More Argie Bargie

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Borghetto

3,285 posts

198 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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NRS said:
I have no idea what he's meaning with this... it's saying absolutely nothing and just seems pointless. He's speaking about a war over 30 years ago, and saying it was pointless? Surely it's pointless to bring up something from so long ago?
Not pointless if you are directing your comments to the already converted.

AJS-

15,366 posts

251 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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It seems a spectacularly stupid thing to say. Wasn't one of the reasons that Galtieri invaded that he thought that the British government wouldn't even bother to defend it and wanted shot of the islands anyway? Set against his own failing government in Argentina it seemed like a good populist cause.

If Corbyn is in power in a few years (God forbid) and Argentina has some crisis, as seems to be their way, this is like an invitation. A red rag to a bull.

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

227 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
AJS- said:
It seems a spectacularly stupid thing to say. Wasn't one of the reasons that Galtieri invaded that he thought that the British government wouldn't even bother to defend it and wanted shot of the islands anyway? Set against his own failing government in Argentina it seemed like a good populist cause.

If Corbyn is in power in a few years (God forbid) and Argentina has some crisis, as seems to be their way, this is like an invitation. A red rag to a bull.
I suspect if that situation occurred, Corbyn would be out pretty quick.

Trevatanus

11,311 posts

165 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
AJS- said:
It seems a spectacularly stupid thing to say. Wasn't one of the reasons that Galtieri invaded that he thought that the British government wouldn't even bother to defend it and wanted shot of the islands anyway? Set against his own failing government in Argentina it seemed like a good populist cause.
Exactly. The war lost the election for Galtieri, and won it for Thatcher.

Godalmighty83

417 posts

269 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
NRS said:
I have no idea what he's meaning with this... it's saying absolutely nothing and just seems pointless. He's speaking about a war over 30 years ago, and saying it was pointless? Surely it's pointless to bring up something from so long ago?
He also refers to the sinking of the Belgrano as a 'disaster', the only disaster is that we never took their carrier out of action at the same time.

Ayahuasca

27,452 posts

294 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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His argument in favour of an accommodation with Argentina is that the islands are "just off" its coast.

It may have escaped his notice that the UK is islands "just off" the coast of France. Maybe he thinks we should be ruled by France? Oh, hang on minute...

hidetheelephants

30,198 posts

208 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Ayahuasca said:
His argument in favour of an accommodation with Argentina is that the islands are "just off" its coast.

It may have escaped his notice that the UK is islands "just off" the coast of France. Maybe he thinks we should be ruled by France? Oh, hang on minute...
It's only 50% France; half the time the drones are in Brussels.

Andy Zarse

10,868 posts

262 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Ayahuasca said:
His argument in favour of an accommodation with Argentina is that the islands are "just off" its coast.

It may have escaped his notice that the UK is islands "just off" the coast of France. Maybe he thinks we should be ruled by France? Oh, hang on minute...
Well Jeremy, define "just off"... Port Stanley to Buenos Aires is about 2000km. Just off my arse more like you bearded communist cretin.

MiniMan64

18,192 posts

205 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Godalmighty83 said:
NRS said:
I have no idea what he's meaning with this... it's saying absolutely nothing and just seems pointless. He's speaking about a war over 30 years ago, and saying it was pointless? Surely it's pointless to bring up something from so long ago?
He also refers to the sinking of the Belgrano as a 'disaster', the only disaster is that we never took their carrier out of action at the same time.
If you're going to start a war with a country with a proper set of armed forces you can't be upset when they choose to fight back.

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

259 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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MiniMan64 said:
proper set of armed forces
Proper, yes, but given we had to ship men down there in a repurposed cruise liner...

hidetheelephants

30,198 posts

208 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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Einion Yrth said:
MiniMan64 said:
proper set of armed forces
Proper, yes, but given we had to ship men down there in a repurposed cruise liner...
Moving thousands of squaddies to somewhere there's no friendly airport is not a requirement the government have ever dealt with directly except during the world wars(via the Ministry of War Transport), even the US effectively binned off that ability when the SS United States was mothballed; doing it with Ships Taken Up From Trade(STUFT) is entirely sensible and it compares well with how trooping was done before the advent of mass airtravel, typically ships would be taken on longterm charter from companies like Bibby and P&O.

grantone

642 posts

188 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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Apart from all the other arguments about why "just off" is a silly way to divide up the world (everywhere would just be subsumed by Russia as it has the largest current landmass, maybe that's the plan)...

