The famous tune from the “Wizard of Oz” has started appearing on socialist and left-wing website and blogs, after the death of Thatcher.
At one level this is understandable. I immediately thought of this little ditty as soon as I heard the news.
But on a political level, which is what matters, how is this good news?
Its pretty banal. She died of old age, in her sleep, in the lap of luxury in the Ritz Hotel.
Celebrating the fact that this terrible woman has died is foolish; no-one has yet cracked the secret of immortality.
If she had died a violent death at the hands of some avenger from the working class, that would have been something to celebrate. If she had died the sort of death that Ceaucescu, or Mussolini did, then likewise.
But why celebrate that one of the bitterest enemies of the working class finally died of old age in comfort and luxury?
That smacks of desperation.
Its actually a very human response, notwithstanding the pathetic accusations of ‘inhumanity’ that will be flung at those celebrating her death. Desperation and despair manifesting itself in an attempt to console for defeat by celebrating a banal event.
If Hitler had died of old age, that would not be anything to celebrate, because the bastard would have gotten away with his crimes.
Ditto – all proportions guarded – for her. She got away with the whole damned lot. And that’s why this is not a happy occasion, if we are to look the objective situation in the face.
We do not want our bitterest enemies to die in bed at the age of 87.
For that to happen is not a victory for us, but for those enemies. Since everyone, without exception, dies, this is from her point of view the ideal way to die.
And for the ruling class in general, it is pretty much ideal also. More than ever, she becomes an icon for the entire ruling class project of rolling back the gains working people have achieved over the last century or more..
Is this not obvious, if you stop and think about it for a few minutes?
Rather than facile and pointless celebrations of a biologically inevitable non-event, it would be worth more to reflect on the real situation that the British working class is in as a result of Thatcher’s taming of the trade union and labour movement through the medium of its treacherous, pro-capitalist bureaucracy.
We could do worse than engage in some serious examination of this history using the method advocated by a real class warrior from our side of the class divide, Leon Trotsky, writing about the principles of socialist politics around three-quarters of a century ago:
“To face reality squarely; not to seek the line of least resistance; to call things by their right names; to speak the truth to the masses, no matter how bitter it may be; not to fear obstacles; to be true in little things as in big ones; to base one’s program on the logic of the class struggle; to be bold when the hour for action arrives — these are the rules of the Fourth International”
The Transitional Programme, 1938.