From the "did he/she really say that" files: "[T]here is no such thing as society." No cheating -

[closeupready]

who said it? And what was the context?

[rockymountaindem]

1. Margaret Thatcher said that, not sure of the context.

[closeupready]

2. Ding ding ding!

Not sure if the context really matters - how could it? What a load she was, huh?

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Really? My first thought was Ayn Rand.

[closeupready]

4. She was probably a fan of Rand's, from the sound of it:

>>Epitaph for the eighties? 'there is
no such thing as society'

"I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."

Prime minister Margaret Thatcher, talking to Women's Own magazine, October 31 1987<<

http://briandeer.com/social/thatcher-society.htm

The arrogance of a prime minister saying, this is no beehive, we are all wolves - so fine then, you're tempted to ask (though of course she can no longer function as she used to), how dare you attempt to impose a poll tax! If there is no society, no individual has an obligation to pay taxes.

[rockymountaindem]

7. My friend played this song once, and I can't hear her name anymore without thinking of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4BCUWopQQ4

Before you think I'm a bad person, I also know it's not right... but it's a good larf with extreme guilty-pleasure overtones.

[JVS]

5. The context is that she's a horrible asshole

[JackRiddler]

6. Margaret Thatcher, of course.

Economic policy, I believe.

Those are my final answers.

Now I'll look it up for complete context:

"I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."

Prime minister Margaret Thatcher, talking to Women's Own magazine, October 31 1987



There you go.

(EDIT: Damn, I didn't look at other replies but I see someone beat me to it. No prize. Oh well.)

[blogslut]

8. This dude tried to tell me that once

He was taking some class, political science or something. He said that society was a construct as opposed to an actual entity. We were arguing about I don't remember and I brought up the societal attitude about whatever and he told me my argument had no basis because society wasn't real. I think I told him the broomstick up his butt was pushing on his brain.

[Brickbat]

9. Oh, she is terrible. What a complete and utter wrecker she was. I don't wish people ill, but she

tests my resolve.