I recently saw the new film: ‘The Iron Lady,’ the brilliant portrayal of an elderly Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) with the onset of dementia. As the Prime Minister of Great Britain, elected in 1978 she wanted to “Put the ‘Great’ back into Great Britain.” Her Conservative Party reduced by one-tenth the millions of hours lost due to strikes by the British Unions.
And against the wishes of the vacillating members of her Party and the advice of the American Ambassador, she sent British Armed forces, which were successful against the invading Argentinian Junta’s armed forces that had attacked the Falklands.
The leader of Argentina, General Gatterleri, had previously taken over the Republican Argentinian government from the Socialist Peron government, that had effectively sent Argentina broke. The Webber song should have been ‘Please Cry for me Argentina’.
The film failed in a way, by not highlighting the amazing job Thatcher did for Britain, leading a Party with spineless suits, wincing under the impost of strikers, terrorists and bullies. That same weakness had been displayed in recent kidnappings and the August response to the digraceful pillaging, burning down buildings and setting fire to motor vehicles in North London.
Thatcher stood up to such behaviour, its fury was unleashed with riots and bombings (one car bombing incident killed a Conservative MP.) The film didn’t indicate a triumphant reign, it was certainly subjective; I wondered if its writers, directors and producers had some political aim.
Warren James
