You think 8 years under GW will be bad? Ha!

[Taxloss]

I'm British. I was born in March 1978 in India to white British parents (I have the option of Indian citizenship, but I don't fancy fighting in Kashmir, thanks very much.)

When I was born, in 1978, a Labour government was in power in the UK and things in India were improving, but slowly. My parents were cheerful about both country's prospects in 1978. They moved back to London in late 1978. In late 1979, Thatcher won (NARROWLY, despite revisionism that suggests otherwise).

After the Falklands and the self-destruction of the Labour party, Thatcher swept to a second victory. After the computer-generated "big bang" boom in the stock market and house prices in 1987, Thatcher swept to victory for a third time. Because Labour remained hopeless, and despite an appalling and deep recession, John Major secured a fourth Conservative term in 1992.

In 1997 (notice the 5-year gap - our governments are allowed to choose when they hold elections, it's not by a fixed timetable) Labour finally took power.

In summary, from when I was a tiny infant to when I was a first-year at univerisity, the Conservatives were in power. During that time, they raped this country, sold off its assets cheap, and attempted to drive workers down to sweat-shop standards.

That's 18 years of shit. Eight years is a pain. But you can stand it. We did.

[hollowdweller]

1. I thought Reagan F'd it up pretty bad in 8 years but 8 years of Clinton

raising the minimum wage, cutting the deficit, and forward looking foreign policy turned it around. I DO worry about Bush though because I really feel he could turn our country into a dictatorship like Nazi Germany.

[Maat]

2. 8 years will be quite enough, thank you.

I'm concerned that there won't any fundamental rights or social safety net after these guys get through.

Hello, Taxloss! You don't have a daughter named Sally who lives in California, do you? I have a friend who has a background similar to yours.

[Taxloss]

10. I might have a daughter named Sally in CA, but I doubt it.

There's always the possibility a tadpole slipped out. And I once slept with an American, but she was from Rhode Island. But that was a long time ago.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Yes, but you had John Major with a narrow majority and he....

could not do as much damage.

[Taxloss]

11. Are you kidding?

He did enormous damage! Having a country in the depths of a desperate struggle for power for five years was disastrous! It was internal battles from day one, and we had that for seven years! The Conservatives might never recover (thank heavens!). In the meantime he managed to privatise the railways (one of the most disastrous government initiatives ever), commission the Millennium Dome (Labour took the blame for that, natch) and wreck the economy - it was already in a terrible shape when he took over, but Black Wednesday sent it into a tailspin. It only recovered when Labour took power.

Interesting how long-running right-wing leadship always ends on recession - Major, Bush 1, etc.

[kuozzman]

4. Are the rarely heard rumors true that Chimpy could actually run again in

2008, because he didn't win the popular vote in 2000 (or 2004). I've heard that several times and I swear that Dickbag Cheney said it once as well. Anyone know? I mean is anyone 100% positive!? I'm getting worried already now that I'm thinking about it. And think what another Chimpy election would be like! I think he'd deploy troops to the polling stations......

[goobergunch]

5. It's pretty clearly unconstitutional, IMO.

Amendment XXII (to the Constitution)

Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxxii.html

[Erika]

7. No, But if Bush can raise the scare level

he may try to change the laws so he can protect the Bushie sheeple for four more years.

[emulatorloo]

16. Despite what he says, CHENEY WILL RUN IN 2008

How can he help himself?

[MatrixEscape]

6. I can't share the optimism about

another major, general election. From the amazing things I have seen to date, the only way you are going to get Shrubco out of the White House is to drag him out, kicking and screaming.

While those who are optimistic will hold onto the idea of a 2008 election, I fear we will see some major, agitprop or "staged event" attempts to shift away from that, by hook or by crook. Ethics are no longer a priority.

So, whether it is is an "event" or some change to the limits to the term of office, there will be an attempt to keep the Emperor in place for as long as he lives.

That's a "remains to be seen" perspective, of course.

[Erika]

9. See my last post

We agree totally.

[gordianot]

8. At least Margret or John did not wear fascist regalia in public.

I have laughed about this but I now see Concentration camps on the horizon. The free press is almost gone in America. All that is left is the Internet and I am afraid it is going.

If it weren't for the Black Caucus, we would not have any Democrats left with guts to fight the horrors looming on the horizon the next 4 years.

Remember this W has totally failed every job he has undertaken his entire life.

[Taxloss]

12. Ahem ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/463873.stm

Margaret Thatcher in a Challenger tank.

Here's a direct link to the image:

[gordianot]

14. Dukakis did the same thing.

Crawled in a tank and put on a helmet. Some attribute his loss to Bush 1 to that stunt.

Wonder if there are any pictures of Hitler in a tank?

What she needs is a smart outfit with Epaulets, preferably brown with the Union Jack on the sleeve. Maybe Bush could give Tony Blair the name of his tailor. You have to watch out though Bush's shirts bunch up at the neck especially during debates.


Thanks

[DS1]

13. Heh, I was born in England in '73, my parents moved to the states

in 1980 partly to escape Thatcherism, and we ended up with 12 years of Reagan/Bush.

So aside from being transplanted into country bent on consumerism, we ended up in a country were we didn't even have the right to vote, but moving back was just as bad and we probably couldn't have due to money and the job market back there ANYWAY.

So stuff it, newbie. :-)

[Taxloss]

15. Hey, it's not my fault your parents made a duff choice.

No offence, but you just told me to "stuff it". Which I think was a bit harsh. Particularly since I lurked for more than a year before posting.

Everyone born in the 1970s suffered directly from Thatcher, and in the UK that created the democratic groundswell that created a Labour landslide. Where the Hell were you?

(Edited to change "Labout" to "Labour". Edited again to change "Eveyone" to "Everyone".)

(EDITED FOR A THIRD TIME: I think I was probably a bit harsh to you. But you really riled me, the first time ever a DU poster has done that. But sorry.)

[DS1]

20. It was all in fun

next time I'll drop in a :-)

[Stinky The Clown]

17. You know, in a perverse sort of way, your post gives me some hope

It is my opinion that Europe in general is more socially responsible than the US. And they're now on an economic upswing. The major powers in Europe today were all once superpowers in the world in their days.

The British, The French, The Germans, and the Spaniards, and not the least of them, The Dutch.

Each was on top. Each fell. Each has found a more humane way to live.

Maybe Chimpus Khan is our savior? Maybe, after our leader, King Khan, totally destroys our economy and our might and our prestige, we'll be able to carry on as a better and more humane world citizen.

I only hope I live to see it. But it is possible. The rate of change is faster than at any time in history. Things that took decades now take years. Things that took centuries now take decades. Maybe I *will* live to see it.

I can surely hope.

[The Judged]

18. You forgot to mention Blair's blind allegiance to Bush, keep counting!

[proudbluestater]

19. The Patriot Act II = Dictatorship. We will not survive that.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. How much world influence did 1980s UK have?

Would the UK under the Iron Maiden have been able to start a world war? Did Maggie Thatcher go around the world with a chip on her shoulder (ignoring Argentina for the time being)?

And sure, she and Major screwed your economy all to hell, but that's as far as it went. Four more years of the Chimperor could have repercussions for the world economy.

And on the domestic scene, the Chimperor has all branches of government twisted around his little finger. I don't believe "Royal We" Thatcher had quite as much power.