The 70 best phrases of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher was a famous British politicianshe, born in the city of Grantham during the year 1925.
During her political career, Thatcher obtained the position of English Prime Minister during the year 1979, a position that she later she would maintain for 11 years thus becoming the person who was in command of the British government the longest during the entire twentieth century.
Her strong character and her firm determination in her decision-making earned her the nickname "The Lady of Hierro", a rather curious nickname that from then on would accompany him for the rest of her life. In April 2013, unfortunately, this great policy ended up abandoning us, but on the other hand, we can be sure that the British people will never forget her much-loved Prime Minister.
- It may interest you: "The 80 best Winston Churchill quotes"
Phrases and reflections Margaret Thatcher
Here we present a compilation with the 70 best phrases of Margaret Thatcher, a great woman who, thanks to her effort and dedication, managed to become one of the most relevant figures of her time.
1. Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, even though it is difficult, is the path to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.
Temptations can be many throughout our lives, but we can be sure that in the long run it will always be much better for us not to have fallen into them.
2. If you lead a country like Great Britain, a strong country, a country that has taken the lead in matters World Cups through thick and thin, a country that is always reliable, then you must have a touch of iron.
A strong country deserves an equally strong government and in those days there was no one better for such an important position than the famous English politician Margaret Thatcher.
3. If you are out to please, you will be willing to give up on anything at any time and you will achieve nothing.
We must always remain faithful to our ideals, regardless of what those around us may think.
4. Curing the British disease with socialism was like trying to cure leukemia with leeches.
Many leaders declared at that time to be totally against socialism, the Soviet Union was seen by most of them as the devil himself.
5. I have a woman's ability to hold on to a job and keep going when everyone else walks off and leaves it.
Thatcher was undoubtedly a deeply determined woman, nothing and no one would ever tell her how far she could go with her work.
6. You and I come by road or rail, but economists travel by infrastructure.
Every politician should always know how to adapt his speech to the place where he is, something for him that a certain communicative technique is needed and in which Thatcher was undoubtedly a great professional.
7. Any leader must have a certain amount of steel, so he doesn't mind being called the "Iron Lady."
“The Iron Lady” was a nickname that gave her great strength and determination, qualities that every great politician should always possess.
8. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is not a very good plan; he must use it inside, where it works best.
If we let ourselves be carried away by our hearts, we may be able to make certain mistakes, but even so, we will have shown that we are fully consistent with our feelings.
9. The truths of the Judaico-Christian tradition are infinitely precious, not only, as I believe, because they are true, but also because they provide the moral impulse which alone can lead to that peace, in the true sense of the word, which all we yearn.... There is little hope for democracy if the hearts of men and women in democratic societies cannot be touched by a call to something greater than themselves.
Religion can be a great inspiration to help us find a much more correct way of living, endowing some of us with certain moral values that we might not have possessed in any other way shape.
10. The facts of life are conservative.
Remembering the past can help us avoid the mistakes of the future, because as they say, a society that does not remember will always be bound to make the same mistakes over and over again.
11. It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.
Money really has no value, what does have real value is all the edifying things we can do with it.
12. Freedom will destroy itself if it is not exercised within some kind of moral framework, some set of shared beliefs, some spiritual inheritance transmitted through the Church, family and community school.
Our freedoms always end where the freedoms of others begin, which is why the Freedom could never exist in our society without a strong government that enforces the law.
13. Fanatics on the left have often been prepared to disregard due process and basic considerations of justice when they believe they can get away with it. For them, the end always seems to justify the means. This is precisely how his predecessors came to create the gulag.
Some socialist governments like the Soviet or Cuban, were the perfect scapegoats for all openly capitalist governments. A way of proceeding that many political parties still use regularly today.
14. Of course, being a mother and a housewife is a very high-level vocation. But I just felt that it was not my whole vocation. I knew I also wanted a career. A phrase that Irene Ward, MP for Tynemouth, and I used often was that 'while home should always be the center of life, it should not be the limit of ambitions.
Thatcher would not allow the society in which she lived to dictate her limits. For her, politics was a path she was simply destined to follow.
15. It may be the rooster that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs.
Both men and women can be equally productive in the world of work, our sex does not really determine how good or bad professionals we will become.
