeping tribute, "There are very few political leaders who have the chance to change their country, let alone the world. She did both. She was a very significant historical figure." Blair added, "She saw America as a beacon of liberty in a world where millions of people had no liberty." And he said, "Personally, she was very kind...the staff at Downing Street loved her. She helped me privately when I was prime minister." ~~~ Americans loved Margaret Thatcher, often offering to take her into US politics if Britain ever had enough. "She was my role model when I was mayor of New York City. Along with Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul and Mikhael Gorbachev, she led millions into freedom." Rudi Giuliani, former New York City mayor, remembered. ~~~ A Daily Mail journalist who covered her when he was a cub reporter offered the following, "What makes people hate a political leader is when they are right. She was right about the Cold War, she was right about the British economy, she was right about the Pound. What brought her down was not popular opposition but a conspiracy in her own Cabinet because she opposed the Euro exchange mechanism and the Euro currency...and she was right about that, too, as we now see." ~~~ US President Obama perhaps got the glass ceiling reference a little out of kilter, but he had kind words for a politician who could not have been more unlike him, saying she was “one of the great champions of freedom and liberty. America has lost a true friend,...she stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered.” He said Mrs. Thatcher “knew that with strength and resolve we could win the Cold War and extend freedom’s promise. Here in America, many of us will never forget her standing shoulder to shoulder with President Reagan, reminding the world that we are not simply carried along by the currents of history - we can shape them with moral conviction, unyielding courage and iron will,....” ~~~ US House Speaker John Boehner called Mrs. Thatcher “the greatest peacetime prime minister in British history. Margaret Thatcher, a grocer’s daughter, stared down elites, union bosses, and communists to win three consecutive elections, establish conservative principles in Western Europe, and bring down the Iron Curtain,...there was no secret to her values – hard work and personal responsibility – and no nonsense at all in her leadership. Americans will always keep Lady Thatcher in our hearts for her loyalty to Ronald Reagan and their friendship that we all admired.” ~~~ US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said Mrs. Thatcher “never hesitated to remind Americans of their own obligations to the cause of freedom and of the need for political courage and confidence in the face of long odds. A towering figure of 20th century politics and an inspiration to millions around the globe, Margaret Thatcher set a standard of leadership that will be hard to replicate, but which will forever stand as a model for those who wish to change society for the better.” ~~~~~~ But, dear readers, Margaret Thatcher knew herself and understood her public persona better than anyone else.She once said of herself, "If I walked on water, some would say it was because I couldn't swim." That is surely the best summary of the Iron Lady...and it is entirely appropriate that it should come from the Lady herself. No one could come near to her incisive analysis of her unique position and her unbreakable spirit.