The Falkland Islands
- Thread starter imperialman
- Start date
Lambert Simnel
One across
Yes, I think so. But I'm not arguing it's the same case as the Falklands, it was just an after-comment regarding the unbalanced views which we normally get from our media in this country. Leading up to the end of the lease, there was a bit of sabre-rattling about how the HK populace would want to stay British, and how it would be better for all if it did. Then Thatcher flew out to negotiate and came back with her ass whupped. Once she returned, the BBC and the popular press settled down and followed the party line. But it's pretty much an exception. Any other time there's a British possession on the other side of the world, the default view in the British media is to resort to whichever arguments are suitable to say that they really are (and should stay as) British.
Edit. Silurian is right, Kowloon was ceded to the British in perpetuity after the Second Opium War.
Benefactor
Beneficial
It would have been practically impossible to keep Hong Kong through the use of force though, wouldn't it?
Quackers
The Frog
Hong Kong and the Falklands also have quite a few massive differences in terms of politics, populations, geography; meaning you cannot just say "well we gave up HK, why not the Falklands?" - because they are completely different situations. Which is stating the obvious, but Lambert seems to be driving that quote home;p
I honestly think you're kidding yourself as regards a possible invasion. Or perhaps it suits your stance to talk up the possibility of an invasion.In any case, I agree it's stupid and unhelpful, but so is The Sun's response.
I'm not making any judgement on how likely it is in absolute terms, but I'm saying that advertising and rhetoric make it more likely - people respond to incentives, after all
Lambert Simnel
One across
Grief. I only mentioned it because it was an exception to the general jingoism of the UK media. I was not trying to suggest our behaviour in one situation should drive the other. If you want to seek parallels or conclusions about the ability of Perfidious Albion to say one thing and do another, then feel free, I'm sure they are they to be found if you look hard enough.
So what are you trying to say by commenting, "Lambert seems to be driving that quote home"? I do hope that you're not plucking a quote such as "well we gave up HK, why not the Falklands?" out of thin air and attributing it to me or suggesting it as being my view.
aelf
Ashen One
Yeah, HK is full of yellow people, so obviously it's fine for them to go back to where they came from. The Falklands, on the other hand, is full of white people - a totally different story
Kraznaya
Princeps
No. You're thinking of the New Territories.
Yeah, HK is full of yellow people, so obviously it's fine for them to go back to where they came from. The Falklands, on the other hand, is full of white people - a totally different story
Full of white, English-descended people - in other words, nationalism says that Hong Kong 'should' be Chinese, and the Falklands 'should' be English (and that the UK should be dissolved, but hey)
Quackers
The Frog
Yeah, HK is full of yellow people, so obviously it's fine for them to go back to where they came from. The Falklands, on the other hand, is full of white people - a totally different story
I said nothing of the sort.
Something wrong Aelf?
Benefactor
Beneficial
Isn't the term 'yellow people' rasist? More so than anything Quackers implied.
Kraznaya
Princeps
He was using it ironically.
Benefactor
Beneficial
What difference does that make?
Kraznaya
Princeps
Well, given that he's yellow...
Farm Boy
run boy run
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2010
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No, it isn't. White people often think of themselves as white. Some black people think of themselves as black. Many Chinese terms used by the Chinese refer to their skin tone as yellow. A "yellow website" is a pornographic website in China, for example.
Lambert Simnel
One across
Look everyone. I'm really really sorry I ever brought up Hong Kong, OK?
Benefactor
Beneficial
Fair enough.
Just sounds racist because, you know, Chinese people aren't exactly yellow skinned are they...
--
I don't think Quackers was implying that Britain would have let Hong Kong return to China even if the inhabitants where massively oppossed to it just because of their race though. Seriously, how could we have stopped it?
Even if the Chinese had allowed the British to hold the non-leased territories, the loss of the New Territories would have crippled Hong Kong and removed much of it's essential infrastructure. The New Territories also held over 85% of the land and currently (not sure about in 1999) half the population
Quackers
The Frog
All i was suggesting was that the HK scenario was completely different to the Falkland issue.
So when people exclaim "oh well we gave up HK, why not the Falklands?!" - i'm saying the difference between the two means the outcome isn't going to be the same.
So when people exclaim "oh well we gave up HK, why not the Falklands?!" - i'm saying the difference between the two means the outcome isn't going to be the same.
