Why Margaret Thatcher was loved — and hated

She left as many poor and bitter as she did wealthy and self-satisfied, and neither group will forget it

Celebrating Thatcher's death
(Image credit: Danny E. Martindale/Getty Images)

It may be difficult for many Americans to truly grasp the complex, alienating legacy of Margaret Thatcher. No recent political figure here in the U.S. was so equally loved and hated at the end of their lifetimes. And once the afterlife comes, American politicians tend to get a pass. Ronald Reagan became universally sainted by conservatives and grudgingly admired by many liberals after his death; and it's likely conservatives will concede Jimmy Carter's foreign policy victories, such as the Camp David accords, when he passes away, even as they bemoan the years of malaise. Only politicians who leave office in disgrace get butchered in the post-mortem.

This is not the way it works in the U.K., where some members of the Left are already eagerly dancing on Maggie's grave. There is talk on social networks of impromptu street parties to celebrate, ghoulish as that might seem. And no doubt, Thatcher's funeral will be accompanied by protests from the U.K.'s active socialist groups.

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Dan Stewart is a senior editor at The Week magazine. Originally from the U.K., he has been living in the United States since 2009.