Well yes frankly I think one of the big things people are mourning about her deat is that she was the first female prime minister. Although I do recognise this as an achievement for women in general I do not see why she should be mourned or her death made a big deal of any more than if it was a male prime minister that had passed away.
OK she stood up for the Falklands but her other policies sucked. She picked the country up one moment then shat on it the next. *cough* Mines, milk snatcher, stopping food aid to starving miners families in a tactic to break the strike because she'd rather starve them than come to an agreement.
As a politician and a Prime minister she was ordinary and run of the mill. No better infact at the role than any male prime minister before her.
So yes she is being celebrated purely for her gender, nothing more. And I can't help but wonder as a woman am I not the only one who feels let down by this?
For your gender to be handed a consolation prize just for trying, "Well done girls you gave it your best shot, and came out second, but points for trying!" just isn't good enough. It's not patriarchy (because even women themselves are patting themselves on the back for a mediocre job by someone supposedly representing the women) but it definitely is patronising, and has the bitter after taste of infantilisation.
In the real and adult cut-throat world of the CEO and the banker there are no prizes for second best. And this attitude that women don't need to push to be the best and slog their guts out like men do does nothing more than imply it's because "they are weaker/ can't cut it/ need help or special treatment because they are inferior" and I'm sick of it, I would enter a career in a heartbeat but it is high unemployment,and a lack of openings, NOT sexism from male employers that is stopping me.
I think Maggie changed that in a way too but not in the way most people would think, she may have done a bad job once she got there, but atleast she worked hard to get there in the first place. Proving that women can work just as hard as men, and (sadly) do just as bad.
In summary if Margaret Thatcher was a man her death would be a side note not front page material. And I think she would have preferred it to be a quiet affair too. She was after all a conservative.
Some feminists amaze me in that they just seem to want "our turn" at being the "privileged" ones, or rather the "seen to be top" ones. The ones in the news. The ones applauded regardless of whether they have actual merit or accomplishment or not, simply for being women. The media is being used as a playground and equality a see-saw. I don't know what's wrong with some peoples common sense but last time I checked equal rights (and opportunity) wasn't supposed to mean special treatment (reverse/polar-bias/quotas). Equality was never meant to be a see-saw taking turns at who is on top, but was meant to be a scales evenly balanced. And at risk of sounding like Maggie though I do not approve of her policies "Privilege" is an excuse used by those too lazy to earn it IMO.
And while I will not be joining the effigy burning mob, for better opportunity to earn the "privilege" I think I'll be voting labour.
