Should we be talking to Argentina about the Falklands?

[Seagull58]

Define 'ours'. If China invaded the Scilly Isles tomorrow, kicked off the islanders and put lots of Chinese on there, how long before we gave up and said 'okay I guess they belong to China now'? Five years? 180 years? This is why negotiation is appropriate.

The spanish briefly inhabited one of the islands then left of their own accord a few years before the british settled permanently on the other island. Argentina has never settled anybody on the islands and did not even exist as a state when the British settled there. Their sole claim to ownership is that it is only a few hundred miles away.

 

[User removed 4]

No... thats jusy bully boy inthe playground behaviour. We agree to talk but if soverienty comes up we say that is non-negotiable. We open up avenues for discussion that may result in something beneficial for both countries while not forgetting our respect for the wishes of the people living there and the future of the islands. Thats responsible behaviour. Anything else is just childish.

It is quite common in diplomacy to start with your maximum demands and end with something much smaller, say the right of any Argentinian families with proven connection to the Falklands having the right to buy land in return for the abnadoning of soveriegnty demands by Argentina (this is just an example).

Absolutely ridiculous comment , if you own something, refusal to discuss soverignty , or " co operation " doesnt equate to playground bully behaviour, it's just standing up for yourself.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Absolutely ridiculous comment , if you own something, refusal to discuss soverignty , or " co operation " doesnt equate to playground bully behaviour, it's just standing up for yourself.

- I want that
- No it's mine!
- Give it to me and stop bullying me!
- No it's mine now f*** off you irritating rash!

I concur [MENTION=11956]bushy[/MENTION].

 

[User removed 4]

Define 'ours'. If China invaded the Scilly Isles tomorrow, kicked off the islanders and put lots of Chinese on there, how long before we gave up and said 'okay I guess they belong to China now'? Five years? 180 years? This is why negotiation is appropriate.

The difference being that we didnt "invade" the falklands we settled it, and the scilly isl;es are british already, there really isnt any comparison.

 

[crabface]

Its simple, the amount of people that gave thier lives for the Islands when they where first invaded and the fact that the islanders have stated they wish to remain British means we should not talk to them.

The Argentinian president has a bea in her bonnet and needs to get over it.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

I concur with [MENTION=11956]bushy[/MENTION] and what several others have said.

It's a NO from me

 

[User removed 4]

I concur with [MENTION=11956]bushy[/MENTION] and what several others have said.

It's a NO from me

Your view also is more valid given you left mates down there .

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Absolutely ridiculous comment , if you own something, refusal to discuss soverignty , or " co operation " doesnt equate to playground bully behaviour, it's just standing up for yourself.

OK lets break it down to school playground shall we:

Can I play with your ball?

No it's mine push off

But if you let me play with your ball I bet I can do something for you

Do you say...

a) sod off or I'll brain you?

or

b) Oh yeah? What?

a - Bully-boy behaviour

b - logical.... you're not losing anything by listening.... you might even gain something.

 

[Waynflete]

The difference is that the Falklands were uninhabited when the British rocked up.

The spanish briefly inhabited one of the islands then left of their own accord a few years before the british settled permanently on the other island. Argentina has never settled anybody on the islands and did not even exist as a state when the British settled there. Their sole claim to ownership is that it is only a few hundred miles away.

The difference being that we didnt "invade" the falklands we settled it, and the scilly isl;es are british already, there really isnt any comparison.

Well not according to the Argentinian version of events. They claim the islands were legally transferred from the Spanish and there were Argentinians there when the British arrived.

 

[Simster]

Well not according to the Argentinian version of events. They claim the islands were legally transferred from the Spanish and there were Argentinians there when the British arrived.

Have it your way. You believe the Argentinian history books. Just remember, this is a country that didn't exist when we settled the Falklands, has been ruled by military juntas and other dictators down the years which will have a bearing on how it writes history, and has been totally incompetent at running it's economy for a century, to the point that it has gone from the 5th biggest economy in the 1920s to the 3rd world doghouse we see today.

