Argentina going childish (as always?)

**Crandar** · 10-03-2014, 17:45

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...lands-War.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...Argentina.html
Personally I have no doubt that he intentionally chose that plate number, just to provoke them, but the Argentinias get butthurt, just too easily.
He depserately tries to be controversial, and some bits of self-mocking are not particularly harmful for a nation's prosperity, I think.

It's not the first time Top Gear's controversy upsets a nation's pride (one other incident was when he implied that Greek women are somewhat hairy, which lead all the mainstream news to make racist comments about the British, female population), so the world's immaturity still continues to amaze me.

Finally, the accusation that the number plate of May's car is a reference to the Argentinian casualties during the war is laughable.
It probably was just a coincidence, but the Argentinians should keep in mind who was the aggressor in the Falklands War.
They got rid of the dictatorship, thanks to Thatcher's decisiveness, I dare say.

Your thoughts?

**HoreTore** · 10-03-2014, 18:30

Thatcher bungled the Argentinian relations, showing everyone that she was unable to grasp diplomacy well enough to avoid some petty dictator half a world away from getting uppity.

As for Clarkson, he's a 5-year old in a middle-aged body. He's nonsense, and nothing more.

Finally, "national pride" is nonsensical wherever it appears. It is always dumb.

So, "nobody" is my answer.

....and stop reading the daily fail.

**Greyblades** · 10-03-2014, 18:42

Alternately thatcher was brilliant by provoking a war she couldnt lose that in one move restored the nation's sense of self respect, caused the deposition of a hostile junta and secured her second term.

**HoreTore** · 10-03-2014, 20:59

Originally Posted by Greyblades

Alternately thatcher was brilliant by provoking a war she couldnt lose that in one move restored the nation's sense of self respect, caused the deposition of a hostile junta and secured her second term.

No, you're not brilliant when you start a war.

And Thatcher most certainly did not do much to end the junta. The Falklands was a last ditch attempt to rally support for it, not the cause of its demise.

**rvg** · 10-03-2014, 22:11

Maggie Thatcher was awesome. Awesome for having the resolve to spank Argentina. The Falklands always have been, currently are and likely will always remain British regardless of how much frothing occurs on the shores of La Plata. Argentina needs to make peace with it and move on.

**Kadagar_AV** · 10-03-2014, 22:23

I have a man-crush on Clarkson...

A love for him and Branston's pickles is what came out of the relationship with my ex - on a positive note.

**Kralizec** · 10-03-2014, 23:06

This made me laugh.

And as I'm not a British taxpayer, I don't even have to pay for the pleasure.

Kudos to Clarkson.

(To clarify why I voted nobody: Argentine's claim on the Falklands/Malvinas is absurd, I don't care much for their indignation. Clarkson's antics are either dumb or pure genius; in any case he makes for a good laugh now and then.)

**Kadagar_AV** · 10-03-2014, 23:45

Oh c'mon...

Clarkson embodify the phrase "stiff upper lip".

I give it a 0% chance of the plate being pure happenstance, and a 100% chance of it being pure awesomeness.

**Kralizec** · 10-04-2014, 00:12

It was obviously deliberate. I know it's not the first time he gets into trouble for offending an entire country, and I'm not a regular watcher of Top Gear. Especially now, however, it seems like he has grossly miscalculated the backlash he would receive. Or he pretty much expected as much and continued anyway, it's hard to say which.

In any case, I think we can all agree that it's fine that Greyblades, Beskar, Rhyfelwyr , InsaneApache, Idaho, Rory, Pannonian, PVC (and other Brits that I can't think of right now) fund the BBC with their taxes so that the rest of the world can laugh about it

**Kadagar_AV** · 10-04-2014, 00:17

Oh the silly colonials...

**Greyblades** · 10-04-2014, 07:53

Originally Posted by HoreTore

No, you're not brilliant when you start a war.

then your definition of brilliance is way more limited than i would expect from a denizen of a total war forum

And Thatcher most certainly did not do much to end the junta. The Falklands was a last ditch attempt to rally support for it, not the cause of its demise.

indeed and it is quite likely, nay nearly inevitable that the junta would have gone for somebody else if thatcher didnt provide such a willing target. But they didnt. Instead of attacking its fellow south Americans in wars it might have won it attacked the super power with a suez sized chip on its shoulder and the rest was history.

**Crandar** · 10-04-2014, 11:18

Originally Posted by HoreTore

The Falklands was a last ditch attempt to rally support for it, not the cause of its demise.

And it would be a rather successful one, if Thatcher had chickened out.

The Argentinians, led by a military dictatorship, started an aggressive war, for some islands they had no jurisdiction over, but they still felt terribly offended by the actions of a professional provocateur.

It's ridiculous.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 10-04-2014, 21:09

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

These dudes drive six figure cars through third world countries all the time, I'm surprised they don't get attacked by more mobs.

Clarkson is an ass, but that show is hilarious. I'm voting a solid "nobody."

Conversely, the chattering classes love to pick on Clarkson - the hand wringing over eeny-meeny-miny-mo was absurd in the extreme. Forty years ago every child was using the "N word" not least because most of them had to learn at least a little Latin and therefore felt extra naughty. Fast forward to the present when a TV preventer in his middle age only just suppresses the childhood reflex and you think - ye Gods, is this what we have come to?

When that's what you have to complain about, you have nothing to complain about.

So Clarkson gets my support this time - just because having your car smashed up is never fun and whilst he may be a buffoon he's not a nasty one.

**HoreTore** · 10-04-2014, 22:39

Originally Posted by Greyblades

then your definition of brilliance is way more limited than i would expect from a denizen of a total war forum

indeed and it is quite likely, nay nearly inevitable that the junta would have gone for somebody else if thatcher didnt provide such a willing target. But they didnt. Instead of attacking its fellow south Americans in wars it might have won it attacked the super power with a suez sized chip on its shoulder and the rest was history.

They did attempt a war with Pinochet.

Old man Pinochet, however, had some brains and avoided the war altogether, causing the junta to pursue the easier target of the UK.