16. Every family should have the right to spend their money, after taxes, as they wish and not as dictated by the government. Let us extend the choice, let us extend the will to choose and the possibility of choosing.
We should all have the freedom to spend our money in the way we want, because after all, if we have it today, it is because we will have earned it before.
17. There are still people in my party who believe in consensus politics. I consider them Quislings, traitors... I'm serious.
Reaching an agreement in the world of politics can be a very complicated task, certain parties simply seem to have been born to be at odds in a perpetual way.
18. It's passionately interesting to me that the things I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I think have won the election.
It is the values that we receive during our childhood that will later create us as individuals and thanks to having Coming from a humble home, perhaps we receive much more correct values and principles than those of some other people.
19. You don't tell deliberate lies, but sometimes you have to be evasive.
This great policy was never in favor of lying, but it knew that in certain situations it had to try by all means, to evade some questions that were thrown at it on certain occasions.
20. Look at a day where you are supremely satisfied at the end. It is not a day in which you stay without doing anything; It is a day in which you have had everything to do and you have achieved it.
Hard work can also bring a great sense of fulfillment, a way of feeling that we can't get any other way.
21. I don't care how much my ministers talk, as long as they do what I say.
Under her strict command the government must always do what she decides and they had better do it if they don't want to come face to face with “the Iron Lady”.
22. It pays to know the enemy, especially since at some point you may have the opportunity to make him a friend.
A great phrase that can remind us a lot of a quote from former US President Abraham Lincoln, a phrase that went like this: And don't I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?
23. Do you know that one of the great problems of our time is that we are governed by people who care more about feelings than thoughts and ideas?
Getting carried away by our feelings can make us make many mistakes, something that we can never afford when we are in control of an entire nation.
24. For those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I just have this to say: Turn around if you want; the queen is not to turn.
Thatcher would never allow the media to damage her image, thanks to her speeches always he managed to reverse with great success, everything that some of his most undesirable rivals said about she.
25. I'm always immensely glad if an attack is particularly hurtful because I think, well, if they attack you personally, it means they don't have a single political argument left.
His rivals, as we see, were very lacking in arguments, going so far as to disrespect him on more than one occasion.
26. Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.
Without a doubt, Christmas is one of the most desired times for all English people, a time of the year where family gatherings usually occupy a large part of our time.
27. Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.
The United States is certainly a very young country, a nation that was founded on the moral principles of its most famous promoters.
28. There are significant differences between the American and European versions of capitalism. The American traditionally emphasizes the need for limited government, light regulation, low taxes, and maximum labor market flexibility. His success has been shown above all in the ability to create new jobs, in which he is always more successful than Europe.
The United States has shown that it has a great capacity for business creation, something that Europe has always tried with relative success.
29. What Britain needs is an iron lady.
This well-known leader knew that her nation needed her, without her the United Kingdom could not reach the relevant position within Europe that it was destined to occupy.
30. Being prime minister is a lonely job... he can't lead the crowd.
The English prime minister always tends to live in a somewhat isolated way, not in vain who occupies that remarkable position is automatically invested as one of the most powerful people at the level world.
31. I love discussion, I love debate. I don't expect anyone to sit back and agree with me, that's not their job.
Debating is something democratically healthy, it is always clear that we use contrasting arguments and not clear disrespect.
32. No woman of my time will be prime minister, chancellor or foreign secretary, or the most important positions. Anyway, I would not like to be prime minister; you have to give yourself 100 percent.
Women in those times rarely used to occupy positions of power, something that with the passing of the years is fortunately no longer happening.
33. If you are simply out to please, you will be prepared to compromise anything at any time and achieve nothing.
We should always respect our own ideas, no matter what others may think about them.
34. For every idealistic peacemaker willing to forgo his self-defense in favor of a gun-free world, there is at least one warrior eager to exploit another's good intentions.
An armed attack can only be repelled by the use of force, for as much as we may wish for a world without weapons, our ideas will never make them simply go away.
35. A world without nuclear weapons would be less stable and more dangerous for all of us.
The proliferation of nuclear weapons was in full swing at the time, a largely disastrous idea that governments have thankfully stopped pursuing.
