Dangerous comparisons

There has been a lot of coverage lately regarding Sen. Hillary Clinton's decision to run for the Presidency of the US in the 2007 elections. (I use the word 'decision' loosely here as I'm sure I don't have to tell you how little of a surprise it comes to most of us that she's running.) Among the things that have been said of her is she is running as 'the new Margaret Thatcher'.

As one who grew up in the 'Thatcher Era' here in the UK, that is not a comparison that sits comfortably with me. Margaret Thatcher was - still is, until the embalming fluid finally dries out - a Conservative; a Conservative's Conservative, in fact. In terms of US politics that puts her firmly in the Republican territory, which is why she and ol' Ronnie R got on so famously well.

But to have a Democrat hailed as 'the new Margaret Thatcher'? Let's have a brief look at some of the events in Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister.

1. In 1981, she implemented a sharp rise in VAT to 15%, resulting in a short-term inflation spike to match. Employment, particularly in manufacturing, was hit badly. Unemployment doubled to 2 million.
2. She raised taxes again in 1982, causing inflation and interest rates to fall back. Unemployment kept on rising, and reached between 3.6 and 5 million.
3. By 1983, 5 years after taking office, manufacturing had fallen by 30% from its 1978 levels.
4. The powers of the Trades Unions were drastically curtailed by a series of reforms. In 1984 the miners' union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) went on strike to oppose proposals to close a large number of mines across England. Civil liberties were infringed by Police in controlling the riots and picket lines. After a year, the strike folded and the cuts went ahead. By 1994 only 15 mines remained open across the entire country, and over 200,000 jobs had been lost.
5. She began cuts in funding to higher education.
6. Though she had, early in her political career, been in favour of decriminalising male homosexuality, at the 1987 Conservative party conference Thatcher issued the statement "Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay". A moral backlash ensued, resulting in the contraversion 'Clause 28', which stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". Originally intended to 'protect' children from having homosexuality as a 'lifestyle' 'thrust upon them', it resulted in the subject being taboo in schools, and many, many confused and distraught teenagers with nowhere to turn.

Before you say anything, yes, I am biased. I don't like the woman, not one little bit. I don't like her, I don't respect her. She was strong, granted -- but then to be a politician you have to be, whether you're male or female.

I think, though, that calling a Democrat 'the new Margaret Thatcher' is asking for trouble. That's my opinion, I've said it, and now I'm through.