Posted on 01/29/2022 7:57:26 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
3,000 people live there-middle of nowhere-expensive to maintain. The last war over the place cost the Limeys $500k per person to save. They're keeping it just to prove a point. Think Guantanamo without credible threats to change. Now the Brits have cut down their military where another rescue mission would be impossible. All this based on principle. At this point any 'solution' to this dilemma will not happen without the bigger issue of 'saving face'. There is a way out and it will have to involve the US.
Oil. Control the Falklands, you control the local oil fields.
It’s pretty simple. And, the Brits will project their forces to protect it.
Actually, the locals are quite content being under British rule. I believe the British government has offered them their independence but they declined.
No! As you say it never belonged to Argentina. It stays British!
> At the end of the 99 years Argentina gets control. <
One problem here is that your plan recognizes the Falklands as really belonging to Argentina.
The Falklands situation is quite different from the Hong Kong situation. Hong Kong was always a Chinese city.
Is Argentina now threatening to take those islands again?
I wouldn’t say like Gitmo. But it is ego driven. Once upon a time the sun never set on the British Empire. That’s really the last holding they have. Yeah sure there’s the Common Wealth but that’s different. The “solution” is way easier than that. Brits just need to accept they ain’t that anymore and walk away.
Look what we did with the Panama Canal. We were able to put to rest the resentment much of South America had for us gringos up north. Our hero Ronoldus Magnus was against the ‘giveaway’ at every step. At the very end of the congressional debate a bone was thrown his way-in the event of a local insurrection the US had the right to intervene. Like the 99 year ‘offer’ on the Falklands it was take-it-or-leave it. These qualifiers are enough to calm down local objections to where the hot heads have no choice but to calm down. It should be an offer they can’t refuse.
Britain might not be able to “mount a rescue” but Argentina’s military is also much reduced from ‘82.
The Argentine military have degraded since 1982 so they won’t be in the position to take the islands for another 20 years at least.
When does Canada take Pierre and Miquelon back from the French?
*oil fields. It’s pretty simple. And, the Brits will project their forces to protect it.*
They decommissioned one of their aircraft carriers. Won’t be able to do it.
*No! As you say it never belonged to Argentina. It stays British!*
Churchill hornswaggled us into WW2. Do it again?
*your plan recognizes the Falklands as really belonging to Argentina.* No it doesn’t but it will be.
*Is Argentina now threatening to take those islands again?* Think Chile. Socialists now in control. I say head them off at the pass-they’ll chill out.
*Brits just need to accept they ain’t that anymore and walk away* That’s why you need people like me around.
There is also the defense of the strategic lanes of transportation. A lot of cargo still rounds the horn and having a force in place to defend shipping is in the interest of the western world.
The US wants the rest of the western powers to pull their share and not rely on us to be the cops of the world. Or, we did under Trump, not so much under the communists now in control.
Vietnam was fought to keep the commies from having too much control of the shipping lanes in the South China Sea.
Panama and the Suez are easily choked (and will be in the next world war).
Just for fun I looked it up. Britain has 14 “overseas territories” left. I guess in the old days they were called colonies.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Overseas_Territories
Warning to Vladimir Putin: The UK still controls St.Helena. And Napoleon’s house of exile is ready for its next occupant. (Just kidding, Vlad.)
*When does Canada take Pierre and Miquelon back from the French?*
It will happen when we return Hawaii to territorial status and give government control to the Hawaiians. 49 stars on the flag-an easy configuration-especially with 2 fewer senators.
Never heard of those places but keep thinking. It’s contagious.
Sheep farming in the Falkland Islands
Sheep numbers currently stand at around
490,000 and, given the islands' tiny population
of just 3,200 citizens, that works out at an
impressive 153 sheep per inhabitant.
If they keep Hirono, it’s a bonus.
I remember that insane little war in 82 or whenever. The British steaming down there, doing push-ups on the deck and all that. Then when they got there, the Argentines were down in a little valley waiting for them. Like shooting fish in a barrel. Pretty sad.
Hey there Chamberlin, the Falklands belong to the United Kingdom and if you don’t like it then it sucks to be you.
The reality is the British need the Faulklands as a naval base to operate in the South Atlantic.
This was proven in WWII when there was a German battleship in the South Atlantic which threatened the shipping lanes. The Faulklands were indispensable to dispatching this battleship to the bottom.
The Brits should do everything the can to maintain control of them
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.