Margaret Thatcher and black conservatism
By Chidike Okeem
CALIFORNIA, April 9, 2013 —On April 8, 2013, Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of Britain, died after a stroke at the age of 87. Among many accomplishments, she was an influential force in winning the Cold War, and she helped to arrest the tentacles of socialism in Britain with her inspiring advocacy of the free market-based doctrine of Thatcherism. Her rise from being a grocer’s daughter to being one of the most powerful women in political history is an irrefutable testament to the elevating power of capitalism. As a result of her formidable debating skills, alluring personality, and powerful leadership, Thatcher is one of the greatest prime ministers in British history—and certainly one of the most influential world leaders of the 20th century.
However, no leader is perfect, and Thatcher has a number of troubling parts about her tenure as prime minister. The immoral sympathy she showed for the racist apartheid regime in South Africa is a glaring, indelible stain on her record. Thatcher notably referred to members of the African National Congress (ANC) as terrorists, which current British prime minister, David Cameron, has since apologized for. Despite working to destroy the immoral Soviet Union, Thatcher helped to prop up an equally immoral system in South Africa.