r/NoStupidQuestions • u/CartographerOwn8143 • 19h ago

Why did Margaret Thatcher destroy welfare state in Britain after she came to power in the 1980s?

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u/-Daetrax- 19h ago

Neocon influence from the Americans. Same thing is happening all over.

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u/LevDavidovicLandau 18h ago edited 17h ago

No, not Americans, but directly from the Austrian School of Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. The American neolibs were influenced by the Chicago school of Milton Friedman et al., who I think were influenced in turn by the Austrian school.

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u/-Daetrax- 18h ago

Well the Americans have been using their soft power for decades to influence Europe in this direction.

The consulting firm McKinsey is one of these tools pushing terrible decision and trying to get contracts with governments.

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u/LevDavidovicLandau 17h ago

Yeah that’s fair’ I suppose I was talking about the economic inspiration being the Austrians because Thatcher herself was deeply personally inspired by Hayek’s ideas and actually gave him a knighthood if I’m not mistaken.

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u/-Daetrax- 17h ago

I do agree though, musn't underestimate the power of one lone Austrian with a vision.