Female President

[Vague_Boy 10]

Why a nation of such vast numbers likes to pick politicians from the same family (Roosevelt, Kennedy, Bush) is another interesting thing to ponder though.

 

They can only choose from the candidates they are offered.

 

The selection process that just happens to produce the same family names is, I'm sure, purely subject to coincidence.

[Harleyman 12]

Maggie Thatcher was one of the most, if not The most, divisive Prime ministers this country has ever had.

She favoured the City over this countries manufacturing base & allowed other European countries to overtake us in Industrial output as a payback for the 'rebate' she was so proud of obtaining from the EU.

Whilst she was Prime Minister she signed the biggest arms deal this country has ever negotiated, The deal was with the Saudis - a well respected morally perfect country- her son Mark ,the convicted criminal, & less than perfect navigator 'earned' a brokerage fee of £20 million from that deal.

In case it should be assumed that I am anti Tory & therefore biased, may I say that in my opinion Tony Blair is a snake oil salesman who, if there was any justice, should be brought up on war crime charges together with his pal George W, & Gordon Brown should be incarcerated on charges of gross incompetence.

 

How wouild Thatcher have been capable of "allowing other European countries to overtake the UK in industrial output"?

 

The UK was already in trouble when Thatcher took office. Decades of militant unions and wildcat strikes had taken their toll on British industry and the nationalisation of British Leyland was the death knell for the auto industry

 

As for arms sales to Saudi why not? It provided jobs for people in the UK and if the UK had not sold to the Saudis then the US or France certainly would have been very happy to step in and sell them theirs.

When it comes to a job and what's in a pay packet, "morality" has no part of it

 

You cannot arrest and incarcerate the leader of a nation who decides on actions relating to foreign policy. You may not like or approve of such actions but there's nothing you can do about it except to make sure you dont vote for them the next time around.

[mjw47 10]

How did she allow other countries to overtake us in output? Very simple really, if you recall she made a great deal of capitol out claiming prior to a European summit that she was going to 'handbag' them & return in triumph with a rebate. Well she did get a rebate, but I'm sure you're old enough to realize that no one gets 'owt for nowt'.

The quid pro quo for helping her gain credit with the British electorate - which is all politicians care about - was that she agreed to cap industrial output in this country.

In the immediate aftermath of that agreement both France & Italy increased their production to fill the void.

Germany didn't need to do anything different as they were already beating the crap out of all competition.

Where did I say there was a problem with the arms sale to Saudi? My point wasn't about the ethics of arms deals, it was about the ethics of the son of a Prime Minister receiving Millions in consultancy fees from a deal signed by his mother.

What specialist knowledge do you think Mark Thatcher possesses that justified that kind of remuneration?

Care to comment on that specific point?

[epiphany 10]

The selection process that just happens to produce the same family names is, I'm sure, purely subject to coincidence.

 

 

First the investors vote, then the people.

[mjw47 10]

Plenty of examples of political 'dynasties' in this country. Both Winston Churchill junior & Nicholas Soames are grandsons of Winston, Peter Mandelson is a grandson of Herbert Morrison who was a Labour cabinet Minister & Hilary Benn is Tony's son.

I'm sure there are other examples also.

 

As for women Presidents or Prime Ministers I don't think it makes a blind bit of difference. The qualities required to rise to the top of the cesspool that is modern politics ensures that we would just wind up with the same type of git as before.

[Bypassblade 10]

Thatcher was the best female Prime Minister you lot ever had and also the best PM anyway

 

All the rest were closet Reds or fox hunting, grouse shooting nincompoops

 

Or sycophants that just suck up to the stupid Yank presidents, I mean here and that old fart Regan Christ its a wonder they didn't have a love child.

 

I know you probably wrote what you did to evoke a good old argument, but sorry friend not rising to the bait, she was as popular as a fart in a spacesuit.

[Mister M 1,625]

Thatcher was the best female Prime Minister you lot ever had and also the best PM anyway

 

All the rest were closet Reds or fox hunting, grouse shooting nincompoops

 

Funny how all the Thatcher lovers don't live in Britain

[Bypassblade 10]

Funny how all the Thatcher lovers don't live in Britain

 

Yes Mister M & long may it continue

[callippo 10]

Hillary Clinton stands as good a chance as a woman ever has before. It isn't unforeseeable.

 

Why a nation of such vast numbers likes to pick politicians from the same family (Roosevelt, Kennedy, Bush) is another interesting thing to ponder though. Political dynasties are a very American phenomena.

 

total garbage. Political dynasties are not unusual and I'm not just talking about dictatorships either, but in any democratic set up too. Look at India. Pakistan. Indonesia. Thailand. The Philippines. All these have incumbents or recent incumbents related to previous ones. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. The list is long.

 

the UK is also not exactly short of political dynasties either, although two fathers and sons have never become PM. Tony Benn's dad and grandad were both Cabinet ministers. Ditto Douglas Hogg. Peter Mandelson. The McMillan dynasty. And so on.

 

it is a bit surprising that no woman has made it to President in the USA, as of course women were reaching high political office as governors of states, which are really rough equivalents of being PMs of European nation states, many decades before anyone else. The USA basically led the world with women reaching responsible positions in politics. Hilary only just missed out last time, and had not Obama ran such a brilliant campaign, she would have almost certainly have beaten McCain in 2008.

[Mister M 1,625]

total garbage. Political dynasties are not unusual and I'm not just talking about dictatorships either, but in any democratic set up too. Look at India. Pakistan. Indonesia. Thailand. The Philippines. All these have incumbents or recent incumbents related to previous ones. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. The list is long.

 

the UK is also not exactly short of political dynasties either, although two fathers and sons have never become PM. Tony Benn's dad and grandad were both Cabinet ministers. Ditto Douglas Hogg. Peter Mandelson. The McMillan dynasty. And so on.

 

it is a bit surprising that no woman has made it to President in the USA, as of course women were reaching high political office as governors of states, which are really rough equivalents of being PMs of European nation states, many decades before anyone else. The USA basically led the world with women reaching responsible positions in politics. Hilary only just missed out last time, and had not Obama ran such a brilliant campaign, she would have almost certainly have beaten McCain in 2008.

 

It is strange isn't it when some commentators boast about the great meritocracy that America is, why so many people with power share the same surname. It cuts across political divisions too: Kennedy, Bush, Clinton. I wonder if it's coincedence?

But then we have the same in the UK left and right. I don't know why people can't be honest about 'it's not what you know, but who you know', and drop this 'most talented people at the top' guff.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Do you think we will ever see one in our life time

Yes. There have been lots of female presidents already: see http://www.biography.com/bio-now/women-presidents-from-around-the-world-21145269 for those currently in office; plus there's many others more who have been.

[SqueakyPete 10]

It is strange isn't it when some commentators boast about the great meritocracy that America is, why so many people with power share the same surname. It cuts across political divisions too: Kennedy, Bush, Clinton. I wonder if it's coincedence?

But then we have the same in the UK left and right. I don't know why people can't be honest about 'it's not what you know, but who you know', and drop this 'most talented people at the top' guff.

 

Yes,there is certainly more to it than just coincidence.Would Hillary Clinton be in the position she is now without Bill?,I doubt it.

And G W Bush junior certainly didn't get his jobs on merit! lol

Money,power and family contacts,that should do it.