Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:59:21-1:59:46

Thatcher's judgment of Suharto and Western double standards

A viewer challenges Thatcher's treatment of Suharto's killings, prompting a dispute over whether she excuses him or criticizes his former Western supporters.

Foreign PolicyMargaret ThatcherSuharto
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Question

Is Thatcher excusing the deaths under Suharto?

Short answer

The reply interprets her as criticizing Western double standards, arguing that the governments condemning Suharto had previously supported him.

Notes

A viewer objects that Thatcher appears to dismiss the deaths under Suharto. Clarke reads her argument as a charge of Western hypocrisy: the same states condemning him later had helped and supported him. His response also accepts the claim that those governments had no better option at the time. The disagreement concerns whether her account excuses Suharto's actions or challenges the consistency of his former supporters.