The Falklands

[Daggers]

Nicky Campbell: "So you feel passionately about it then?"

Argentinian: "Why yes. It is like owning a house only to have someone in one of your bedrooms and you can't get rid of them..."

Nicky Campbell: "But your bedroom is seven hundred kilometres from the rest of the house!"

"255 British servicemen and three Falklands civilians died during the conflict. The number of Argentine dead is estimated at about 650."

A day to remember all the deaths.

A day to go over the old debate as to whether we should give them back their island?

[I am Rod Hull]

Self determination.

[Saxondale]

Yes.

But, self-determination aside, we've controlled it since 1833. If all territories were reverted back to 1833 sovereignties, the world map would look very different. Where do you draw the line? Should we just hand ourselves over to Italy because we used to be part of the Roman empire?

[I am Rod Hull]

I wouldn`t worry too much about the Argies kicking off again, Chile have our backs

[Daggers]

Yes.

But, self-determination aside, we've controlled it since 1833. If all territories were reverted back to 1833 sovereignties, the world map would look very different. Where do you draw the line? Should we just hand ourselves over to Italy because we used to be part of the Roman empire?

Wine? Slaves? Orgies? Throwing christians to lions for fun?

Fvck yes, I want to be Roman.

[Guest Bilo]

The fact remains that an established British community has existed there for 179 years. These are hardly Israeli settlers stealing land from the Palestinians in the West Bank, all other attempts to populate the islands prior to 1833 failed. The British community that exists upon the islands, small though it is, is the closest these pieces of lands have ever come to having an indigenous people. They were unpopulated when the British first landed on them in 1690 and subsequent French, American, Spanish and Argentinian attempts to settle on the islands failed before the British returned in 1833 and retained the islands peacefully until the Argentinians invaded at the behest of the fascist junta that controlled the country at the time.

Argentina has changed since then, their government is now a far saner and democratically elected affair, but the issues are the same now as they were then. There's no invasion coming any time soon because the Argentinian armed forces are poorly equipped and underfunded, to an extent that makes our forces look fortunate by comparison.

The people of the Falklands consider themselves British, even more so now than in 1982 considering they've tasted occupation and seen 250 people die for their right to self-determination. This is absolutely key, sovereignty is about far more than dusty old documents and battles fought by the long dead, it's about the people who live on a piece of land and their right to identify with a nation.

Cries of 'send the Falkland Islanders to Britain if they don't like Argentine rule' are nothing short of dangerous, fascistic nonsense. They aren't that far away from the right-wing pub bores who want to send Muslims 'back' to Muslim countries if they don't like British law. The Falkland Islanders can largely trace their roots on the islands back to four or five generations. You can't send them 'back' to a country they've never seen. They identify with Britain because that has been their influence, the law under which they've lived and the culture they have formed a unique branch of thousands of miles away from London.

[21st Century Fox]

Let's not kid ourselves, there were talks of handing them back before the conflict. It's now about oil.

[Heskey2011]

The fact remains that an established British community has existed there for 179 years. These are hardly Israeli settlers stealing land from the Palestinians in the West Bank, all other attempts to populate the islands prior to 1833 failed. The British community that exists upon the islands, small though it is, is the closest these pieces of lands have ever come to having an indigenous people. They were unpopulated when the British first landed on them in 1690 and subsequent French, American, Spanish and Argentinian attempts to settle on the islands failed before the British returned in 1833 and retained the islands peacefully until the Argentinians invaded at the behest of the fascist junta that controlled the country at the time.

Argentina has changed since then, their government is now a far saner and democratically elected affair, but the issues are the same now as they were then. There's no invasion coming any time soon because the Argentinian armed forces are poorly equipped and underfunded, to an extent that makes our forces look fortunate by comparison.

The people of the Falklands consider themselves British, even more so now than in 1982 considering they've tasted occupation and seen 250 people die for their right to self-determination. This is absolutely key, sovereignty is about far more than dusty old documents and battles fought by the long dead, it's about the people who live on a piece of land and their right to identify with a nation.

Cries of 'send the Falkland Islanders to Britain if they don't like Argentine rule' are nothing short of dangerous, fascistic nonsense. They aren't that far away from the right-wing pub bores who want to send Muslims 'back' to Muslim countries if they don't like British law. The Falkland Islanders can largely trace their roots on the islands back to four or five generations. You can't send them 'back' to a country they've never seen. They identify with Britain because that has been their influence, the law under which they've lived and the culture they have formed a unique branch of thousands of miles away from London.

Absolutley spot on mate, good point well made.

[Guest Bilo]

Let's not kid ourselves, there were talks of handing them back before the conflict. It's now about oil.

Actually there wasn't. There was talk of, at most, sharing sovereignty but they never gained any political capital.

Argentinian sabre-rattling and attempts to blockade the islands have taken those proposals off the table and hardened the British stance.

[21st Century Fox]

Actually there wasn't. There was talk of, at most, sharing sovereignty but they never gained any political capital.

