Freedomfighter 　　Onlyahandfulofpeacetimepoliticianscanclaimtohavechangedtheworld.MargaretThatcherwasone.ShetransformednotjustherownConservativeParty,butthewholeofBritishpolitics.HerenthusiasmforprivatisationlaunchedaglobalrevolutionandherwillingnesstostanduptotyrannyhelpedtobringanendtotheSovietUnion.WinstonChurchillwonawar,buthenevercreatedanism鈥? 　　TheessenceofThatcherismwastoopposethestatusquoandbetonfreedom鈥攐dd,sinceasaprim,upwardlymobilestriver,shewasinsomewaystheembodimentofconservatism.Shethoughtnationscouldbecomegreatonlyifindividualsweresetfree.UnlikeChurchill鈥檚famouspudding,herstruggleshadatheme:therightofindividualstoruntheirownlives,asfreeaspossiblefrommicromanagementbythestate. 　　Inherearlyyearsinpolitics,economicliberalismwasinretreat,theSovietUnionwasextendingitsempire,andMiltonFriedmanandFriedrichHayekweredismissedasacademiceccentrics.InBritainthegovernmenthobnobbedwithtradeunions,handedoutsubsidiestofailingnationalisedindustriesandprimedthepumpthroughKeynesiandemandmanagement.Tobeginwiththeambitiousyoungpoliticianwentalongwiththisconsensus.Butthewidespreadnotionthatpoliticsshouldbe鈥渢hemanagementofdecline鈥madeherbloodboil.TheideasofFriedmanandHayekpersuadedherthatthingscouldbedifferent. 　　MostofthisradicalismwashiddenfromtheBritishelectoratethatvotedherintoofficein1979,largelyinfrustrationwithLabour鈥檚ineptitude.Whatfollowedwasaneconomicrevolution.Sheprivatisedstateindustries,refusedtonegotiatewiththeunions,abolishedstatecontrols,brokethestrikingminersandreplacedKeynesianismwithFriedman鈥檚monetarism.Theinflationratefellfromahighof27%in1975to2.4%in1986.Thenumberofworkingdayslosttostrikesfellfrom29min1979to2min1986.Thetoprateoftaxfellfrom83%to40%. 　　Notforturning 　　Herbattleswiththeleft鈥攅speciallytheminers鈥攇aveherareputationasablue-rinseBoadicea.Butshewasjustaswillingtoclobbertheright,sideliningold-fashionedTory鈥渨ets鈥andunleashinghercreedonconservativestrongholds,notablybysettingoffthe鈥渂igbang鈥intheCityofLondon.Manyofherpithiestput-downsweredirectedatherownside:鈥淯-turnifyouwantto,鈥shetoldtheConservativesasunemploymentpassed2m.鈥淭helady鈥檚notforturning.鈥ShetoldGeorgeBushsenior:鈥淭hisisnotimetogowobbly!鈥RonaldReaganwashersoulmatebutlackedhersharpelbowsandhostilitytodeficits. 　　Shemightnotbeforturning,butsheknewhowtocompromise.SheseizedonMikhailGorbachevasamanshe鈥渃oulddobusinesswith鈥despitewarningsfromAmericanhawks.Shebackeddownfromabattlewiththeminersin1981,waitinguntilshehadbuiltupsufficientreservesofcoalthreeyearslater.Forallhertalkaboutreformingthewelfarestate,thepublicsectorconsumedalmostthesameproportionofGDPwhensheleftofficeaswhenshecametoit. 　　Shewasalsooftenoutrageouslylucky:luckythatthestrikingminerswereledbyArthurScargill,ahardlineMarxist;luckythattheBritishleftfracturedandinsistedonchoosingunelectableleaders;luckythatGeneralGaltieridecidedtoinvadetheFalklandIslandswhenhedid;luckythatshewasatoughwomaninasystemdominatedbypatricianmen(thewetsneverknewhowtocopewithher);luc