What makes Reagan less controversial than Thatcher?

Both were part of the liberal wave of the 1980s, promoting privatisations, reducing state interventionism, removing the welfare state, cutting pensions, expanding the military industrial complexes, etc.

But when we discuss about Thatcher and Reagan, I noticed on my own experience (so I might be wrong, if I'm please correct me) that the British seems to have more conflict to support Thatcher than Americans to support Reagan. Why is that so?

I have a theory that since a considerably part of the American public is against government intervention on the first place, this might have made the public less against this market liberal policies, and also the fact that Reagan was limited to staying in power for only eight years, this he left when his popularity was booming, while Thatcher overstayed her welcome and led to a erosion of her support. What do you think?
 
I have a theory that since a considerably part of the American public is against government intervention on the first place, this might have made the public less against this market liberal policies, and also the fact that Reagan was limited to staying in power for only eight years, this he left when his popularity was booming, while Thatcher overstayed her welcome and led to a erosion of her support. What do you think?
It has more to do with their respective approaches to leadership than how things ended for them. Reagan did his best to make his brand of conservatism appear optimistic and inclusive, whereas Thatcher was very confrontational- if you weren't with her you were against her. For that reason, various groups-particularly the industrialised working class-felt that she was not only opposed to their interests, but actively hostile to their way of life. The miners strike was probably the best example of this.
 
Both were part of the liberal wave of the 1980s, promoting privatisations, reducing state interventionism, removing the welfare state, cutting pensions, expanding the military industrial complexes, etc. . . .
I think you mean what’s called neo-liberalism.

And with pensions, I think a lot of it was early in the game, when the person was more than still 10 years away from retirement. At least, I hope so! :openedeyewink:
 
I think it's a combination of:
a): The United States had a more conservative/anti-government baseline as of 1980, so Reagan's policies alientated fewer people
b): Because there was much less government ownership of businesses in the US, Reagan wasn't directly responsible for firing anyone except the air traffic controllers, as opposed to Thatcher with the miners.
c): US political culture tends to venerate ex-Presidents in general and gloss over the negative aspects of their terms. Relatedly, American presidents don't have to interact with Congress the same way Prime Ministers have to interact with Parliament, so the President can project a more above-it-all image
d): Good-old-fashioned sexism: Thatcher tends to get portrayed as an evil harpy, whereas Reagan comes of as a more of a father-figure
e): Reagan was just really charismatic
 
The American people only blame the president who is currently in office for any problem they are facing

All the bad things Reagan did in regards to income inequality and de regulating Wall Street didn’t blow up until he left office, so he avoids the blame

Reagan and Clinton got off with good reviews because of the economy. They won’t blame for the Great Recession because it occurred after them

Despite Obama having nothing to do with the horrible economy he inherited, he did inherite a lot of anger from the working class
 
Just as a Yank looking at it from afar, the Miner’s strike of 1984–Holy Shit!!

In part, didn’t the UK government send unfriendly police into mining communities, pretty much to be an army of occupation?
To be fair the strike was a blatant attempt to bring down the democratically elected government. I can't stand Thatcher, but she was right to crush Scargill's attempted coup.
 
I always had the personal comparison that Reagan was like a folksy, favourite great-uncle while Thatcher was that one teacher in school you did not mess with.
 
I always had the personal comparison that Reagan was like a folksy, favourite great-uncle while Thatcher was that one teacher in school you did not mess with.


There is that evil school inspector on Harry Potter tha I'm quite sure that JK Rowling took inspiration from Thatcher to make her.
 
There's also the issue that Thatcher pretty much overstayed her welcome as far as the public and her own party were concerned. Reagan was always limited to two terms so everyone knew when he would be leaving office. Thatcher kept trying to cling to power even as her allies were warning her it was time to bow out gracefully.
 
What was the economic situation in England in the 1970s? We had the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks, stagflation, wage and price controls...plus the Vietnam hangover, Iran hostage situation, and Watergate. The Gipper contrasted favorably with the previous four presidents. Kind of like an above average girl or guy standing next to a bunch of ugly people.
 
What was the economic situation in England in the 1970s? We had the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks, stagflation, wage and price controls...plus the Vietnam hangover, Iran hostage situation, and Watergate. The Gipper contrasted favorably with the previous four presidents. Kind of like an above average girl or guy standing next to a bunch of ugly people.
The economic situation in the UK was considerably worse than in the US in the 1970s. We had inflation and the decline of industry going on, but we also had considerable labour difficulties too. There was an earlier miners strike that forced the Tory government to bring in a 3 day week. The strike ultimately brought down the government-which some suggest was the reason why Thatcher was set on crushing the miners in the following decade.

Then you had a Labour government in the late 1970s which took a bailout from the IMF. Despite that, it might still have beaten Thatcher if the country wasnt hit by a wave of strikes which basically ground things to a halt, in what is now called the winter of discontent.

There were even some fringe sections of the military and the intelligence services calling for a coup to overthrow the government at one point. So there was a reason why the UK was dubbed 'the sick man of Europe' at this time.
 
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