Patagonia, the part of Argentina closest to the Falklands, was inhabited by native Mapuche tribes until the mid-late 19th century when it was taken by force and divided up between Chile and Argentina in "The Conquest of the Desert". 40+ years after Argentina's very brief & disputed occupation of the Falklands.

To be expected I guess seeing as the majority of Argentinians are actually descended from European settlers who decimated the real native populations. Sitting colonialists who hope they can distract the rest of the world by shouting loudly that Britain is the colonial problem in the region.

I've no idea why Jeremy Corbyn is not appalled by this and campaigning for the land of current day Argentina and it's Spanish settler neighbors to be returned to the ownership & control of the original native tribes?

98elise

29,719 posts

176 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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Einion Yrth said:
MiniMan64 said:
proper set of armed forces
Proper, yes, but given we had to ship men down there in a repurposed cruise liner...
What better way to ship 1000's of people, but in a ship made of beds?

We don't need that sort of capacity on a regular basis, so its hired in when we need it. It worked well then and it would still be used today in the same situation.

MartG

21,803 posts

219 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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hidetheelephants said:
Moving thousands of squaddies to somewhere there's no friendly airport is not a requirement the government have ever dealt with directly except during the world wars(via the Ministry of War Transport), even the US effectively binned off that ability when the SS United States was mothballed; doing it with Ships Taken Up From Trade(STUFT) is entirely sensible and it compares well with how trooping was done before the advent of mass airtravel, typically ships would be taken on longterm charter from companies like Bibby and P&O.
Many years ago ( 1980ish ) I saw a rather odd looking ship in a US port. I was told it was one of a class used as commercial RoRo ships, but had been designed so that it could be converted to an escort carrier simply by removing the modular accomodation block. Construction was subsidised by the navy so the owner got a cheap ship on the understanding that it could be called up if needed.

Axionknight

8,505 posts

150 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
quotequote all
Einion Yrth said:
MiniMan64 said:
proper set of armed forces
Proper, yes, but given we had to ship men down there in a repurposed cruise liner...
Sounds like good business by the Government to me.

Halb

53,012 posts

198 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
quotequote all
AJS- said:
It seems a spectacularly stupid thing to say. Wasn't one of the reasons that Galtieri invaded that he thought that the British government wouldn't even bother to defend it and wanted shot of the islands anyway? Set against his own failing government in Argentina it seemed like a good populist cause.

If Corbyn is in power in a few years (God forbid) and Argentina has some crisis, as seems to be their way, this is like an invitation. A red rag to a bull.
That is what people think...it was close to happening as well.
Talks after invasion
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/dec/28/thatcher...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/that...

Talks before invasion.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/28/falkland...

Hooli

32,278 posts

215 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
quotequote all
98elise said:
Einion Yrth said:
MiniMan64 said:
proper set of armed forces
Proper, yes, but given we had to ship men down there in a repurposed cruise liner...
What better way to ship 1000's of people, but in a ship made of beds?

We don't need that sort of capacity on a regular basis, so its hired in when we need it. It worked well then and it would still be used today in the same situation.
Worked in WW1 & WW2 as well.

hidetheelephants

30,198 posts

208 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
quotequote all
MartG said:
Many years ago ( 1980ish ) I saw a rather odd looking ship in a US port. I was told it was one of a class used as commercial RoRo ships, but had been designed so that it could be converted to an escort carrier simply by removing the modular accomodation block. Construction was subsidised by the navy so the owner got a cheap ship on the understanding that it could be called up if needed.
The UK has similar arrangements; the Point class ro-ro ships are on long term charter to the MoD.

superlightr

12,916 posts

278 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
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hidetheelephants said:
MartG said:
Many years ago ( 1980ish ) I saw a rather odd looking ship in a US port. I was told it was one of a class used as commercial RoRo ships, but had been designed so that it could be converted to an escort carrier simply by removing the modular accomodation block. Construction was subsidised by the navy so the owner got a cheap ship on the understanding that it could be called up if needed.
The UK has similar arrangements; the Point class ro-ro ships are on long term charter to the MoD.
Interesting. Good posts. Sounds like a sensible solution for the navy and the commercial shipping firms.

rovermorris999

5,289 posts

204 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
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It isn't often you can get 'sensible' and 'MOD' in the same sentence.