Britain to bolster Falklands defences.

[skookum]

Well all this talk of Argentinian aggression is starting to move things along... don't know why since the Argentinians don't really pose much of a military threat. Needless to say, Britain will now spend a larger chunk of it's defence budget to safeguard the Islands in any case. Surely the Argies realise that they will never out spend the UK.

The Falklands are a great diversion by Argentinian politicians to divert the attention away from the complete hash they are making within their own company. It seems every Prime Minister is voted in on a promise of re-taking the Falklands.

No different to British politicians who promise so much then don't keep their promises however.

[Harry_Dresden]

The Falklands are a great diversion by Argentinian politicians to divert the attention away from the complete hash they are making within their own company. It seems every Prime Minister is voted in on a promise of re-taking the Falklands.

No different to British politicians who promise so much then don't keep their promises however.

This political culture is really self defeating and un-profitable to both nations, especially Argentina, who should be worrying more about the financial mess their nation has become instead of dreaming about weapons they cannot afford, to take an Island grouping that they really don't need and will always be heavily defended.

Really quite sad.

[stevewinn]

I've been reading the bolstering of Defence it seems to be an upgraded of the Air-Defence system. two Chinook helicopters and one Air-to-Air refuelling plane. It seems we have a lot of kit now gathering dust with the withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Border Collie]

We need to sit down with them and have an adult discussion. If we can, after a good deal of effort, reach an agreement with the Provisional IRA it ought to be possible to reach an agreement with the Argentinians.

[Space Commander Travis]

I've been reading the bolstering of Defence it seems to be an upgraded of the Air-Defence system. two Chinook helicopters and one Air-to-Air refuelling plane. It seems we have a lot of kit now gathering dust with the withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Air-to-air refueling plane? I presume that's a Herk they've found they can spare rather than a, what is it they use now, A330s isn't it?

[thebigbang]

You can thank top gear for that,clarkson walking away laughing i started a war and punched the producer and got fired all in 12months.its ok it can all be fixed more powerrrrr.....

[Duke Wellington]

We need to sit down with them and have an adult discussion. If we can, after a good deal of effort, reach an agreement with the Provisional IRA it ought to be possible to reach an agreement with the Argentinians.

No chance, we don't negotiate with countries which try to take some of our land by force. Ireland is a special case due to it being their land. However it should be noted there has been no reunification of their territory because its up to the people on Northern Ireland to decide - Democratically.

[thedemon]

Well if Argentina ever tried again, Britain would be justified in an all out attack on Argentina. Take the Capital and make a regime change. Britains shouldn't have to worry about such things in our modern day.

[Mr.United_Nations]

We need to sit down with them and have an adult discussion. If we can, after a good deal of effort, reach an agreement with the Provisional IRA it ought to be possible to reach an agreement with the Argentinians.

Argentina does not want to sit down, it had its chance with the Falkland Islanders on many many occasions, the Falkland Islanders would probably still want to talk with the Argentinians. the Falklanders had a legit vote that they want to stay with the UK, yet Argentina won't respect that and the people and they want to protest at the UN, but they will lose because the Falklanders made a legit vote. The only way Argentina is to force this issue is by invading the islands again with maybe some South American support

[Duke Wellington]

Well if Argentina ever tried again, Britain would be justified in an all out attack on Argentina. Take the Capital and make a regime change. Britains shouldn't have to worry about such things in our modern day.

We could invade and dismantle their industry turning them into a farming society. That should stop them making a third attempt for 200 years.

[Space Commander Travis]

Crikey, now we're talking about bombing the Argies back to the stone age and imposing regime change. We're not getting a wee bit ambitious here are we?

[Border Collie]

No chance, we don't negotiate with countries which try to take some of our land by force. Ireland is a special case due to it being their land. However it should be noted there has been no reunification of their territory because its up to the people on Northern Ireland to decide - Democratically.

Eventually, we are going to have to. As are they. It is as simple as that.

[RoofGardener]

Crikey, now we're talking about bombing the Argies back to the stone age and imposing regime change. We're not getting a wee bit ambitious here are we?

Norbert is quite right. This discussion is becoming risiblely jingoistic.

The Argentinian armed forces lack the ability to implement a forced landing on the Falklands. They don't have the ships to do it, nor the aircraft to defend/support those ships.

The end.

[Duke Wellington]

Eventually, we are going to have to. As are they. It is as simple as that.

With Argentina? Why? We haven't annexed it from them. Shall we assert a claim on Iceland because its an island a few hundred miles off our coast? I bet if we look back into the distant past before Iceland was settled we can even find a couple of British fishermen that landed there. Argentina is absurd.

