Margaret Thatcher, Britain's Iron Lady, dead at 87

Source:  ABC News.com

Baroness Thatcher, the first woman to lead a Western democracy, died peacefully following a stroke this morning. She was 87. The "Iron Lady" led Great Britain as prime minister from 1979 to 1990. She was a champion of small government and the free-market. And with her friend Ronald Reagan, she stood against the Soviet Union, bringing an end to the Cold War.

President Reagan called her the "best man in England." Not one to be outdone, she referred to him as "the second most important man in my life."

Thatcher's words frequently rose to the level of memorable. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

“In politics, If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.”

“Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.”

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

“There are significant differences between the American and European version of capitalism. The American tradition emphasizes the need for limited government, light regulations, low taxes and maximum labour-market flexibility. Its success has been shown above all in the ability to create new jobs, in which it is consistently more successful than Europe.”

“No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well.”

“Consensus: “The process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies in search of something in which no one believes, but to which no one objects; the process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved, merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead. What great cause would have been fought and won under the banner: ‘I stand for consensus?'”

“I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.” 

“Watch your thoughts for they become words.

Watch your words for they become actions.

Watch your actions for they become habits.

Watch your habits for they become your character.

And watch your character for it becomes your destiny.

What we think, we become.

My father always said that... and I think I am fine.”