Transcript Development of the EU

24 February 2014
by
Sigrid Brevik Wangsness
Margaret Thatcher:
The Downing Street Years (1993)
 Context
 UK Prime Minister from 1979-1990
 Three election victories for the Conservative
Party
 First and only British female Prime Minister
 The Iron Lady
 The only occupant of Number 10 to have
become an «-ism» in her life time
 Forced to resign
Margaret Thatcher’s Memoir:
Privatization
According to Margaret Thatcher:
 Privatization is fundamental to improving Britain’s
economic performance
 Public ownership is a misnomer
 State-owned businesses can never function as proper
businesses
 Privatization is a means of reversing the «corrosive
and corrupting» effects of socialism
Margaret Thatcher’s Memoir:
Privatization
 «Popular capitalism»
 Which companies?
 The challenges and complexity of privatization
 Privatization was a «revolution» which transformed
businesses across the world
How does this text express the ideals of
democracy?
 The power of the people enhanced?
 Freedom?
 Margaret Thatcher’s credo (from Abraham Lincoln):
 You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the
strong
 You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift
 You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the
wage-payer
Tony Blair:
«Third Way, Phase Two», 2001
 Context
 UK Prime Minister from
1997-2007
 Three election victories for the Labour Party
 This article was published in Prospect
Magazine while Blair was still Prime Minister
in Britain
What is the «third way»?
 The combination of market economy and social justice
 New Labour vs. the new right and the old left
 Blair sees New Labour as a centre-left party and a
revived progressive party
 Blair’s view of public ownership?
 Social exclusion both socially wrong and economically
inefficient
How does this text express the ideals of
democracy?
 How to empower individuals to succeed?
 Individuals need opportunities as well as safeguards
within the market
 The challenge of using new technology responsibly
 The challenge of transforming education to develop
the talents of every child
 The need for a culture of high expectations and high
performance
Salman Rushdie:
«The New Empire Within Britain», 1982
 Context
 Main message
 Points made:
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 Literary style
Suzana S: Confessions of a City Girl
 Context
 Author: Barbara Steherbatcheff
 The title of the book
 Why The Devil Wears Pinstripes?
 Professional women in the City of
London
Suzana S: Confessions of a City Girl
Chapter 13
 Setting
 Topic
 Main characters
 Suzana
 Alex
 Ben and Katrina
 Tommy
Suzana S: Confessions of a City Girl
Chapter 13
 An insider’s description of the business culture in the
City of London just before the financial crisis hit:
 Ignoring early-warning signs
 Obsession with market trends
 Secrecy, competitiveness, risk taking
 Change of behaviour after major losses?
 Trading confidence and/or greed?
Suzana S: Confessions of a City Girl
Chapter 13
 Insider trading?
 How did the US sub-prime mortgage crisis affect the
City of London?
 The relationship between the trading floors and the
back offices
 Describe Suzana’s moment of truth
 In summary: How is the working environment in the
City of London portrayed in this book?