Let's see, owing to the comings and goings of my family and myself across the Atlantic some distantly and not so distantly related people have been born across both sides of the Atlantic and have fought in both countries' armies so I'm a fence-sitter. My family's past not up for discussion anyway, nor is my own.
So, I'll try to make a short summary of all that I've been hearing and reading and thinking in the past couple weeks.
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The main problem with this is that it's mostly about national pride and stupid bigotry.
As has been pointed out earlier in the thread (I forgot to quote) the kelpers will simply swing around to whoever's the most powerful/prestigious and eventually Argentina will probably (in several decades) force something to happen. The important thing is that Argentina never do any sort of military threats/buildup because they're bound to lose.
I'm not very sympathethic towards London because I'd rather the UK broke up , see? I don't believe in Britain or its imperialism.
It's very useful for the governments of either country (any government, at any time) because saber rattling and idiotic bigotry is always very useful for diverting attention from real problems closer at home.
- Like Mr. Cameron and making a lot of downright idiotic statements including calling Argentina a colonial power. Yes, the Prime Minister in London calls other countries imperialist while at the same time taking pride in The British Empire which was founded on colonialism, drug trafficking and the slave trade as well as the extermination of those pesky native who insisted on keeping control of their land, resources, religion, culture and a few other worthless trinkets. If we use the same logic of 'the inhabitants we sent there after we conquered the place say they want to be part of us so they'll remain that way' then Northern Ireland and Gibraltar should remaind British, eh?
He covers up the fact that he can't control a country, is clueless about the economy (the Tories still believe in the outdated economic theory proposing that unemployment is solved by generating more unemployment), immigration or what to do with Salmond's bid for independence, and knows that he only got into power because the Liberals betrayed their voters and joined forces with him but still lives in the 19th century and thinks of giving presents to the rich while cutting aid to the poor. Education and libraries are uneccessary but if we go on about a few islands in the middle of nowhere no one'll care.
- On the other hand you get Argentine governments diverting attention from political persecutions, famines, massive unemployment or, as of 2011, the government literally taking over all paper production and imports in order to close down rival papers while all pro-government officials including the entire Kirchner family double their assets every year or even faster and at the same time upping all taxes and eliminating all subsidies in a way that would make the EU's austerity morons have wet dreams for a week.
Never mind electioneering, buying off voters, exterminating the native tribes because they stand in the way of mining, soybean-planting and logging projects that yield higher tax returns than a bunch of wogs squatting in loincloths and living in the same place they've lived for millennia.
The UK's posture has been 'nananancanthearyounananana' for quite a while now. Both to Argentina and the UN; they won't even listen to the latter when they say that at least they should sit down and have some talks. Anyone citing the 1982 invasion… are you really trying to convince me that a military dictatorship that kidnaps and tortures athousands of its own subjects
If it were up to me
to organise a transition I'd make them an Argentine provine with English as its national government, local customs observed, give them full representation in the Argentine federal government. Other benefits that existing provinces get such as the right to write and reform their own Constitution, their own processal codes, election and appointment of all their own internal officials (governor-legislators-judiciary), a provincial bank if they want one, etc. etc. are obviously included.
I'd also use the opportunity to mke provinces take a share of their own taxes instead of having to 'borrow' from the federal government and be constantly in debt to it. I'd also make a deal with London so that anyone with a Falklands-Malvinas province birth certificate could opt in for UK citizenship as well as -obviously- make all current Falkland inhabitants dual citizens. Give them the right to participate in all sporting competitions, join the Olympics and World Cup teams, etc. A few other concessions could be made at no significant cost to either Argentina or the UK.
All in all, a fully incorporated province, autonomous of everyone else and minding their own business in their rocks with Penguins. They can even drive on the left if they choose to.
I'd also use the opportunity to make provinces take a share of their own taxes instead of having to 'borrow' from the federal government and be constantly in debt to it.
Neither country's internal situation would suffer a terrible change if the Falklands became the Malvinas once again. What benefits does the archipelago really give the UK? Any really important economic benefits? Jobs in the mainland? Doesn't look like it. The same would go for Argentina. The average guy on the street wins neither wins nor loses anything from this.
The only important thing is fisheries (and oil if any is found to be exploitable) and that doesn't generate that many jobs either, just tax revenue assuming you can catch the fishing boats before they sneak off to Spain or East Asia to unload their cargo.
Hope I haven't missed anything.
Do you know what antagonizing somebody who isn't preparing for war at all is?
Utter imbecility since the Argentines simply
can't wage a war.
Pangur Bán;11199297 said:
Both the Romance name of the islands and the English one are derived, ultimately, from Celtic. Therefore, the islands truly belong to Ireland, the only independent Celtic state!
But seeing as celts originate from Anatolia, and all humans originate from somewhere in Africa, it should obviously be given to Kenya.
Of course! Then they should go to the most prominent Kenyan in the world: Barack Hussein Obama.
Pangur Bán;11199861 said:
Yes, Galatia is named after them. You are right that Celts as Celts definitely did not originate in Anatolia.
Dammit, could have used that excuse to move Parkhead out to Anatolia.
Where did you read that?
