Twitterman Rides Again

[ghost]

http://en.mercopress.com/2011/04/02...um=rss&utm_content=argentina&utm_campaign=rss

I wonder ............exactly, how would the lives of the current residents of the Falklands improve if Britain were to release control and turn the islands over to Argentine management.

 

[Napoleon]

The Falklands have been used as "shiny objects" to distract the Argentine populace (via A.D.D. tactics) since the 1930s. This time is no different.

It's similar to how various Middle Eastern leaders would point to the U.S. and/or Israel and call for flag burning protests in the streets whenever they needed to distract their subjects from the realities at home.

Eventually some populations in the Arab world chose not to be distracted anymore this year. Maybe some day Argentines will follow suit. (If there weren't any Falkland Islands, the gov't would have to invent them.)

 

[Johnno]

The flip side to this argument of course is that sometimes the ''shiny object'' is in and of itself ALSO something that needs to be looked at as well - even if it needs to be separated from some issues it is not connected with - hey, someone has to be devil's advocate here - and things are pretty quiet on the phone lines now so as usual I am surfing baexpats to see what is going on while I wait for that next client to call lol

 

[Amargo]

The Malvinas conflict is no invention, true that the government uses it now for distracting purposes. But without oil and gas I fail to see the UK wanting to support them for ever. I can imagine some sort of 'face-saving' agreement in the future IF the political situation in Argentina improves (i.e. if we get rid of the KKs and Peronistas).

 

[esllou]

not sure. Now that blood's been spilt, both sides will become more intransigent about it. If the invasion hadn't happened in '82, pretty sure some hong kong-style solution would have been found. With a thousand deaths in the war, at least the UK would have to wait for all the veterans to die off before considering such a "concession".

 

[Amargo]

Probably they will be forced to giving up some colonies, that's what I meant...and it would be a nice way of saving face. The UK is in recession and I cannot see how they are going to get out of the hole. The industry has been given up...the financial sector faces strong competition. The first budget cuts have been anounced, they won't be the last.

 

[Napoleon]

Maybe the Falklands will just be an independent country.

Self determination by it's inhabitants and all.

 

[esllou]

if it's put to the vote, they would choose UK citizenship first, independence second and coming under casa rosada rule a very distant third.

there was also a deep recession in 81/82 but it didn't stop the task force being put together. There are always a few million down the back of the sofa for "certain" things and the military in the UK is one of those things...when push comes to shove. There's no way any UK govt. could even think of scaling down mount pleasant base on the falklands, not with so much blood having been spilt. Would be political suicide. Even more so with the oil developments in the last couple of years.

If the argentines are hoping for that, seriously...don't hold your breath. You'll have a VERY long wait.

 

[Napoleon]

If the argentines are hoping for that, seriously...don't hold your breath. You'll have a VERY long wait.

What's strange is that they're waiting for anything at all. It makes absolutely no sense that the islands are even important to them. The British navy "found" the islands and named them long before the French and then Spanish "controlled" the islands and the Argentines have no real history with the islands. (Other than that dictatorship fandango in 1982.) The passion for those islands makes absolutely no sense. In fact, the "shiny object" status WAS created out of nothing.

 

[Amargo]

If the argentines are hoping for that, seriously...don't hold your breath. You'll have a VERY long wait.

Time plays on our side.

there was also a deep recession in 81/82 but it didn't stop the task force being put together.

Yes, the war was used in the UK as a distraction and to put the masses behind them. This saved Thatcher's career. And you paid for it.

if it's put to the vote, they would choose UK citizenship first, independence second and coming under casa rosada rule a very distant third.

Remove the Kelpers (like the UK did back in 1833) and then make the poll again.

The British navy "found" the islands

Sure, like they found Iraq, Afganistan, Lybia, etc. They keep finding land everywhere.

Argentines have no real history with the islands

This is your history, what you are told in school. Read some non-english books and come back posting.

The British Empire has no chance of holding its chunks together. It will continue to crumble.

DISCLAIMER: no sympathy for Kirchner or Chavez, don't believe in CIA's conspiracies, etc., also not buying the bullying colonialist attitude of Western powers.