Basket case
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="basket">basket</span> <span word="case">case</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="Thatcherism">Thatcherism</span> <span word="saved">saved</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="basket">basket</span>-<span word="case">case</span>”.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="Thatcherism">Thatcherism</span> <span word="prevented">prevented</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teetering">teetering</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="collapse">collapse</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="helpless">helpless</span>.</p><p><span word="Thatcherism">Thatcherism</span> <span word="is">is</span> 1980’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="stuff">stuff</span>. <span word="Today">Today</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="named">named</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="Margaret">Margaret</span> <span word="Thatcher">Thatcher</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="erstwhile">erstwhile</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="Prime">Prime</span> <span word="Minister">Minister</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Iron">Iron</span> <span word="Lady">Lady</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="stern">stern</span> <span word="looks">looks</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="steely">steely</span> <span word="resolve">resolve</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="Thatcherism">Thatcherism</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nutshell">nutshell</span>, <span word="wanton">wanton</span> <span word="capitalism">capitalism</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="jargon">jargon</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="nicely">nicely</span>, <span word="laissez">laissez</span> <span word="faire">faire</span>.</p><p><span word="Laissez">Laissez</span> <span word="faire">faire</span>? <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="French">French</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="letting">letting</span> <span word="do">do</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="free">free</span> <span word="enterprise">enterprise</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="let">let</span> <span word="businesses">businesses</span> <span word="flourish">flourish</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="perish">perish</span>) <span word="without">without</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="interference">interference</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="basket">basket</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="today">today</span>.</p><p><span word="Basket">Basket</span> <span word="cases">cases</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="people">people</span> – <span word="specifically">specifically</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="arms">arms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="amputated">amputated</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="injuries">injuries</span>. <span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="named">named</span> <span word="because">because</span>, <span word="without">without</span> <span word="arms">arms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="legs">legs</span>, <span word="these">these</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="carried">carried</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="others">others</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="cruel">cruel</span> <span word="coinage">coinage</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="saddened">saddened</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="words">words</span>. <span word="Young">Young</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="risk">risk</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="lives">lives</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="injured">injured</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="callously">callously</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="basket">basket</span> <span word="cases">cases</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="mothers">mothers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fathers">fathers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stop">stop</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="sons">sons</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="daughters">daughters</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="joining">joining</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="wars">wars</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="analyze">analyze</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="analyze">analyze</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="wars">wars</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="terrible">terrible</span> – <span word="except">except</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="fought">fought</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="self">self</span> <span word="defense">defense</span>.</p>
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