One Of My Heroes
As a conservative, Prime Minister Margaret of Great Britain has been one of my heroes for a a very long time. She believed in conservative values, lived by them, led and governed with them. Together with President Reagan in the United States she redefined modern conservatism. She was true to her principles and did not flip flop on the issues as so many modern politicians are prone to do. Great Britain and the United States are very similar, and her political career has many relevant lessons for us today. Let us take a look at some of those issues.
What it Means to be a Conservative
In the current Republican Presidential Primaries, one of the main issues is what does it mean to be a true conservative and which candidate is the real conservative. Unlike Prime Minister Thatcher, our candidates have flip flopped on the issues over the years and it is a very difficult debate.
Thatcher knew what it meant to be a conservative, and she learned her conservative values during her childhood. According to her Internet biography on biography.com, Thatcher was intoduced to conservative ideas and politics by her father who was a member of the town council. She learned that true conservatism is based on rugged individualism and the power of individuals to provide for themselves. She learned the value of private charitable institutions to meet human needs, and the government was the provider of last resort only.
The brief biography on the Internet, tells us that her family ran a grocery store, and the whole family lived in an apartment above the store. She learned that hard work, drive and determination are the basis of success. She quickly realized that jobs and opportunities come from the private sector and not the government. The role of the government is to provided the infrastructure for private industry to flourish and to keep taxes low and limit government regulations. Finally, she learned the value of personal truthfulness, honesty, and integrity. She was honest with the voters, she told them were she stood on the issues, and governed accordingly once elected. She did not flip flop on the issues as our politicians do.
Start a Political Career at the Local Level
Thatcher realized that all politics are local, and the place to start a political career is at the local level. This is where one is well known and this is where we have the most political influence. Conservative politics at the local level was a major component of her home life. Her father was a local councilor in Grantham and discussed the issues of the day with her. She ran for and was elected president of the student’s Conservative Association at Oxford. She met numerous prominent politicians and made herself known to the leadership of the party.
Thatcher ran for public office only two years after graduating from college. She ran as a conservative for a Dartford parliamentary seat in the 1950 elections.
Wars Can Determine a Presidential Election
Despite her accomplishments, Thatcher had numerous challenges and problems in her first term as Prime Minister and her reelection was uncertain. Her decision to intervene and eventually win the war for the Falkland Islands helped her win reelection. The British People are very patriotic and rallied around Thatcher.
Our current presidential election is unfolding with a potential crisis and confrontation with Iran . The American People are very patriotic just like the British People. If the United States is in a serious confrontation or a shooting war with Iran in the Fall, the American People will probably rally around President Obama and reelect him
Source: http://www.margaretthatcher.org/
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDthatcher.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/margaret_thatcher
http://www.biography.com/people/margaret-thatcher-9504796