#ThatcherDebate

Yesterday I attended, with other members of NUCA, a debate organised by the Debating Society of Tthis House Regrets Thatcherism'. I don't like suspense and so i'll tell you we won by a about 10-20 votes, a victory for Thatcher against the socialist oppressors.

This is what happened, I'll tell it partially through Twitter and what I remember, unlike at Port and Policy this is possible. One of the proposition members was James Manning, ex NUCA member, who was corrupted by socialism or rather joined a party that promotes elitism and the post war consensus that he probably believed in anyway. Jenny said some agreeable words on the topic.

James kicked off the debate, or rather he tried to. He spoke so fast we didn't know what he was saying.

This was true of all but one of the debaters though, who I do congratulate for giving some good passion.

The debaters were not the greatest (bar the one), more practice in public speaking. I know that I'm not perfect but the lack of facts let them down the most in my opinion.

I am also critical of Rob though.

#Shame to the love child of Chris Martin and Tim Montgomerie. However did you notice the new #socialistoppressor. This has come about because I asked a question to the proposition about why they supported socialist elitism and they gave me some ramble on welfare. Seemingly everyone is now using it though.

There was a lot of nonsense from the proposition of course. Someone claimed that the Miners' Strike was balloted and democratic. Others wanted working class people to be forced to live in their mining villages in a new age serfdom. All of course from members of the SWP or from the asylum. There wasn't a really good argument against Thatcher, in the sense of one that was using correct facts and could be spun in a misconstrued way against the great lady, which was a shame.

But what was the most shameful was the proposition essentially inferring the Falkland Islands should have been left to the Argentina and not liberated. Well I'd just like to point out that Argentina at the time had inflation of 130% and a military dictator that killed 30,000 people at least. So 1982 Argentina was a great country unless you wanted to eat or have any freedom. In all fairness the proposition may have different views, but I and the Falkland Islanders after the debate would like to know your stance, just leave a comment at the bottom.

We won. Thatcher won another popular mandate. It's getting to a point where I cannot recall how many times she has had sweeping majorities in votes across the country. But weirdly there were many abstentions.

My Thanks goes to the debating society for organising this, however I would like to be constructively critical of the way it was laid out.

Firstly, why did we have to be totally silent? Ok, it's not Port and Policy but even in Question Time people can clap at comments and react with disgust. I ask why it is not acceptable to react with disgust at proposition essentially saying we should not have retaken the Falkland Islands?

Also, the debaters seemingly knew little about Thatcherism. The propositions absurd tacit claims that Thatcher abolished state education and all welfare spending seems to based on ignorance rather than that of trying to create an argument that she was an evil elitist*. It was up to the floor to present the facts of Thatcher, both the proposition and opposition knew very few, which is a shame.

There was a good opportunity for a good debate but in my opinion it was missed. I invite you to Port and Policy to see what a real debate is like. I still enjoyed myself though. 

*An argument which although is totally false is used by those who oppose Thatcher.