Like many others around here, I’ve just finished John’s absolute masterpiece, The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World. Thinking of Lady Thatcher in conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s outrageous seizure of 15 British marines and sailors today, I am dying to know John’s views on the following three questions — in addition to anything else he’s thinking regarding this incident.

1. Do the Iranians dare pull this if Lady Thatcher is the PM?

2. If she were at the helm, and taking into account the present state of affairs (understanding that it might be a different state of affairs if she were at the helm), what would she do?

3. Irrespective of 1 & 2, above, what should we do?