36. Take care of your thoughts, because they will become actions. Watch your actions, because they will become… habits. Take care of your habits because they will forge your character. Take care of your character, because it will make your destiny.
Our way of being can be the one that drives us towards success, advice that tells us about the importance of believing in ourselves.
37. Some socialists seem to believe that people should be numbers on a state computer. We think they should be individuals. We are all unequal. Nobody, thank God, is like the others, no matter how much the socialists claim otherwise. We believe that everyone has the right to be unequal, but for us all human beings are equally important.
Socialist governments were seen in those years as highly authoritarian governments, something that was only true perhaps in a somewhat relative way.
38. Before it was about trying to do something. Now it's about trying to be somebody.
Succeeding in life is increasingly difficult, only by becoming the best version of ourselves will we be able to achieve all the goals we set for ourselves.
39. They have the usual socialist disease, they have run out of other people's money.
Socialist governments went bankrupt, a situation that led to many people having to go hungry.
40. My policies are not based on some economic theory, but on things that I and millions like me were raised: an honest day's work for an honest wage; live within your means; lay a nest egg for a rainy day; pay your bills on time; support the police.
Only by living an orderly life can we achieve a certain level of economic well-being, an idea that Thatcher always kept in mind throughout her life.
41. Trivia? Yes, there are common places. The topics are there because they are true.
The topics usually have a base that supports them, because as the well-known saying goes, when the river sounds it is that water carries.
42. I don't think there is a prime minister in my life.
Very few women have reached positions as relevant as this during their lives, something that to this day has only been equaled by the well-known German chancellor Angela Merkel.
43. If you want to cut your throat, don't come looking for a bandage.
Our daily decisions direct us towards the future we deserve, some people seem to only seek their own self-destruction judging by the way they live.
44. The battle for women's rights has been largely won.
In the 20th century, women achieved great equality of rights, an equality that unfortunately has not yet been fully achieved today.
45. The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.
Socialist governments proved in those times to be authentic wealth-burning machines, something like never before seen in countries with a capitalist nature.
46. What is success? I think it's a mix of having talent for what you're doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have to work hard and have a certain sense of purpose.
Talent alone will never lead us to success, we must always work very hard if we want to be able to achieve high achievement in the future.
47. I also have a certain idea of the United States. Furthermore, I would not feel entitled to say the same of any other country except my own. This is not just feeling, although I always feel ten years younger, despite the jet lag, when I set foot on American soil - there's something so positive and generous and open about people, and it's all really works. However, I also feel that, in a sense, I have a piece of America.
As we see, the United States enchanted him. Thatcher throughout her life always felt very comfortable when she visited this country located on the other side of the ocean.
48. There is no society: there are individual men and women, and there are families.
All people were equally relevant to her and she never took into account their social class, economic level or ethnicity.
49. People think that there is not much space upstairs. They tend to think of it as an Everest. My message is that there is a lot of space at the top.
By making an effort we can all achieve success, the problem is that some people decide that the effort necessary for it from their point of view is too high.
50. Constitutions must be written in the heart, not just on paper.
Any constitution must always look after the interests of all its citizens, regardless of their economic level or social class.
51. I never hugged him, I bombarded him. (Speaking of the dictator, Muammar Gaddafi)
As we can see, his enmity with Gadaffi was palpable, a fight that the United Kingdom did not hesitate to always address with the maximum possible guarantees.
52. It is always important in matters of high politics to know what is not known. Those who think they know but are wrong and act on their mistakes are the most dangerous people to be in charge of.
Being the leader of a country is undoubtedly a great responsibility. Those men and women who hold this position must always make sure that their decisions are the correct ones, since the lives of many people depend directly on them.
53. Any woman who understands the problems of running a household will be closer to understanding the problems of running a country.
Women have proven since the beginning of time to be excellent managers of their homes, a ability that Thatcher demonstrated can be just as effective when they take control of an entire nation.
54. I think we've been through a period where too many children and people have been given to understand 'I have a problem, it's the government's job to solve it!' or 'I have a problem, I'll go find a grant to fix it!' 'I have no home, the government must house me!' and so they are throwing their problems at society and who is the society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through the people and people look at themselves first… There is no society. There is a living tapestry of men, women and people, and the beauty of that tapestry and the quality of our lives will depend on how much each of each of us is prepared to take responsibility for himself and each of us is prepared to turn around and help for his account.
