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It
is quite unprecedented that a former prime minister was honored by a
funeral befitting a monarch. Nor is it usual that the funeral was
attended by so many heads of state and government. However, there is
nothing ordinary about former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher,
whose funeral on Wednesday received world attention.
Who is
Margaret Thatcher and why such attention? Besides being Britain’s first
female and longest serving premier, Thatcher practically turned her
country’s rapidly downward-sliding economic and social situation into
recovery mode that would eventually lead to a prospering nation.
This she did
practically alone with steely determination and unmatched courage where
no leader had dared to tread before, facing the ferocious and monumental
onslaught of the omnipotent labor unions, which for many decades had
dictated British economy and politics.
Guided by her
strong belief in what was good for Britain, she was not one bit unnerved
by the bloody and continuous demonstrations of the unions that marked the
first few years of her rule, which earned her the title of “The Iron
Lady”. Together with US president Ronald Reagan, her partner across the
Atlantic, Thatcher ushered in a new era of world peace and democracy by
pushing for the dismantling of the Berlin wall, the downfall of the
Soviet Union and the cessation of the Cold War.
How did this
daughter of a small middle class grocer achieve such historic monumental
feats that few other statesmen can claim?
Based on her
own admission, the driving force for such achievements was her iron-clad
conviction that one is born to pursue noble goals in life, to make a
difference to one’s surrounding. To her, the paramount noble deed was to
free Britain of the paralyzing grip of the unions, which she called the
tyranny of the minority, and make the “great” part of Great Britain a
living reality. In this endeavor, no stumbling block was too great,
including overcoming the fact that she was a woman facing rivals who were
highly seasoned politicians in a society largely for men.
The other
factor that contributed significantly to her awesome success, besides her
high ideals, was her decisiveness. Once convinced of the “right” path,
Thatcher never wavered in her resolution. This was most apparent when
Argentina invaded the Falklands. The British prime minister regarded the
invaders as thugs and made the decision not only not to negotiate with
them but to take the Falklands back for Britain at whatever the cost.
This was not only a bold but precarious decision as the British navy was
hardly ready for immediate action. Neither was the British economy, which
was still reeling from the almost daily riots against her government’s
policies.
All these
were of little concern to Thatcher. Her only burning desire was to right
the wrong done to Britain and reclaim the territory. In this resolution
Britain was helped by the critical assistance of the US, who bowed to her
iron will. But had America not helped, Thatcher would undoubtedly not
have been swayed to do otherwise. She knew what was supposed to be done
and she also was certain of the outcome. Britain’s victory proved her
right and this historic event brought the nation together as well as
providing the turning point in Thatcher’s career.
Noble ideas
and decisiveness brought Thatcher to greatness and the many benefits that
came with it to the British people and the people of the world.
Admittedly, Thatcher was not without faults. As a human being, she was
not free of wrongdoings, perhaps in much bigger dimensions than those who
did not have the chance to make such an impact on the world. Her lack of
remedial action for the downtrodden, who felt the greatest brunt of her
policies, is one example to cite.
Be that as it
may, history will be the final judge whether Thatcher’s policies brought
greater good or bad. The facts, however, remains to behold and we can
learn from her that noble goals and decisive actions focused to benefit
humankind are critical success factors for a great statesman.
It is sad to
see that the “noble goals” of many of today’s politicians go no further
than to benefit the self for power, position and fame, which have become
ends in themselves as opposed to means for the greater good.
Also,
decisiveness is currently replaced by “flexibility” and the dictates of
the polls. Such wishy-washiness is nowadays rationalized as “prudent
actions”, “careful decision-making”, even “good public relations”. Thatcher
described people with such attitudes as “wimps” with no backbone.
Great nations
call for great statesmen. As Thatcher showed, this in turn calls for
great convictions that are the inspiring force to be followed with steely
determination to realize them. Today’s statesmen can learn much from the
life philosophy of this woman with a modest background, who succeeded
where many others failed by just following the simple convictions of
honor and integrity. ●
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