For Thatcher, as for Hayek, the great intellectual error of the twentieth century was the belief that the state could improve on the spontaneous efforts of individuals. What others saw as the state’s role in elevating the condition of the people, she saw as the insidious road to serfdom.
她的一举一动都有狭隘意识形态根基。从直觉和用词上，她是弗雷德里希·冯·哈耶克的信徒。对撒切尔，以及对哈耶克来说，20世纪的智识大错误是认为国家可以改善个人的自发行为。别人看到了国家在提升个人环境方面的作用，而她看到的是险恶的通往奴役之路。很容易就可以看出为何这会在东欧引起共鸣。