The secularist are comical. We have Eva Cox complaining about not enough women in high places. When they get someone there they tear her to shreds. No doubt the feminist would rather have a homosexual impotent man than a woman who is also not ashamed to be a mother and human being. It just goes to show that many feminist have really little to no real concern about women especially in Islamic nations. They are only concerned about their own warped world view. Unfortunately they have many whimpy men who are to afraid to wear the pants on helping their cause.

Kipp I lived in UK at the time and voted for Margaret Thatcher government.

“destroyed the social infrastructure of the UK”

Rubbish,

she gave millions of people the opportunity to own the homes the socialists were only prepared to rent.

She promoted and introduced “comprehensive school” system

She attacked the parasitic national industries, set up by the socialist swill to feather the nests of their union masters.

She negotiated a multi billion dollar rebate from the European Union to recover the exorbitant cost disadvantages which previous socialist governments had coughed up and for which Tony Blair and Gordon Browns government have continued to benefit from.

As to “To save her hide in 1982, she started a war instead of taking the political approach.”

So, the successful way of dealing with an invading military dictator is found in “the political approach”?

This “political approach”, is that what Chamberlain used shortly before and Churchill failed to do immediately preceding WWII?

The Falklands were settled predominantly by “Welsh” folk (same to for Argentina’s Patagonia region). These people held historic kinship with UK.

The Argentinian dictator, Galtieri, simply invaded the Falklands (and some other islands) to deflect Argentinian public anger away from the incompetence and domestic economic crisis which the military junta had brought onto that country.

“The cost (not to her), was the loss of many young British and Argentian defence personel.”

that is the fault of Margaret Thatcher and has nothing to do with Galtieri and his military junta?

I always thought the torpedoing of the Admiral Belgrano was a particularly worthy action. A capital ship, steaming around with a bunch of military reinforcements aboard and thinking it was impervious to attack?

Its sinking was “criminal insanity” on the part of the thugs who ran Argentina.

I find it strange for anyone to criticize a democratically elected leader, like Margaret Thatcher, for standing up against an illegal invasion of territory by a military thug and dictator.

But as she, herself, said

“If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim.”

Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican convention has to be seen in the context of the US presidential election campaign. The Republicans surely know that they can't win on a rerun of the Bush agenda, so they have set out to do two things: hold on to their base in the South and develop a platform which is likely to appeal to the American lower middle and working classes. Enter Governor Sarah - articulate, attractive, a mother with a son in the armed forces and a child with a disability, a wife with a working class unionist husband and a Governor with a reasonably successful track record in Alaska.

Her speech - long on patriotism, on standing up to the contemptuous elite, on family, on integrity and on energy independence - was designed to strike a chord in those working class 'swing states' in which Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries. Is it risky? Yes it is but it does give a coherent strategy, some charisma and a bit of charm to what had previously been a meandering, dull campaign. Whether feminists like Palin or not is monumentally irrelevant. She wasn't talking to them. She was talking to the 'working families' (to quote the Ruddster) of middle and lower middle class America.

Senior Victorian,

I have been watching US elections for the past 12 years or so. Fascinating. You are an exception. An Australian analysist who sees things as the Americans do.

You are dead right in your analysis ... and Palin will win more male votes than womens votes.

Obama's people won't know how to react and will botch their
response(s). Watch. McCain and Palin will crucify them.

Col Rouge. I would love to support your belief in Maggie Thatcher, but she played to the common denominator to save herself.

The saddest thing I remember of 1982, was "The Sun" newspaper full front page "GOTCHA", after over three hundred young naval Argentians had been killed and drowned on the Belgrano, and they were'nt even in the no go zone. What did Maggie Thatcher say to the media about this appalling loss of life? "Rejoice". That truely showed up her indifference to the value of human life.

To add, her arrogance showed when she made Dennis an hereditory knight, a title which her son Mark now holds, who turns out to be a crook and a mercenary.

Your belief in this woman demeans my respect for yourself!

Sarah Palin's selection has sure hit a raw nerve, particularly with the Left who seem distressed that Palin has stolen something from them. What's a mother of 5 with a Downs Syndrome baby and a pregnant 17 yr old unmarried daughter doing being a Conservative?!

The author attacks Ms Palin's right to speak for women but oddly, seems to assume that she does. Isn't this glaringly patronising and inconsistent? Palin obviously reflects the values of some women and not others.

Its also strange that the author trots out the old line about women being inhibited from higher office when she is doing her best to discredit Sarah Palin from one of the most powerful offices in the world.

No, its not about the policies, nor male sexism its about the angry Left who claim to speak for women but only as long as they conform to a Left wing stereotype.