Today the world lost one of the greatest freedom fighters ever known to man: former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain. Lady Thatcher’s unwavering commitment to the defeat of Communism, and the inherent dignity of every individual, left Britain and the world a better place. She simultaneously trounced the two primary pillars of socialism and communism: 1.) the belief that the state is the source of economic prosperity and 2.) that the best way to ensure prosperity is to take from some to give to others. Lady Thatcher rightly understood that top-down, government centered economic activity is not the way to generate lasting growth, which will deliver prosperity to all the people of a country. Likewise, she recognized that which should be common sense to us all: that we cannot pull anyone up by pulling someone else down.
Though the passing of Lady Thatcher is a somber day for Britons and Americans alike, as she was one of America’s greatest allies when she and Ronald Reagan stood-down the Soviets, tributes to her legacy could reignite the flame of liberty she sought to light. A robust debate will ensue as to her legacy, on the rightness of her policies, and this is fitting. I, for one, believe that her legacy will be vindicated as the continued British and American experimentation with debt-driven economies and government central planning collapses all around us. It will be the lions of liberty from yesteryear, like Reagan and Thatcher, to whom new generations of freedom-lovers will look for example.
The evidence is irrefutable: the economic growth in Great Britain and the United States of America was far more robust under Reagan and Thatcher, respectively, than under the current leadership of both countries. The difference in philosophy could not be clearer: Reagan and Thatcher believed in the ingenuity of the individual and in shared prosperity for all. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron, by contrast, believe in the genius of government and the wisdom of wealth redistribution. The problem is that these philosophies are neither smart nor wise, and they are lowering the standard of living for all Americans and Britons, of every age and background.
As we remember the legacy of liberty left by great figures like Margaret Thatcher, let us recommit ourselves to their cause: the cause of human dignity and liberty. By reapplying their principles of putting people first, we can ensure that our nation remains the “last best hope of man on Earth,” for native and newcomer alike.
God Bless the Memory of Margaret Thatcher. God grant us a free future.
