Posted on 07/05/2006 2:32:24 PM PDT by Tai_Chung
Although you may be right, I prefer to think that the Iron Lady fought for the 2000 rightful inhabitants of the islands.
Much as you Israelis are fighting for your kidnapped (sure, right) soldier.
Robinson's book took the angle that leftists had gutted the military so bad that England was unable to project any Naval power. Money was used to fund social programs...
That's a bit simplistic, isn't it? Argentina has averaged 9% GDP growth each year for the last three years, and while that's falling, it's still on track for 7.5% economic growth this year. That's a disaster?
Except that was basically the situation in 1982.
Oh, I don't know about that. Certainly U.S. intelligence probably helped, but after hearing about the U.K. and their viffing manuevers with their VTOL aircraft, I seriously doubt that they needed much, if any help.
"The US will back the UK fully"
Oh, this time?
http://www.margaretthatcher.org/commentary/displaydocument.asp?docid=110526
"At one stage a clearly heated Thatcher demanded to know what Reagan would do if Alaska had been invaded and the United States had suffered casualties recapturing it.
“I wonder if anyone over there realises, I'd like to ask them. Just supposing Alaska was invaded ...” asked Thatcher. “Now you've put all your people up there to retake it and someone suggested that a contact could coe in ... you wouldn't do it.”
“No, no, although, Margaret, I have to say I don't quite think Alaska is a similar situation” said Reagan.
“More or less so,” snapped Thatcher. Reagan feared the pending rout of Argentine forces in the south Atlantic would destabilise the region, damaging Washington's battle against left-wing regimes in Latin America.
But Thatcher, with barely concealed impatience, scotched the plan with a verbal explosion. Reagan could barely get a word in as the prime ministe gushed out a torrent of dismissal. “I didn't lose some of my best ships and some of my finest lives, to leave quietly under a ceasefire without the Argentines withdrawing,” she said.
“Oh. Oh, Margaret, that is part of this, as I understand it ...” stammered Reagan, trying to outline a Brazilian peace plan. It called for a ceasefire, Argentine withdrawal and a third-party peace-keeping force in the disputed islands. “Ron, I'm not handing over ... I'm not handing over the island now,” insisted Thatcher. “I can't lose the lives and blood of our soldiers to hand the islands over to a contact. It's not possible.
“You are surely not asking me, Ron, after we've lost some of our finest young men, you are surely not saying, that after the Argentine withdrawal, that our forces, and our administration, become immediately idle? I had to go to immense distances and mobilise half my country. I just had to go.” "
If the US got involved in a non-covert fashion then the Soviets would have came and backed the Argies fully. Reagan knew this. Thankfully everything worked out, but this time is differant. The US is much stronger now and Britain has been a very close ally recently. We would help the UK over the falklands this time I have no doubt.
He pulled that off by devaluing the currency and defaulting on his debt. The bills are coming due . . .
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