The Negative Impact Of Margaret Thatcher On The Reagan Administration

Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of Britain at the time of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. She worked closely with Reagan in settling foreign affairs, especially the anti-communist movement during the Cold War, which was led by the US under the policy of containment. In a eulogy for Ronald Reagan after his death, she tries to make her audience empathize with Reagan, gaining support for his life. Thatcher capitalizes on an appeal to patriotism in conjunction with contrast to express the great leader Ronald Reagan was. Throughout the eulogy, patriotic claims appear, which seems ironic considering Thatcher is not American; however, it coordinates with her message of the powerful impact Reagan made on the nation during his time as president. For instance, the

Namely, Thatcher references the state of the nation’s economy following the presidency of Jimmy Carter as one of “only limits to growth” followed by Reagan, who successfully “transformed a stagnant economy into an engine of opportunity.” By contrasting the complacent nature of America prior to the Reagan administration with the newly progressive society established during the Reagan administration, Thatcher emphasizes the productive impacts Reagan had on the country. It establishes trust between the citizens and the belated president as the nation strives to preserve the legacy of the administration. Thatcher references the past in order to highlight the good Reagan did for the United States and the world, motivating people to choose to act in a similar manner that Reagan chose to run the nation by. The contrast persuades the audience to fight to continue the path that Reagan has set the nation on because Thatcher saw how beneficial the path was not only for America, but for the entire world as well, especially