More Argie Bargie
Discussion
NomduJour said:
Asterix said:
Just wish the bloke next door would stop trying to key it.
Your driveway is closer to his house than yours, so it's only fair that you let him have it. And don't forget to apologise.Asterix said:
im said:
I'm never selling that car as people were injured in it by a reckless 3rd party and I now find that I couldn't bear to lose it....EVER.
However, I've now invested in the car, it's become a classic and the values are rocketing. I also found some (black) gold in the glovebox.Just wish the bloke next door would stop trying to key it.
The Falklands would probably be Argentine today, had the junta not invaded in 1982. They meant nothing to the UK, most Britons had no idea they existed, the UK has a long tradition of de-colonising so it's not as if we were keen to hang onto distant territories for the sake of it.
Self determination? Ask the Chagossian people of the British Indian Ocean Territory about that and see what they have to say.
The fact is that Mrs T went to war to create political capital and no current politician can afford to give that capital away. The 258 British casualties (and the shocking number of veterans who have since committed suicide) are a factor, but they are not that important in the scheme of things. More Britons have died putting down the Taliban, but we didn't feel they committed us to staying in Afghanistan. Some 200 Britons died putting down the Mau-Mau, but it didn't mean we felt we had to stay in Kenya.
Trivia: who was the first Briton to land on (what is now) mainland Argentina? First correct answer wins a juicy steak and a bottle of Malbec.
Self determination? Ask the Chagossian people of the British Indian Ocean Territory about that and see what they have to say.
The fact is that Mrs T went to war to create political capital and no current politician can afford to give that capital away. The 258 British casualties (and the shocking number of veterans who have since committed suicide) are a factor, but they are not that important in the scheme of things. More Britons have died putting down the Taliban, but we didn't feel they committed us to staying in Afghanistan. Some 200 Britons died putting down the Mau-Mau, but it didn't mean we felt we had to stay in Kenya.
Trivia: who was the first Briton to land on (what is now) mainland Argentina? First correct answer wins a juicy steak and a bottle of Malbec.
Ayahuasca said:
The Falklands would probably be Argentine today, had the junta not invaded in 1982. They meant nothing to the UK, most Britons had no idea they existed, the UK has a long tradition of de-colonising so it's not as if we were keen to hang onto distant territories for the sake of it.
Self determination? Ask the Chagossian people of the British Indian Ocean Territory about that and see what they have to say.
The fact is that Mrs T went to war to create political capital and no current politician can afford to give that capital away. The 258 British casualties (and the shocking number of veterans who have since committed suicide) are a factor, but they are not that important in the scheme of things. More Britons have died putting down the Taliban, but we didn't feel they committed us to staying in Afghanistan. Some 200 Britons died putting down the Mau-Mau, but it didn't mean we felt we had to stay in Kenya.
Trivia: who was the first Briton to land on (what is now) mainland Argentina? First correct answer wins a juicy steak and a bottle of Malbec.
The British went to war in 1982 to liberate the Falklands, the Tories may well have made political capital but that was a subsidiary effect, it could have ended in military disaster. Falkland Islanders want the British military to stay, the Afghans do not want the British military to stay in Afghanistan (I assume, I've never asked them), likewise Kenyans re: British remaining in Kenya.Self determination? Ask the Chagossian people of the British Indian Ocean Territory about that and see what they have to say.
The fact is that Mrs T went to war to create political capital and no current politician can afford to give that capital away. The 258 British casualties (and the shocking number of veterans who have since committed suicide) are a factor, but they are not that important in the scheme of things. More Britons have died putting down the Taliban, but we didn't feel they committed us to staying in Afghanistan. Some 200 Britons died putting down the Mau-Mau, but it didn't mean we felt we had to stay in Kenya.
Trivia: who was the first Briton to land on (what is now) mainland Argentina? First correct answer wins a juicy steak and a bottle of Malbec.
First Briton? Owen the Red, of Welsh stock, 1623. Please send a car round with prize.
V8 Fettler said:
The British went to war in 1982 to liberate the Falklands, the Tories may well have made political capital but that was a subsidiary effect, it could have ended in military disaster.
+1.I never understand these folk that insist that Thatcher went to war for her own gain. Absolute nonsense. She did so - with the great admiration of many - against the advice of just about everyone, and at huge risk to her career and the government.
I think that the result of the conflict hugely increased the reputation of our forces in the world. It would have been humiliating in the extreme for the UK to have failed to retake the Falklands, and woe-betide any politician who even considers ceding it (note that I don't say "handing it back") to the Argentinians.
Hats off to Thatcher - great woman
V8 Fettler said:
it could have ended in military disaster
Er, how exactly could it have ended in failure given the strengths of the 2 militaries at the time?That would have been quite some accomplishment to actually lose to them.
The only way we could have conceivably lost would have been if the politicians had decided to prematurely pull us out once we started to lose the odd ship.
At the time the whole world knew that once the taskforce arrived on station there was only going to be one outcome albeit with some British blood being spilt.
im said:
V8 Fettler said:
it could have ended in military disaster
Er, how exactly could it have ended in failure given the strengths of the 2 militaries at the time?That would have been quite some accomplishment to actually lose to them.
The only way we could have conceivably lost would have been if the politicians had decided to prematurely pull us out once we started to lose the odd ship.
At the time the whole world knew that once the taskforce arrived on station there was only going to be one outcome.
im said:
Er, how exactly could it have ended in failure given the strengths of the 2 militaries at the time?
That would have been quite some accomplishment to actually lose to them.
The only way we could have conceivably lost would have been if the politicians had decided to prematurely pull us out once we started to lose the odd ship.
At the time the whole world knew that once the taskforce arrived on station there was only going to be one outcome albeit with some British blood being spilt.
I dont think you appreciate the difficultly if fighting so far from home and how easily we could have failed.That would have been quite some accomplishment to actually lose to them.
The only way we could have conceivably lost would have been if the politicians had decided to prematurely pull us out once we started to lose the odd ship.
At the time the whole world knew that once the taskforce arrived on station there was only going to be one outcome albeit with some British blood being spilt.
This documentary always stays in my mind as to the scale of the undertaking - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40knj0qg_Us
im said:
V8 Fettler said:
it could have ended in military disaster
Er, how exactly could it have ended in failure given the strengths of the 2 militaries at the time?That would have been quite some accomplishment to actually lose to them.
The only way we could have conceivably lost would have been if the politicians had decided to prematurely pull us out once we started to lose the odd ship.
At the time the whole world knew that once the taskforce arrived on station there was only going to be one outcome albeit with some British blood being spilt.
im said:
Er, how exactly could it have ended in failure given the strengths of the 2 militaries at the time?
Thats a good point, given at the time the Argentinians had better fighter planes, the Super-Sonic Mirage was more than a match for the sub-sonic Harrier. Their army had better rifles. Although both basically the same the Argentinian FN FAL had the option for full auto, the British version (the SLR) did not. They also had better second generation night vision kit, compared to the very basic 1st generation stuff we had. They even had decent personal locating radar, ideally suited to the vast open areas of the Falklands. Their ships where also evenly matched against ours, after all they had two Type 42 destroers equired with the same missles as ours.The difference was all down to training that allowed our forces to over come the technology gap.
im said:
V8 Fettler said:
it could have ended in military disaster
Er, how exactly could it have ended in failure given the strengths of the 2 militaries at the time?That would have been quite some accomplishment to actually lose to them.
The only way we could have conceivably lost would have been if the politicians had decided to prematurely pull us out once we started to lose the odd ship.
At the time the whole world knew that once the taskforce arrived on station there was only going to be one outcome albeit with some British blood being spilt.
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff