An Article from the Jamaica Gleaner
There is a popular Jamaican narrative that all white people look to oppress all black people. This is shared by many Rastafarians, common in Jamaican politics around election time, our cultural idealogues use it to their advantage and your regular run-of-the-mill ‘pseudo-intellectuals’ don’t know better.
It has been a very good tactic to gain and maintain popularity in politics to get votes in Jamaica, to get a so-called collective black consciousness; and in the case of Bert Samuels today, to get the “Letter of the Day” in the Gleaner.
The Gleaner laps up this kind of ‘leftist’ rhetoric and always puts it at the forefront of their headlines, especially when it comes from prominent Jamaicans, such as attorney-at-law, Bert Samuels.
In his letter, Mr Samuels puts forward evidence as to why the recently deceased Baroness Margaret Thatcher will come up on the wrong side of history, using racially toned claims of course, as part of the evidence he brings forward.
I have posted Mr. Samuels’ letter on our blog below for readers, followed by my response to some of the claims he made. I sent it to the Gleaner as soon as I read the fallacies in his letter this morning.
As usual, I do not expect the editorial team to publish it. This is what happens when the schizoid left takes control of the information you get.
-K Fiennes
Bert Samuels’ Letter:
LETTER OF THE DAY – Thatcher was on the wrong side of history
Published: Friday | April 12, 2013
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130412/letters/letters1.html
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Margaret Thatcher, that great friend of Ronald Reagan, is being remembered as one of the greatest three-term prime ministers of England.
That view is not shared by many of my family members living in Britain whose recollection is that she crossed two oceans to fight Argentina for islands captured centuries ago.
She is on record also for having stopped the distribution of free milk to the poor in England. But to top it all, she supported the racist government of South Africa which slaughtered our African bothers and sisters. She had no problem with white racists who took over southern Africa and impoverished our people with the bloodsucking system of apartheid.
The voices of those who were murdered by the white-minority, racist and illegal South African regime, fighting for freedom in their own country, including the honourable Steve Biko, are not celebrating Britain’s first female leader’s reign.
Left to Mrs Thatcher, Nelson Mandela would have rotted in prison. She declared him a “terrorist” and branded the African National Congress a “terrorist organisation”. We who deem Mandela a hero cannot, at the same time, celebrate the life of a leader whose political views were to demonise a living African icon.
Today, we celebrate the victory of good over evil.
BERT SAMUELS
Attorney-at-law
bert.samuels@gmail.com
MY RESPONSE:
The Editor, Sir:
Please allow me space in your paper as I have to respond to Attorney Bert Samuels’ “Letter of the Day”, published April 12th. There are many erroneous statements, it’s hard to know where to begin.
First of all, we need to have a sense of proportion and perspective. No one is perfect and there is no heaven here on Earth. Secondly we need to understand the sum totality of the Iron Lady’s contribution not only to Britain, but also by extension the rest of the world.
Of course Baroness Thatcher had flaws, no one is denying that, however, we must understand that the freedoms that most of the people of the world enjoy today, not just politically but economically, are the result of the influence of Thatcherism. The liberation of hundred of millions in the eastern bloc of Europe and the USSR from the tyranny of socialism and communism comes to mind immediately.
I really wanted to get into some of the meat of Mr. Samuels’ racially toned claims against the Iron Lady.
Margaret Thatcher is on record labeling the ANC a terrorist organization. The facts are that in 1987 when she said it, Mandela had long been in prison and the ANC was in fact using armed terrorist tactics to resist apartheid under the leadership of his wife Winnie Mandela. We all agree and acknowledge that apartheid was an abhorrent system of oppression and suppression against blacks and was illegal, unjust and illegitimate. But that does not deny the fact of what practices the ANC employed to achieve their aims during that era.
Mr. Samuels also claimed that Thatcher called Nelson Mandela a terrorist. That is not true. Those reprehensible references to Mandela as “a terrorist”, in 1990, belong to Tory backbencher Members of Parliament Teddy Taylor: “Unfortunately, I do still regard him (Mandela) as an ex-terrorist”; and Terry Dicks: “How much longer will the Prime Minister allow herself to be kicked in the face by this black terrorist?”
Mandela’s sentencing under the illegitimate apartheid regime was commuted to life in prison rather than death due to Margaret Thatcher’s influence on the South African govt, as a then Tory Minister, in the late 1960’s.
When the rest of the world shunned South Africa, she offered constructive engagement in the 1980’s. Politics is not always pretty.
Does Mr. Samuels know that Mandela credits Thatcher for his life being spared. Does Mr. Samuels even know of Michael Manley’s support to Thatcher in December 1979 for her position on Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia)? [Please read declassified correspondence from Manley to Thatcher here: http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/7C395B6089F74976B9958FB7FF51D368.pdf]
Isn’t it ironic that these systems of oppression (communism and apartheid) upheld by governments against the peoples of the world, in existence for decades, were all undone and collapsed through Thatcher’s efforts to expand world freedom by the time her reign ended in 1990? History will judge her correctly.
Sincerely,
Kavon Fiennes
kfiennes@gmail.com
Right From Yaad 
Kavon,
I think you are guilty of the very thing of which you accuse Mr. Samuels; a lack of perspective and proportion. Look I know that Baroness Thatcher is a hero on the right but there are some unfortunate things about her time in office that too many on the right refuse to treat with in any meaningful way; Apartheid is one of those things. The Apartheid regime was not just illegal, unjust and illegitimate, it was brutal, cruel and terrorist. It employed ever more increasing and blood curdling violence against its Black population during the very period of “constructive engagement” and yet Reagan and Thatcher somehow couldn’t bring themselves to condemn the regime in the strongest terms possible; in short it was terrorizing its own people. In terms of proportion, the violence engaged by the ANC is nothing compared to the behaviour of the Apartheid regime. Yet Thatcher had no problems labeling the ANC terrorist?
Here’s some perspective, she made no distinction between the ANC has a whole and the wing of the group carrying out paramilitary activities. Even when Botha was at his worst, even when he was declaring his commitment to the Apartheid regime, even when it became clear that Botha could not be reasoned with, Thatcher was insisting that constructive engagement could and was working. And what is it with people on the right and this weird stance on race and racism? The Apartheid regime was racist; these people set up an entire governmental system of rights and privileges based on the colour of people’s skin in the 20th century!! People were subjected to the worst kind of violence imaginable, denied basic human rights and made to live like little more than animals in the 20th century, all on account of their skin colour. This is not leftist propaganda, this is what happened.
I think its entirely legitimate for a person to point out Thatcher’s engagement of such a regime. It is entirely legitimate for people to point out Thatcher’s designation of Botha (the then head of this racist regime) “a friend” while calling one of the main groups fighting against the racist regime “terrorist”. Baroness Thatcher’s record on Apartheid is unfortunate, don’t blame Burt Samuels or anyone for that matter, for simply pointing that out.
Thanks for your detailed response Kenal.
I take it that it was the result of sanctions and shunning; and not the policy of freedom and resistance to oppression (communism, apartheid) that Thatcher was about, that undid South Africa. Is Thatcher on record stating that she was pro-apartheid? She was all about freedom. I cannot see how she could have liked what was going on there. She was certainly happy to see Mandela freed and apartheid come to an end.
Also can you or anyone tell me if Blacks in S. Africa were fleeing the country in their 10’s of thousands into neighbouring countries as refugees to escape apartheid? I don’t hear that as part of their history.
I am not sure why you think I need a history lesson and definition on Apartheid. You needed to define what “terrorism” is for me, because I don’t think I understand what it means.
Manley liked Thatcher’s position on Rhodesia….So why would her engagement with Botha not be about freedom, if her policy on Ian Smith was favored by “Joshua”? Please read…https://rightfromyaad.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/letter-from-manley-to-thatcher-on-the-topic-of-rhodesia/.
Best,
-KF
Hi Kevin,
I find your response lacking in any serious thought regarding the statements you have made. You ask if Blacks in S. Africa were fleeing the country in their 10’s of thousands into neighbouring countries as refugees to escape apartheid? Are you insinuating Apartheid couldn’t of been all that bad? Then say you don’t need schooling on the apartheid regime?
Many who could, did flee but some of the neighbouring countries were apartheid puppets also. Also thanks to the pass laws, blacks were not allowed to leave their local area unless they had a pass to work in a specific place.
I was in england during thatchers years and she was definitely pro apartheid – by here actions and some of here statements. Her relationship with Botha and brutal dictators like Pinochet also confirm her mind set.
By the way, Rastamen do not claim all white people hate all black people, I know many Rastaman with a white empress for instance. Rasta believe that the Babylonian system (be it run by black, white asian or whatever) is oppressive to black people, poor whites and other cultures.
You stated: and I quote: “the freedoms that most of the people of the world enjoy today, not just politically but economically, are the result of the influence of Thatcherism. The liberation of hundred of millions in the eastern bloc of Europe and the USSR from the tyranny of socialism and communism”
Thatcher had almost nothing to do with the fall of communism – That was US policy over a number of years and economics. And she is not responsible for any other freedoms the would enjoys except maybe “right to buy in uk” which allows people in government properties to buy it from their local council, but even that has led to a drastic council housing shortage.
What’s up i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anywhere, when i read this post i thought i could also make
comment due to this brilliant piece of writing.