The death of Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, has died. There's lots and lots of coverage and commentary about this in the British press right now, and a fair amount in the American press too, with various retrospectives on her eventful political career. For the occasion, I looked up the video above, of her final "Question Time" as Prime Minister, after she'd been forced to resign -- over relations with Europe and a controversial "poll tax" -- but before her successor, John Major, had taken over. Various members of the House of Commons pay tribute to her, but typically for the Commons, the opposition still doesn't go easy on her, and she hits right back with her usual scorn for their "socialism."

Also Thatcher-related: This recent item on Thatcher's and Ronald Reagan's iconic status as the "household gods" of contemporary conservatives in their respective parties and countries. As the commentator says, it's a problematic situation for conservatives -- good to have images of leaders you find inspiring, but not necessarily helpful in recognizing today's problems and formulating policies that will appeal to today's voters, especially younger ones.