The second-greatest living Briton

[Hennessy]

Yes fair play to jade Goody, getting cancer is quite an achievement in it's own right.

[Guest]

Ill tell you one good thing about that Thatcher - some fantastic songs were written during her reign

[Jono]

I don't really see how the queen is an automatic number 1.

Erm. I have no idea. Max Clifford?

[Delts]

Jimmy Page!

That's only a half joke...

[RedCelt69]

Greatness is not measured by goodness.

No shit.

Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro, Chavez, Thatcher, Churchill, Lincoln, De Gaulle, Ghandi.

So, if questioned, a large proportion of the Austrian populace would describe Hitler as the greatest Austrian? rather than, say, Mozart?

Thatcher is certainly a strong contendor for the greatest living Briton, and one of the greatest ever.

Thatcher: graspingly held onto power by going to war with Argentina. Presided over one of the bleakest periods of post-war Britain and ignored the will of the people by imposing a system of taxation that was near-universally hated. Versus Wellington, Nelson, Hume, Adams... etc etc etc

The only way you can possibly view Thatcher as a strong contender for greatest ever Briton is if, like your counterparts in Austria who would vote for Hitler, your politics were aligned to the person you were voting for.

Also, your word play there was exceptionally weak and obvious.

Oh dear, I do hope you will forgive me. Perhaps next time I'm poorly and, as a consequence, have been up all night... rather than attempt witty word-play (I wasn't trying to) I'll forgo the use of a well-structured reply by trawling the internet for a vaguely amusing image/video clip. Yes. That will dazzle my opponents into instant submission.

[Duggeh]

Greatness is not measured by goodness.

No shit.

Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro, Chavez, Thatcher, Churchill, Lincoln, De Gaulle, Ghandi.

So, if questioned, a large proportion of the Austrian populace would describe Hitler as the greatest Austrian? rather than, say, Mozart?

Thatcher is certainly a strong contendor for the greatest living Briton, and one of the greatest ever.

Thatcher: graspingly held onto power by going to war with Argentina. Presided over one of the bleakest periods of post-war Britain and ignored the will of the people by imposing a system of taxation that was near-universally hated. Versus Wellington, Nelson, Hume, Adams... etc etc etc

The only way you can possibly view Thatcher as a strong contender for greatest ever Briton is if, like your counterparts in Austria who would vote for Hitler, your politics were aligned to the person you were voting for.

Also, your word play there was exceptionally weak and obvious.

Oh dear, I do hope you will forgive me. Perhaps next time I'm poorly and, as a consequence, have been up all night... rather than attempt witty word-play (I wasn't trying to) I'll forgo the use of a well-structured reply by trawling the internet for a vaguely amusing image/video clip. Yes. That will dazzle my opponents into instant submission.

Before I make the effort, will there actually be any point in trying reasoned debate as to why it is hardly accurate to compare Hitler and Thatcher and that she has a political and social legacy which is what as much as anything defines how current British society operates? Or are you just going to stomp around with that angry stick in your arse and yell that she was a bitch who hated the working class and that I'm a Nazi because I'm not a Thatcher Hater?

You're unnecessarily irate is what I'm saying. I also take issue with you calling me a Nazi, but then this is the internet, reductio ad hitlerium and all that.

[the Empress]

The only way you can possibly view Thatcher as a strong contender for greatest ever Briton is if, like your counterparts in Austria who would vote for Hitler, your politics were aligned to the person you were voting for.

You're an idiot. I think the above speaks for itself.

[RedCelt69]

Before I make the effort, will there actually be any point in trying reasoned debate as to why it is hardly accurate to compare Hitler and Thatcher and that she has a political and social legacy which is what as much as anything defines how current British society operates?

Thatcher left a legacy by virtue of her being PM. Every other European nation managed to transfer from largely-industrialised economies to largely-service industry economies without having to go through the nightmare that was Thatcherism.

Or are you just going to stomp around with that angry stick in your arse and yell that she was a bitch who hated the working class

I'm not yelling. I have no stick. She did hate the working class.

and that I'm a Nazi because I'm not a Thatcher Hater?

<blink>
<blink blink>
I didn't call you a nazi. If you think I did, I'll happily call you a fuckwit. Re-read what I wrote, only this time engage your brain.

You're unnecessarily irate is what I'm saying.

No. I'm necesarily irate due to kiddies who didn't live through Thatcher's reign rewriting history to suit the politics of mummy and daddy. Or will you tell me that mummy and daddy aren't worshippers at the shrine of Maggie Hilda?

I also take issue with you calling me a Nazi

I didn't. See above.

[RedCelt69]

The only way you can possibly view Thatcher as a strong contender for greatest ever Briton is if, like your counterparts in Austria who would vote for Hitler, your politics were aligned to the person you were voting for.

You're an idiot. I think the above speaks for itself.

