The Iron Lady

Mike from Mike’s America will probably appreciate this very much. The Military Channel show Weaponology has an episode on Britain’s Special Air Service [SAS]. The show relates two anecdotes on then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

In one story they talk about the intense training SAS members go through in something called the Killing House. This is where the troopers practise close combat with live ammunition. Prince Charles and even Princess Diana have sat through SAS practice rescues while the live ammo flew about. Not to be left out, the Prime Minister decided she needed to experience this also. So there she sat in one room of the two-story building with her handbag on the table with two male aides in attendance. As the SAS burst through the door into the room, flash-bangs going off and MP-5s killing simulated terrorists with 9mm death; Lady Thatcher calmly sat at the table while one of her aides dropped to the floor. One of the troopers relates how she told the aide to get up since he was embarrassing her.

The other Thatcher story comes from the seizing of the Iranian Embassy in 1980 by six terrorists. After authorizing the SAS to assault the embassy to free the hostages after one hostage was murdered, the Prime Minister visited the troopers to personally congratulate them on their success. Being good boisterous lads, they invited the Prime Minister to share a pint with them to toast the victory. And she did.

Lady Margaret Thatcher is the modern example for any woman seeking to lead a nation to compare against. It is also the duty of all voters to size up any female candidate against such as Thatcher before casting a vote. To vote just because the candidate is female is the wrong reason. To vote because they have been near the seat of power and female is also not good enough. One has to ask oneself, is this candidate, who happens to be a woman, truly qualified for the job?