Falklands

[Louis VI the Fat]

wut

Well Britain simply showed up one day and proclaimed the Falklands theirs. That much is true.

Such is imperialism.

In this the Argentinians are right. I still remember dear old Soulforged (hope he is well), our Buenos Aires law student, arguing at great length the legal history of the Falklands. The poor guy was right too.
It's just that more overriding sentiments for me are the sheer passage of time and the nature of colonial landgrabbing, most of which can scarcely be undone anymore. And for most Britons, self-determination.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Well Britain simply showed up one day and proclaimed the Falklands theirs. That much is true.

Such is imperialism.

In this the Argentinians are right. I still remember dear old Soulforged (hope he is well), our Buenos Aires law student, arguing at great length the legal history of the Falklands. The poor guy was right too.
It's just that more overriding sentiments for me are the sheer passage of time and the nature of colonial landgrabbing, most of which can scarcely be undone anymore. And for most Britons, self-determination.

Quite so. On the other hand, Argentina could be argued to have asserted it's right in 1982 and to not have been up to the task.

[Centurion1]

Let 'em have it, I say.

Why the brits feel they can own a piece of land on the other side of the globe is beyond me, really. It's closest to Argentina, and as such it's appropriate for the islands to belong to Argentina.

But I guess the Brits need something to remind themselves of a time when other nations actually cared about them....

I sir demand you return your norwegian territory in Antartica.

such a ridiculous statement.

If the Falkies vote in a referendum for independence they are welcome to it. If not tough luck Argies.

Stupid argument anyway as the Brits would militarily kick the Argies into next week. The Brits are at the moment technologically superior and battle hardened from Afghanistan (which matters more you could ever imagine).

By the By i do enjoy the Brits clinging to some of the last vestiges of British Empire. not that i argue im a big fan.

[KukriKhan]

So, I guess we all agree, that the chances of POTUS Obama trying to revive some version of the Monroe Doctrine... are less than nil?

[rory_20_uk]

Every area of land has been claimed and re-claimed over the years. Try to sort out what bits of Europe belong to who, for example. Proximity has no bearing on the matter - especially as it's a few hundred miles off the coast.

Land is invariably taken by force and kept by force. In the old days to prove the point, the persons who were on the land were slaughtered to ensure no resurgence, or at the least "relocated" elsewhere.

[Subotan]

Surely if we wish to return the island to it's original inhabitants, we should kick out the British and establish a Penguin's Republic of the Falklands?

[Louis VI the Fat]

Surely if we wish to return the island to it's original inhabitants, we should kick out the British and establish a Penguin's Republic of the Falklands?

The French are the first humans to settle the Falklands.

Gives it back to the natives, you bastards!


*Nails signs saying 'The Falklands are French' all over France*

[Tellos Athenaios]

So, I guess we all agree, that the chances of POTUS Obama trying to revive some version of the Monroe Doctrine... are less than nil?

Which would be that the USA would do nothing and the UK would be well within its right to slap Argentina should it invade. Monroe doctrine specifically limits its scope to asserting the right of (former) colonial territories to independence and the US' god given right to remove any such independence in whatever America; it does not include the right of former colonies to do a land grab with USA support.

[KukriKhan]

Which would be that the USA would do nothing and the UK would be well within its right to slap Argentina should it invade. Monroe doctrine specifically limits its scope to asserting the right of (former) colonial territories to independence and the US' god given right to remove any such independence in whatever America; it does not include the right of former colonies to do a land grab with USA support.

Yeah, that's pretty much the policy interpretation Reagan used to explain our "hands off" approach last time. I vividly remember sitting on the tarmac at MacDill AFB for a tense 3 days back then; where we might go was clear, but who, exactly, we were confronting... not so much, 'til Ronnie & Maggie ironed it out and we stood-down.

[Louis VI the Fat]

It's official!

The US tells its closest ally, the country with which it enjoys a teary-eyed Special Relationship and Civil Union: 'Up Yours, Britain'.

Washington refused to endorse British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands yesterday as the diplomatic row over oil drilling in the South Atlantic intensified in London, Buenos Aires and at the UN.

Despite Britain’s close alliance with the US, the Obama Administration is determined not to be drawn into the issue. It has also declined to back Britain’s claim that oil exploration near the islands is sanctioned by international law, saying that the dispute is strictly a bilateral issue.

http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-i...s-oil-dispute/

~~o~~o~~<<oOo>>~~o~~o~~

Kevin Casas-Zamora, a Brookings Institution analyst and former vice-president of Costa Rica, said that President Reagan’s support for Britain in 1982 “irked a lot of people in Latin America”.

The Obama Administration “is trying to split the difference as much as it can because it knows that coming round to the British position would again create a lot of ill will in the region”, he said.

Latin America has awoken. a lot of this sabbre-ratlling is to do with new economic might, shifting demographic balances, and the need for Latin America to express newfound confidence and solidarity at last week's Latin american summit. Always good to have a foreign scapegoat or enemy to emphasise internal closed ranks.

Not to be mean or anything, but the very surname of the Brookings Intitution analyst is a hint to the other reason why the US does not back Britain this time round. The world changes.

[HoreTore]

I sir demand you return your norwegian territory in Antartica.

Do you even know what the Norwegian land in Antarcita consists of?

It's a research facility. Norwegian scientists want to do research on ice and stuff like that, so we've built a few shacks down there for them. Whether the land legally belongs to the Norwegian state or not is so irrelevant it's getting ridiculous.

Anyway..... No matter how you look at it, the Falklanders are immigrants. British nationalists usually tell immigrants to "go back where they came from".... Or is that only the case with brown immigrants?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Do you even know what the Norwegian land in Antarcita consists of?

It's a research facility. Norwegian scientists want to do research on ice and stuff like that, so we've built a few shacks down there for them. Whether the land legally belongs to the Norwegian state or not is so irrelevant it's getting ridiculous.

Anyway..... No matter how you look at it, the Falklanders are immigrants. British nationalists usually tell immigrants to "go back where they came from".... Or is that only the case with brown immigrants?

Patriots are not nationalists. In any case, the indiginous population also want the islands to remain British, and hold British citizenship.

[HoreTore]

Patriots are not nationalists.

One might think that would be the reason why I said "nationalists" and not "patriots".

In any case, the indiginous population also want the islands to remain British, and hold British citizenship.

Indigenous people...? You mean the animals or what?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Look it up HoreTore, 25% of the population are pre-colonial.

[Viking]

Indigenous people...? You mean the animals or what?

About 90% of the Argies are also "European immigrants" (now, the question is when an immigrant turn into a native).