It's not jingoism that makes me choose the British version of history in this instance.

 

[Nibble]

We forcibly took the Island so frankly the wishes of the occupying foreign islanders shouldn't be in the equation. Give it back, rocky little shithole.

 

[Waynflete]

Have it your way. You believe the Argentinian history books. Just remember, this is a country that didn't exist when we settled the Falklands, has been ruled by military juntas and other dictators down the years which will have a bearing on how it writes history, and has been totally incompetent at running it's economy for a century, to the point that it has gone from the 5th biggest economy in the 1920s to the 3rd world doghouse we see today.

It's not jingoism that makes me choose the British version of history in this instance.

I'm not believing their version. But I'm not uncritically going to believe the British version either. We're also quite capable of massaging history to suit our purpose. I'm just making the argument that it's legitimate to discuss this, especially the question of oil revenues, not just dismiss the issue.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

OK lets break it down to school playground shall we:

Can I play with your ball?

No it's mine push off

But if you let me play with your ball I bet I can do something for you

Do you say...

a) sod off or I'll brain you?

or

b) Oh yeah? What?

a - Bully-boy behaviour

b - logical.... you're not losing anything by listening.... you might even gain something.

Nice positive slant !!!! The reality is actually "Give me your ball or I'll kick your head in" from Argentina - they tried, they failed and the Islanders want to remain British. As a sign of respect to those brave servicemen and women that died taking it back and as support of the Islanders wishes we should not be even considering talking to Argentina about The Falklands.

 

[Simster]

I'm not believing their version. But I'm not uncritically going to believe the British version either. We're also quite capable of massaging history to suit our purpose. I'm just making the argument that it's legitimate to discuss this, especially the question of oil revenues, not just dismiss the issue.

Equally, I'm well aware of our revisionist form when writing history. However, the Falklands are 300 miles off the coast of Argentina and even now only has a population of around 2,000. Are we seriously expected to believe that there was a notable community of "Argentinians" that the evil Brits kicked out?

Sorry, but I don't.

 

[Waynflete]

Have it your way. You believe the Argentinian history books. Just remember, this is a country that didn't exist when we settled the Falklands, has been ruled by military juntas and other dictators down the years which will have a bearing on how it writes history, and has been totally incompetent at running it's economy for a century, to the point that it has gone from the 5th biggest economy in the 1920s to the 3rd world doghouse we see today.

It's not jingoism that makes me choose the British version of history in this instance.

P.S. I think it's significant that Argentina is now run by a democratically elected government, not a junta as in the 1980s. The offensive way you describe the country does your argument no credit.

 

[HalifaxSeagull]

Is it wrong to quite fancy the 59 yr old Argentinian leader?!

 

[Waynflete]

Equally, I'm well aware of our revisionist form when writing history. However, the Falklands are 300 miles off the coast of Argentina and even now only has a population of around 2,000. Are we seriously expected to believe that there was a notable community of "Argentinians" that the evil Brits kicked out?

Sorry, but I don't.

Perhaps we need some negotiations to agree on the truth.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Is it wrong to quite fancy the 59 yr old Argentinian leader?!

View attachment 38041

I'm not sure I'm going to trust you not to crumble to her demands.

 

[Nibble]

In all seriousness we should talk and this should be pointed out to the Argies

"Yes, we can see why you may want to talk about this issue. However, the peopleon the island right now are happy, you do not need extra land for your populace, there is no urgent need for that land other than you need oil to boost your economy as we do. Unfortunately we had a fight over it and we won, now the world is in meltdown and we have better things to concentrate on, for example I need to go and jettison 7 million of my fellow Britons into abject poverty, perhaps you could try talking when this shit government has crept back under the rock where we belong and a more reasonable government is in power". Summat along those lines.

 

[Kempo]

We forcibly took the Island so frankly the wishes of the occupying foreign islanders shouldn't be in the equation. Give it back, rocky little shithole.

I take it you don't remember it happening then and didn't know anyone who fought in it either?