[Mr.United_Nations]

Eventually, we are going to have to. As are they. It is as simple as that.

no they wont its simple as that, their a very Nationalistic nation

Edited April 1, 2015 by Yes_Man

[Thanato]

Eventually, we are going to have to. As are they. It is as simple as that.

Why would they have to Negotiate? England has had historical control over the Falklands for hundreds of years. They may have been Spanish and french at one time but they both abandoned them and Argentina sent a couple of guys... once. Never have the islands really been under the flag of Argentina.

Sorry they ent a couple more guys a hundred and 50ish years later and well got their **** handed to.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Thanato

[Aftermath]

So, bloody, interesting.

[stevewinn]

Argentina as a country never existed when the British claimed the Islands.

[Mr.United_Nations]

Argentina as a country never existed when the British claimed the Islands.

Let's say the Falkland Islands overnight became an Argentinian place and everyone spoke Spanish. However the protests will still go on and the people get more restless, what will Christina do then?

[stevewinn]

Let's say the Falkland Islands overnight became an Argentinian place and everyone spoke Spanish. However the protests will still go on and the people get more restless, what will Christina do then?

Well, that is the question. Argentina is in a terrible state (as you know) You know things are bad when the IMF wont lend you money and came close to expelling them the IMF and as for our good friend Chrissie, as she's known to her friends - she's serving her last term as el-presidente.

You've got to love the Argy Bargies. They tried their luck in 82, not only did we liberate the Falkland Islanders we also liberated Argentina from a dictatorship, a Military Junta. You'd think they'd show a bit of gratitude.

[Border Collie]

I see the posts that disagree with my comment. We are going to have to agree to differ. By the way, negotiating doesn't mean caving in. It means finding a mutually acceptable solution. And that is what we need to do.

[Duke Wellington]

I see the posts that disagree with my comment. We are going to have to agree to differ. By the way, negotiating doesn't mean caving in. It means finding a mutually acceptable solution. And that is what we need to do.

This is like negotiating with the playground bully who wants your lollypop. Why? It isn't his and he has no claim to it. Just smack him in the gob and get it done with.

Edited April 2, 2015 by RabidMongoose

[keithisco]

I see no problem with negotiating a free trade pact between the 2 nations, a common exploration of resources policy (inc. oil and fish) but it really cannot extend to joint sovereignty of the Islands without the Islanders wishes.

Chrissie Kerchner will soon be spending some time behind Argentine prison bars on corruption charges so she needs to deflect as much attention from this as possible.

[stevewinn]

I see the posts that disagree with my comment. We are going to have to agree to differ. By the way, negotiating doesn't mean caving in. It means finding a mutually acceptable solution. And that is what we need to do.

When something doesn't belong to you, and you clamour with no legitimate claim then there is nothing mutual in it. - Today 2nd April 2015 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Argentines fatal mistake of invading the British overseas Territory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DiZqtaySRI

Edited April 2, 2015 by stevewinn

[Border Collie]

Land. You live on it. You don't own it. Some Native American comments about land ownership:

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." --Ancient Indian Proverb

"The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged..." --Luther Standing Bear

"What is this you call property? It cannot be the earth, for the land is our mother, nourishing all her children, beasts, birds, fish and all men. The woods, the streams, everything on it belongs to everybody and is for the use of all. How can one man say it belongs only to him?" -Massasoit

"One does not sell the land people walk on." --Crazy Horse

"We do not own the freshness of the air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us?" -Sealth

"My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon. So long as they occupy and cultivate it, they have a right to the soil. Nothing can be sold but such things as can be carried away" --Black Hawk

"We know our lands have now become more valuable. The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone." -- Canassatego

"I love this land and the buffalo and will not part with it…I have heard you intend to settle us on a reservation near the mountains. I don't want to settle. I love to roam over the prairies. There I feel free and happy, but when we settle down we grow pale and die. A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers, but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers on its banks. These soldiers cut down my timber, they kill my buffalo and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting." -- Satanta, Kiowa Chief

"They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one: they promised to take our land and they took it. It was not hard to see that the white people coveted every inch of land on which we lived. Greed. Humans wanted the last bit of ground which supported Indian feet. It was land - it has ever been land - for which the White man oppresses the Indian and to gain possession of which he commits any crime. Treaties that have been made are vain attempts to save a little of the fatherland, treaties holy to us by the smoke of the pipe - but nothing is holy to the white man. Little by little, with greed and cruelty unsurpassed by the animal, he has taken all. The loaf is gone and now the white man wants the crumbs." --Luther Standing Bear

And for the Tories amongst us, a quote from Winston Churchill:

"To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war."

So let's talk.