撒切尔 Thatchers Britain

Week2Thatcher’sGovernmentandthe1980sToday’sObjectives•Toconsidertheideaofeffectiveleadership.•TounderstandThatcher’spolicies,andthesituationintheUKunderherrule.•ToacknowledgehowherpoliciesandleadershiphaveaffectedmodernBritain.Leadership1.Whatqualitiesdoyouthinkmakeaneffectiveleader?2.Isthereadifferencebetweenbeinganeffectiveleader,andbeingagoodleader?3.Thinkofanexampleofagoodleader(politicalorotherwise).Whatdoyoulikeaboutthem?KeepthispersoninmindaswelearnaboutMargaretThatcherintoday’sclass.Thatcher’sBritainandthe1980s.Part2–InteractiveLectureSomethingtothinkabout….•Thatcheralwaysclaimedtocarryapieceofpaper,withaquotefromAbrahamLincolnhandwrittenonit.•Thequotereads:“Youcannotstrengthentheweakbyweakeningthestrong.Youcannotbringaboutprosperitybydiscouragingthrift(节约).Youcannothelpthewage-earnerbypullingdownthewage-payer.”•WhatdoyouthinkthistellsusaboutThatcher’spoliticalideology?“Thatcherism”–InSimpleTerms•Favouredastrongstate,andafreeeconomy.•Encouragedrisk-takersandentrepreneurs.•Foughtagainstsocialismandcommunism.•Anideologybasedon“personalfreedom,self-reliance,strongdefense,lowtaxes,no(trade)uniontyranny,nonannystate.”Thatcher–ThePerson•Thatcher’sfatherwasalocalpolitician,whotaughtherthevaluesofthrift,self-help,andhardwork.•Shepresentedherselfasaconventional,uppermiddleclasswoman.•ShewaselectedastheleaderoftheConservativePartyin1975,andbecametheUK’sfirstfemalePrimeMinisterin1979.Background•TheUKhadbecamemorecollectivistfollowingtheSecondWorldWar,focusingonindustrialnationalisationandthewelfarestate.•Successivegovernmentshadintervenedintheeconomysomuchthatithadcrowdedoutprivateenterprise.•TheTimesnewspaperreportedthatbeforeThatchercametopower,theUKfaceda“nationalpessimismborderingondespair”.•Britainwasfacinguptotherealityofnolongerbeingaglobalpower,orevenacontinentalone.•Peoplemaylookbackonthe1970swithsomefondmemories,butthegeneralstandardoflivingwasrelativelylow.Wasshepopular?•Atfirst,absolutelynot!•Aftercomingtopower,shereducedgovernmentspending,allowedtheBritishPound(GBP)tocontinuefloating,cutindustrialsubsidies(moneypaidtohelpcertainindustries),soldoffcheapgovernmenthousing,andtheunemploymentrateincreasedsharplytonearly12%oftheworkforce.•Thatcherwasstubborn,tellingthosearoundher:“U-turnifyouwantto,theLady’snotforturning.”•Followingthe1981annualbudgetreport,sheremovedmanycabinetmemberswhodidnotagreewithherideology.Howdidshestayinpower?•ArgentinaattemptedtooccupytheFalklandIslands(福克兰群岛)inApril1982.•ThatchersentalargeBritishtaskforcetoliberatethecapturedBritonsontheisland,andswiftlydefeatedtheArgentineforces.•Thatcher’sruthlessnessandaggressionreinstalledasenseofBritishpride,whichallowedhertoeasilywinthegeneralelectionthefollowingyear,1983.UsingHerPower•In1984,shesoldhighprofilestate-ownedcompaniessuchasBritishTelecom,BritishAirways,andBritishGas,totheprivatesector.•Q:Whydidshedothis?•Q:Howdoyouthinkthepublicviewedthesesales?TradeUnionsandThatcher•Thatcherfelttradeunionshadbecametoopowerful.Infact,theyleadtothedefeatofpreviousConservativegovernmentsduringthe1970s.Thatcherwouldnotallowthistohappenagain.•TradeunionswereusuallybackedbytheLabourParty,whichThatcherviewedwithfear.TradeUnions•Inbrief,tradeunionsprotectworkers’rights.•Theystandupforworkers’onissuesofsalary,pensions,workingconditions,legalissues,mistreatment,andgovernmentpolicy.•TheyarecommonplaceinmostWesterncountries.•SomeexamplesaretheNationalUnionofTeachers(NUT),andtheBritishMedicalAssociation(BMA).•Theycanoftenbeextremelypowerful,andgovernmentshavetolistentowhattheysay.1984-1985:TheMiners’Strike•WhenThatchercametopower,theUKhad163workingcoalmines,whichemployedthousandsofpeople.•OnMarch1st1984,itwasannouncedthatCortonwoodColliery(acoalmine),wouldcloseon“economicgrounds”.Another20wereduetocloseoverthenextyear,atthecostof20,000jobs.TheStrikes•By12thMarch1984,81ofthe163coalmineshaddecidedtogoonstrike.•Thisleadtoastand-offbetweentheNationalUnionofMineworkers(NUM),leadbyArthurScargill,andThatcher.Thestrikersformedpickets,andwereofteninconflictwiththepolice.•Let’swatchashortvideotoseehowviolentsuchconflictsbecame.TheResult•DespiteScargill’sbestefforts,thistimethegovernmentemergedvictorious,effectivelyoutlastingtheminers.•ByFebruary1985,manymineworkersfeltforcedtogobacktowork,andbyMarchadealwasstruckwiththegovernment.TheLegacyoftheMiners’Strike•Nowadays,theUKhasonly3workingcoalmines.90%ofourcoalisimported,38%ofthisfromRussia.•Intheimmediateaftermath,minerscouldn’tfindnewwork,andmanyminingtownswereleftdecimatedbyunemploymentandsubsequentpoverty.•TerryThomas,formerVPofSouthWalesNUM,statedthatitrepresented,“adefeatfortheworkingclass,adefeatforusall.”•TradeunionsneverheldasmuchpowerastheydidbeforeThatchercametopower.Manypeopleblametoday’sexploitativeemploymentpoliciesonThatcher’sattackontradeunions.TheMinersStrike1.Ifyouwereaminer,wouldyouhavegoneonstrike,orcrossedthepicketlineandcontinuedtowork?2.Shouldtheminersnotsimplyhaveacceptedthatminesclosingwasinevitable,andgoneouttolookforanewjob?3.DidThatcherreallyhaveachoice?Weretheminersrighttohateher?HerDow