Posted on 07/14/2016 7:25:40 AM PDT by Kaslin
Is Britain's new prime minister, Theresa May, Margaret Thatcher reincarnated? There are similarities.
May is certainly as tough as the Iron Lady. As home secretary for longer than any of her predecessors, she has strongly opposed uncontrolled immigration. The Home Office introduced visa restrictions that require non-European Union immigrants living in Britain for fewer than 10 years to minimally earn the equivalent of about $47,000 USD, so as not to be a drain on social welfare programs. With Britain's planned exit from the EU, that policy could be broadened to include all immigrants.
In a speech to her Conservative Party last year and in more recent remarks, May has struck a chord with British citizens who feel they are losing their country and its unique characteristics to foreigners who refuse to assimilate (sound familiar?). "When immigration is too high, when the pace of change is too fast, it's impossible to build a cohesive society," she told fellow party members.
This has driven the left nuts. They have accused her of everything, except being a lady. It seems the last thing the British and American left want is a cohesive society because such a society would not allow them to pit groups against each other, dividing and conquering at the ballot box.
Here's something else that should appeal to average British citizens, at least the older ones, who are mostly more reserved than Americans and younger Brits. Says May, "I'm not a showy politician. I don't tour the television studios. I don't gossip over lunch. I don't drink in Parliament's bars. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve. I just get on with the job in front of me."
That two women competed to replace David Cameron ought to have delighted feminists. Not so. Sophie Walker, who heads the Women's Equality Party, said of May's rise to Number 10 Downing Street: "While it's symbolically important to have women represented at the top of politics ... who look like you ... it's as important that the person is creating policies in a way that answers your experiences."
Say what? So it isn't really about electing more women to political office; it's about electing more liberals, some of whom can be women.
History doesn't always repeat, but the political stars seem to be aligning over London and Washington for a possible sequel to what happened with Thatcher's election win in 1979. Ronald Reagan's victory followed a year later.
While May is ideologically closer to Thatcher than Trump is to Reagan, Trump has picked up on a theme that worked for both Reagan and Nixon. Following the Dallas ambush and the protests that have exploded in major cities, Trump has styled himself as the law-and-order candidate. That this is occurring in an election year should be no surprise, but just as riots in the streets contributed to Republican victories in 1968, the political fallout this year might repeat.
In a recent speech in Virginia Beach, Va., Trump said: "We must maintain law and order at the highest level, or we will cease to have a country ... I am the law and order candidate. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is weak, ineffective, pandering, and as proven by her recent email scandal, which was an embarrassment, not only to her, but to the entire nation as a whole, she's either a liar or grossly incompetent. One or the other ... it's probably both."
Britain and the U.S. are experiencing social and political turmoil. Both nations are perceived by many to have weak leaders. Trump and May display strength and in troubled times British and American voters have demonstrated that they prefer strength to weakness.
Lord knows the world is starving for strong leaders. At least we’ll have two of them, one on each side of the pond, by next January.
I love my hometown hero, but there will NEVER be another Reagan.
I’ll take a reasonable facsimile.
We have to get him elected first. No easy feat in 2016. May was selected which is easier.
I want my President to Love America and not want to destroy it or shackle it with debt and quisling submittal to world opinion of economics, politics, diversity or insane religions.
We have not had that for quite a while.
From what I’ve read, May is no Thatcher, but maybe she will rise to the occasion. SHe’s dead-on with regard to “Brexit means Brexit” and we’ll just have to see...
Never Say Never!!!
Lets hope, but if her statements concerning sharia courts are to be believed then Britain traded one dead horse for another.
A good corollary is the county I used to live in. When it came to concealed carry, the state was May Issue. However, this Sheriff, a democrat basically said “I don’t personally agree with it, but the Constitution gives the right to keep and bear arms.”
That county was Shall Issue several years before the state caught up.
Sadly, I had to move to a May (not under any circumstances unless you’re rich or politically connected) Issue state and have had to give up many of my constitutional rights.
They are a little different in style. Can’t picture Reagan tweeting that Ruth is insane lol!!
Hardly. The current Tory Party has no resemblance to the Party of Peel, Palmerston and Disraeli. None whatsoever, as the Great War changed British Politics forever and for the worse. Thatcher was an anomaly.
That probably wasn’t meant for me but who are Pell and those others? :)
While I’ll agree with you on style, I’m thinking results. 8>)
That’s the bottom line, right?
No way she can be worse than Cameron... right?
Trump would say “what are you nuts, having a wall keeping people in and shooting them if they’re trying to escape? What the hell’s the matter with you?!?!” :)
She JUST YESTERDAY said that Sharia Law would be good for Britain. She is NO Thatcher.
Not sure about May. She made a statement about having more Sharia Law courts in England. Doesn’t sound like she has that much in common with Lady Thatcher. Right now verdict is out on May.
Source please.
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