Yes it does speak for itself. You're in the same logic class as Duggeh, then?

[Jono]

RedCelt; You accuse Duggeh of being someone who didn't live through the Thatcher era, trying rewrite history to suit the politics of mummy and daddy. How exactly is that different from your black and white bolshevic bollocks? Did YOU face down the police on the picket lines, or live through the "nightmare" of Thatcher's tenure? How are you any more qualified to hold an opinion than the rest of us?

Whenever a conservative does it, it's ignorant revisionism. Whenever a spart does it, it's "solidarity" with the people. Funny that!

[the Empress]

you said 'like your counterparts who vote for Hitler.'

the definition of counterpart: a person or thing having the same function or characteristics as another .

Yep, you called everyone who voted for Thatcher a Nazi, or rather, save the same dunction as a Nazi, so a facsist.

The only way you can possibly view Thatcher as a strong contender for greatest ever Briton is if, like your counterparts in Austria who would vote for Hitler, your politics were aligned to the person you were voting for.

You're an idiot. I think the above speaks for itself.

Yes it does speak for itself. You're in the same logic class as Duggeh, then?

[Duggeh]

The only way you can possibly view Thatcher as a strong contender for greatest ever Briton is if, like your counterparts in Austria who would vote for Hitler, your politics were aligned to the person you were voting for.

It's been made clear I do consider her a contender. Your subsequent assertion is that those who are of a similar mind to me would be the Neo-Nazis who would vote up Hitler. Ergo, you have inferred that I am a Nazi because of your ludicrous parallelism between Thatcher and Hitler, between neo-Nazis and me.

<blink>
<blink blink>
I didn't call you a nazi. If you think I did, I'll happily call you a fuckwit. Re-read what I wrote, only this time engage your brain.

I just gave it a re-read again now. It still reads the same way.

I also take issue with you calling me a Nazi

I didn't. See above.

You did. See above. I've quoted you and broken it down to help you out. If you have difficulty with any of the longer words I can break it down a bit more.

It's a good thing that I'm a fuckwit Nazi I guess, maybe I'll manage to cross the wrong box on the ballot paper due to my massive stupidity.

[RedCelt69]

It's been made clear I do consider her a contender. Your subsequent assertion is that those who are of a similar mind to me would be the Neo-Nazis who would vote up Hitler. Ergo, you have inferred that I am a Nazi

Sooooo.... that means that I suggested that neo-nazis in Austria are Thatcherites? Uhm... No.

Go to the bottom of the logic class.

Thatcherites in Britain would vote for Thatcher as being one of the greatest ever Brits, just as neo-nazis in Austria would vote for Hitler as one of the greatest ever Austrians.

Based purely on political leanings rather than any real merit of the person being voted for.

because of your ludicrous parallelism between Thatcher and Hitler, between neo-Nazis and me.

I didn't draw parallels between Thatcher and Hitler. Really! How fucking difficult is this for you to grasp? I drew parallels between the potential voters for said politicians... respective of their situation. Not to say that neo-nazis are Thatcherites or Thatcherites are neo-nazis.

I'd have happily picked another of the "great" people that you gave as examples... Pol Pot, in particular, but no (other) "great" Cambodians sprang to mind.

[Frank]

The second best...

http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q ... en&tab=wv#

[Duggeh]

Does the new sinner have an ignore list function?

[Delts]

Yes, put them on your foe's list. Red Celt just earned the place on mine. No point wasting my time reading the nonsense.

[Frank]

Bah. No-one's going on any foe list. Disagree as I might, it's darn good fun.

I tried to distance myself from the 'I hate conservatives' nonsensical upbringing I had a few years ago. I'm no fan of Margaret Thatcher, and find it baffling how infatuated folks are with her, but the madcap hatred is perplexing.

[RedCelt69]

Yes, put them on your foe's list. Red Celt just earned the place on mine. No point wasting my time reading the nonsense.

Thank fuck for that! Now if only Hennessey would do the same...

[RedCelt69]

Bah. No-one's going on any foe list. Disagree as I might, it's darn good fun.

I tried to distance myself from the 'I hate conservatives' nonsensical upbringing I had a few years ago. I'm no fan of Margaret Thatcher, and find it baffling how infatuated folks are with her, but the madcap hatred is perplexing.

Are you a fan of Blair? Or Brown? Pick a politician (or prominent figure) you dislike.

Oh, I know...

Imagine that a generation from now someone wants to nominate Jade Goody as "Best Brit Ever". They never experienced Jade Goody firsthand, but they're assured (quite possibly by their parents) that she was the best thing since sliced bread. Would you perhaps feel a tad vexed that someone who didn't have the delight of experiencing Jade Goody would insist that she was deserving of the title?

[Duggeh]

I really wish I hadn't clicked "display this post" out of morbid fascination.