Baroness Margaret Thatcher, known as the "greengrocer's daughter" who revitalized Britain with conservative economic policies and brought down Soviet communism in cooperation with Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan, died today of a stroke at the age of 87. Her passing marks the end of an era, as her fellow victorious cold warriors preceded her in finding their ultimate rewards. She was known as the "Iron Lady" with good reason: her famous advice to not "go wobbly" provided the iron backbone necessary to stare down communist tyrants and Argentine generals alike. In an era of economic stagnation and malaise, it is worthwhile recalling how as Britain's first (and so far only) female prime minister, Mrs. Thatcher confronted the entrenched interests of the Labour Party, and liberalized the hidebound British economy, jettisoning uneconomic coal, steel, and other unionized industries that were bleeding the national wealth, and freeing up investment in productive areas, that helped...(Read Full Post)