Remember The Falklands?

Quote: Originally Posted by Colpy

Argentina blew whatever miniscule claim it might have had back in 1982.

No negotiation.

No discussion.

Rule Britannia.

Quote: Originally Posted by Bar Sinister

Right - and Argentina's claim was tenuous at best, consisting of claiming the islands because they had once been a Spanish possession a few years before Argentina became independent.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cliffy

Gonna be expensive oil if Britain has to send a fleet of war ships to protect the project. Sad commentary on the present state of a once great empire, but like all empires, the mighty shall fall.

When English explorer John Davis, commander of the Desire, one of the ships belonging to Thomas Cavendish's second expedition to the New World, separated from Cavendish off the coast of what is now southern Argentina, he decided to make for the Strait of Magellan in order to find Cavendish. On 9 August 1592 a severe storm battered his ship, and Davis drifted under bare masts, taking refuge "among certain Isles never before discovered." Consequently, for a time the Falklands were known as "Davis Land" or "Davis' Land."
In 1594, they were visited by English commander Richard Hawkins, who, combining his own name with that of Queen Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen", gave the islands the name of "Hawkins' Maidenland."
In 1600, Sebald de Weert, a Dutchman, visited them and called them the Sebald Islands (in Spanish, "Islas Sebaldinas" or "Sebaldes"), a name which they bore on some Dutch maps into the 19th century.
English Captain John Strong sailed between the two principal islands in 1690 and called the passage "Falkland Channel" (now Falkland Sound), after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland (1659–1694), who as Commissioner of the Admiralty had financed the expedition and later became First Lord of the Admiralty. From this body of water the island group later took its collective

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France established a colony at Port St. Louis, on East Falkland's Berkeley Sound coast in 1764. The French name Îles Malouines was given to the islands – malouin being the adjective for the Breton port of Saint-Malo. The Spanish name Islas Malvinas is a translation of the French name.
In 1765, Capt. John Byron, who was unaware of the French presence in the east, explored Saunders Island, in the west, named the harbour Port Egmont, and claimed this and other islands for Britain on the grounds of prior discovery. The next year Captain John MacBride established a British settlement at Port Egmont. These events were nearly the cause of a war between Britain and Spain, both countries having sent armed fleets to contest the barren but strategically important sovereignty of the islands. In 1766, France agreed to leave, and Spain agreed to reimburse Louis de Bougainville, who had established a settlement at his own expense. The Spaniards assumed control in 1767 and re-named Port St. Louis as Puerto Soledad.
Meanwhile, the British presence in the west continued, until interrupted by Spain during the Falkland Crisis* from 10 July 1770 to 22 January 1771. As a result of economic pressures stemming from the upcoming American War of Independence, Britain unilaterally chose to withdraw from many overseas settlements in 1774. On 20 May 1776 the British forces under the command of Lt. Clayton formally took their leave of Port Egmont, while...

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* The Falkland Crisis, 1770
In June 1770, the Spanish governor of Buenos Aires sent five frigates to Britain's Port Egmont, landing some 1600 marines.
The small British force present, left under the command there of George Farmer, promptly surrendered. When Parliament assembled in November, the MPs, outraged by this insult to national honour, demanded action from the North government. Many were angered by what they saw as Britain's failure to prevent France from annexing Corsica in 1768 and feared a similar situation occurring in the Falklands. The Foreign Office "began to mobilise for a potential war".
Amid this flurry of threats and counter-threats, the Spanish attempted to strengthen their position by winning the support of France, invoking the Pacte de Famille between the two Bourbon crowns. For a time it looked as if all three countries were about to go to war, especially as the Duc de Choiseul, the French minister of war and foreign affairs, was in a militant mood. But Louis XV took fright, telling his cousin Charles III that "My minister wishes for war, but I do not." Choiseul was dismissed from office, retiring to his estates, and without French support the Spanish were obliged to seek a compromise with the British.

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Quote: Originally Posted by Cliffy

Gonna be expensive oil if Britain has to send a fleet of war ships to protect the project. Sad commentary on the present state of a once great empire, but like all empires, the mighty shall fall.

Quote: Originally Posted by Machjo

Probably the best bet woud be for the UK to keep the Falklands but also to build stronger ties with Argentina, promoting visa-free travel agreements, maybe even labor-movement agreements, etc.

This would benefit Argentinians who wanted to travel to or even work in the Falklands but perhaps even more so Britons living in the Falklands who'd like to have greater access to the Argentinian market. After all, a Briton living in the Falklands is more likely to benefit more from access to a nearby country like Argentina.

Quote: Originally Posted by Blackleaf

Even if the British offered those things to the Argies the Argies would just reject them. The only thing they want is the Falkland Islands, but they aren't having them.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cliffy

Gonna be expensive oil if Britain has to send a fleet of war ships to protect the project. Sad commentary on the present state of a once great empire, but like all empires, the mighty shall fall.

Quote: Originally Posted by Johnnny

That ship isnt even the start of it. My translator and i were talking about the war and he said teenagers and young adults were forced to fight the british with next to nothing..... He also said the war made relations with Chile worse because the Chileans supplied the british wiith alot of information.... Thats right in in Argentina !!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Blackleaf

And they were a British possesssion before they were a Spanish possession.

But this didn't stop the Spanish trying to kick the British off the islands even though we settled them first.

Quote: Originally Posted by Blackleaf

Britain and France both have better claims to the Falklands than Argentina does as they sighted and colonised the islands before Argentina even existed.




And here's a bit about how the islands became British. Basically, the French settled the islands first. The British, not even realising the French were there, came along and claimed parts of the islands for Britain. Then the French gave their Falklands territory to the Spanish - fair enough - but, unbelievably, the dirty Spanish (aka the Argentinians) then tried to kick the British, who were there before them, off the islands so that they can have the whole lot.

Quote: Originally Posted by Blackleaf

Even if the British offered those things to the Argies the Argies would just reject them. The only thing they want is the Falkland Islands, but they aren't having them.



You are right to say that the 2955 Falkland Islanders are British, but they aren't British in the sense they were born in Britain and moved to the Falklands. The vast majority of them were born on the islands and have lived there all their lives. About 30% aren't even descended from Britons. Also, they weren't given full British citizenship until 1983. But the islanders consider themselves to be British.

Quote: Originally Posted by Nuggler

Remember The Falklands



Is that a battle cry??


Yep, know them well.



Cute sheep.




How can somewhere be a POSSESSION ?

Christ, Blackie, it's the 21st not the 17th.

Even the Brits admit the Zulus (Africa don't ya know) kicked their ass..........despite the movie of the same name which gave a completely erroneous account of the happenings.

And Capt. Cook didn't fare too well either, and they had muskets and bayonets. Against a people who used sharpened pieces of wood.

You used to put some neat, informative stuff on here. Now yer all just rule Britannia, and all.

The sad failings of yer home turf are wearing on ya, old son. Get some rest.

Quote: Originally Posted by Blackleaf

There is a thing in UN law called self-determination. Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference.

Quote: Originally Posted by Spade

As in Iraq?

Palestine?

Quote: Originally Posted by Spade

As in Iraq?

Palestine?

Quote: Originally Posted by Spade

As in Iraq?

Palestine?

Quote: Originally Posted by Blackleaf

Iraq is a free country (thanks to the intervention of the British and Americans).



There has NEVER been an independent Palestine. However, it's not Britain that occupies that land, is it? We left there decades ago.

Quote: Originally Posted by Spade

Really? Free after the deaths of 100 000 or more?

As for Palestine, Britain has been an honest broker?

Quote: Originally Posted by Colpy

In case you haven't noticed, freedom costs.