Where there is discord, may we bring harmony.
Where there is error, may we bring truth.
Where there is doubt, may we bring faith.
And where there is despair, we may bring hope.
– Margaret Thatcher, upon winning her premiership in 1979
Recently, I finished reading the book The Iron Lady by John Campbell, who skillfully and objectively detailed the political career of Margaret Thatcher, the longest serving prime minister in the history of Great Britain. There is much to be learned from Lady Thatcher in today’s state of politics. Being the first – and still only – woman British prime minister, leading a major western nation during the downfall of soviet communism and against the global advance of socialism, Lady Thatcher was regarded as a “conviction politician” who fought hard for what she believed was best for her country and the free world. During her time, her challenges were unique: stagflation, inefficient bureaucracy, ballooning public spending, the very real threat from Soviet hegemony, the ideological struggle against collectivism, domestic terrorism, defending British sovereignty, and militant unions. Surrounded by Cabinet full of men (there was only one woman she appointed to her Cabinet during her years in office), she resolutely argued – perhaps too doggedly – against collectivist “wet” ideas within her own Government, which in her view were simply wrong. In doing so, she alienated many of her colleagues. At times though, she had to give in to others. However, she tried to be a principled leader. That is the kind of politicians that we direly need in our nation’s Capital today: pragmatic ideologues.
During her tenure, Margaret Thatcher cut public spending, privatized public companies, and lowered taxes to incentive private investments. She broke the streak of union dominance in British politics by refusing to negotiate with union militants who employed violence, which in effect crippled union power in Britain. She actively encouraged private ownership among British citizens. She was not a very popular prime minister. More than once, her premiership was threatened by historic low approval. But as a fighter, she survived. Lady Thatcher treasured the “special relationship” that Great Britain had with the United States. She adored America, where free enterprise thrived and the grip of central government on the economy was much more loose.
We unfortunately in America have gone down the wrong path in recent years, and the American public knows it. Total government spending – federal and state – now accounts for one third of our economy. Entitlement programs now account for about one ninth of our GDP, and is currently on path, with debt service, to devour all tax revenues by 2025! The Left likes to argue that we don’t pay as much taxes as our European counterparts. While technically true, if looking at the overall tax burden, which is at historic low, the argument masks the complexity within our tax code that is currently impeding economic growth and causing much economic distortions. Americans paid $2.4 trillion in taxes in 2011. That is the total economy of Great Britain! The Democrats simply want to tax more to fund more welfare projects (“necessary stimulus,” “unemployment benefits,” “21st century investments,” “relief for the single moms with kids”, etc.). Even Bill Clinton acknowledged that “the era of big government is over” when he was president and worked hard with Republican Congress to pass the landmark welfare reform, which the Obama administration recently undermined (with little scrutiny from mainstream media).
And here we are two days away from the infamous “fiscal cliff,” the nation stares at an uncertain economic future as direct result of politicians still trying to exact maximum political leverage. Margaret Thatcher was a “conviction politician,” but she was also a pragmatic stateswoman. She did not take on the miners’ union during her first term. She patiently waited. She raised certain taxes at times, not out of principle, but as matters of pragmatic approach to governing (keep in mind not all taxes have the same effect on the economy). At times she was resolute, as apparent by her single-minded determination to take back Falklands from Argentinians at all cost. All in all, Margaret Thatcher largely timed her political fights and fought in the right places at right times. She had to compromise at times and couldn’t have it her ways, but she never lost sight of her political vision of restoring greatness to Britain and rolling back the welfare state. I’m afraid that ideologues paint compromise as bad with such a broad stroke that they forget its utilitarian significance in an established democracy. Politically, compromise is not the end, but means to an end. Compromise requires real guts and leadership, and above all, trust. We are not asking our politicians to negotiate or compromise with enemies, no. We are asking them to compromise amongst themselves! Republicans and Democrats could well heed the prayer that Lady Thatcher recited outside Number Ten Downing Street back in 1979 and responsibly, come together (as urged by Starbucks), to deal with the fiscal challenges now and ahead.
Side note: the 87-year-old Margaret Thatcher had undergone an operation in recent days to remove a bladder growth but finally leaves the hospital today
Time Out 