During our lives nothing will ever be given to us, our effort will always be an essential requirement to achieve a high standard of living.
55. The choice facing the nation is between two totally different ways of life. And what a prize we have to fight for: nothing less than the chance to banish from our land the dark clouds and divides of Marxist socialism and unite men and women from all walks of life who share a faith in the freedom.
As we can see, this famous British leader was willing to defend her country tooth and nail, under her personal despotic point of view of the socialist government.
56. I owe almost everything to my father and it is passionately interesting to me that the things I learned in a small town, in a very modest house, are just the things that I think have won the elections.
Having adequate father figures was something that helped Margaret Thatcher throughout her life, she always had a very present that he would never have gotten so far in the politics without values that one day he kindly received from his parents.
57. Whether in the United States or continental Europe, written constitutions have one major weakness. That is, they contain the potential for judges to make decisions that should be properly made by democratically elected politicians.
The separation of powers ensures that the Constitution is always complied with, since it is often the law and not politics that is in charge of ensuring the interests of citizens at all times.
58. Pennies don't come from heaven. They have to be earned here on earth.
If we do not work hard, we will never reach a high economic level, something that we must always keep in mind on our vital path to success.
59. The defense budget is one of the few items of public spending that can truly be described as essential. This point was well made by a robust Labor Defense Minister, Denis (now Lord) Healey, many years ago: Once we have cut spending to the point where our safety is in jeopardy, we don't have homes, we don't have hospitals, I don't have schools. We have a lot of ashes.
Any government must always ensure the security of the citizens it represents, which is why the defense budget of any great nation is always so high.
60. Yes... many influential people have not been able to understand, or have simply forgotten, what we were up against in the Cold War and how we get past it, they will not be able to secure, let alone extend, the gains that the freedom.
The cold war was a period of great fear and uncertainty, many countries lived with the possibility of an atomic bomb falling on them at any moment.
61. The bigger the slice the government takes, the smaller the pie available to everyone.
Government interventionism in a country's economy should always be the bare minimum, a policy that this former prime minister tried to copy to a certain extent from the government counterpart North American.
62. Nothing is more stubborn than a fashionable consensus.
We must always defend our own opinion, even if sometimes it goes against the opinions of everyone else.
63. Whether made by black, white, brown, or yellow hands, a widget is still a widget, and will be bought anywhere if the price and quality are right. The market is a more powerful and reliable liberating force than government can ever be.
Thatcher was always very aware of the importance of the economy in her country, taking throughout the very wise decisions that would end up having a positive impact on the lives of millions of people.
64. I am in politics because of the conflict between good and evil, and I believe that in the end good will triumph.
As a politician, her only intention was always to improve the quality of life of her fellow citizens, something that she undoubtedly more than achieved throughout her more than 10 years in office.
65. There can be no freedom unless there is economic freedom.
Freedom in poverty is not true freedom, because only having a high economic level can we live as we really want.
66. Being free is better than not being free, always. Any politician who suggests otherwise should be treated as a suspect.
Freedom is the first right that any person in the world should always possess, a right that, even today in the 21st century, unfortunately often ends up not being fulfilled.
67. During my lifetime, most of the problems the world has faced have come, in one form or another, from continental Europe, and the solutions from outside of it.
A very British way of seeing Europe, perhaps that is why the United Kingdom is currently in the process of disconnecting with the EU.
68. We conservatives hate unemployment.
Unemployment is one of the biggest problems that a country can face, a labor situation obviously disastrous that allows poverty to spread very quickly throughout any nation.
69. There is a lot to be said for trying to improve the situation of some disadvantaged people. There is nothing to say about trying to create heaven on earth.
Aid to the most disadvantaged classes was always one of his highest priorities, a game of economic resources that over the years did not stop increasing, while she remained in command of the government.
70. One of the great weaknesses of reasonable men and women is that they imagine that projects that go against common sense are not serious and are not being seriously undertaken.
Sometimes, in order to solve big problems, big solutions are also needed, solutions that perhaps those who are more conservative will not always see as entirely correct.