Argentinian sabre-rattling and attempts to blockade the islands have taken those proposals off the table and hardened the British stance.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jun/28/falklands.past

I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment at all, I idyllically believe the same, I don't believe thats why our government is unrelenting for that reason though, the oil and saving face trump people every time.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I'd quite like to live there

[I am Rod Hull]

I'd quite like to live there

I bet you would...

[Head Honcho]

30 years ago today we were all looking forward to some well earned leave after 3 months away at sea.

30 years ago tomorrow we set sail from Gibraltar, Falklands bound.

Reward for being the nearest ship to the Falklands at the time.

[Captain...]

It is so clearly about oil, the simple way to resolve it is by compromise, but that will never happen.

The compromise would be that Britain gets to keep the Falkland Isalnds and Argentina declare absolutely no right to ever again question the ownership of those Islands, any natural resources on the Island, ie Oil, are to be drilled/mined/extracted in a joint venture between UK and Argentina, basically it would be very expensive for the UK to set up an oil rig or oil fields in the Falklands from the UK because it is really far away, so Argentina provides the raw materials and the workers, we provide the expertise and some financial backing, we share the costs and the workload and subsequently the profits, generate jobs for both sides and create a harmonious cooperative relationship between the 2 countries, allow those that live on the Island to live securely and free from harrasment, promote an environment of peace and harmony, and ensure that those who lost their lives in the Falklands didn't do so in vain.

It really doesn't seem that difficult.

[Rincewind]

At the time there were a lot of people who never even knew where the Falklands were. Some thought it was off Scotland. There would not be as much protest if Scotland was invaded I bet.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Surely you mean Las Malvenas?

[Trav Le Bleu]

Wine? Slaves? Orgies? Throwing christians to lions for fun?

Fvck yes, I want to be Roman.

Meh, I'd do it for the pizza, spag bol and proper ice cream.

[Captain...]

Surely you mean Las Malvenas?

I always thought it was Las Malvinas, checking google I think that is the most common spelling, but there are a lot who say Las Malvenas

As part of the compromise mentioned above we could change the name, hell we could even have joint sovereignty, we both have a claim to it, admittedly ours is much stronger than theirs, but why the hell not. The fact is it is expensive for us to maintain the Falklands, so why not come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Oh yes, because idiotic politicians are involved.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I always thought it was Las Malvinas, checking google I think that is the most common spelling, but there are a lot who say Las Malvenas

As part of the compromise mentioned above we could change the name, hell we could even have joint sovereignty, we both have a claim to it, admittedly ours is much stronger than theirs, but why the hell not. The fact is it is expensive for us to maintain the Falklands, so why not come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Oh yes, because idiotic politicians are involved.

Had I not seen the picture in the OP I would have spelt it with an i

[Trav Le Bleu]

What the heck... it IS spelt with an i in the picture...

I'm losing it.

[purpleronnie]

give it back to the dutch.

[Webbo]

It is so clearly about oil, the simple way to resolve it is by compromise, but that will never happen.

The compromise would be that Britain gets to keep the Falkland Isalnds and Argentina declare absolutely no right to ever again question the ownership of those Islands, any natural resources on the Island, ie Oil, are to be drilled/mined/extracted in a joint venture between UK and Argentina, basically it would be very expensive for the UK to set up an oil rig or oil fields in the Falklands from the UK because it is really far away, so Argentina provides the raw materials and the workers, we provide the expertise and some financial backing, we share the costs and the workload and subsequently the profits, generate jobs for both sides and create a harmonious cooperative relationship between the 2 countries, allow those that live on the Island to live securely and free from harrasment, promote an environment of peace and harmony, and ensure that those who lost their lives in the Falklands didn't do so in vain.

It really doesn't seem that difficult.

I could live with that compromise, even though there is no need for us to compromise, but I don't think the Argentines would go for it and I wouldn't trust them to keep their word if they did.

[Reynard Bleu]

For many involved at the sharpe end of the operation to liberate the islands or for those who lost a loved one in the operation,the idea of giving up sovereignty to the Argentines is unthinkable. The current conflict in Afghanistan (and previously Iraq) bring war in to our home everyday, 30 years ago it was a shock to a nation suffering the worst excesses of Thatcherism. Suddenly, a diplomatic row blew up in to a short, sharp, dirty, bitter war 8000 miles away. The Navel operation was a close run thing, but once 3 Commando Brigade were ashore the outcome was inevitable, the only question would be at what cost. Forget about any political, historical or geopgraphical claims, the world is still full of such anomolies. The fact is the people that live there want to remain British and it seems the Goverment of the day support this.

[Captain...]

I could live with that compromise, even though there is no need for us to compromise, but I don't think the Argentines would go for it and I wouldn't trust them to keep their word if they did.

There may not be a need, but then the whole point of compromising is giving up something you don't have to, it could also benefit us in that constructing any sort of oil rig and platform 8000 miles away will obviously incur more costs than if it was constructed using Argentinian labour and resources.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I bet you would...

I was preventing a sheep suicide. Blossom had so much to live for.

Drowned herself in a bucket in the end, but you know, I can't be everywhere at once