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The UK could do the same. They still have two of their carriers operational, and they have new Amphibious assault ships that are stronger than what they had back then, and decent escorts.

But, if the Venezuelans jumped in with their new high-performance Russian jets and missiles, they would need our help. Those aircraft have the range, the carrying capacity, and the performance to overwhelm the harriers and hurt the Brit task force badly as they pass on their way south.

One Nimitz and its escorts would eliminate all of that though and, if it came to that, IMHO, we should provide it for our allies and help forcefully put down this renegade.

The UK could do the same. They still have two of their carriers operational, and they have new Amphibious assault ships that are stronger than what they had back then, and decent escorts.

Actually, no. The Brits have a heck of a lot more capability than they did in 1982, but they've recently given up (until the new carriers come online in 2012 or so) what was probably THE critical capability back in '82: the ability to provide organic fighter air cover to their task forces.

With the retirement of the Sea Harrier FA.2 fleet last year the Brits can now only call on the RAF Harrier GRs (7, 7a and 9s), which lack internal radar and the ability to carry AIM-120s. BIG mistake on the Brits part, one they justified partly under the rationale that in future conflicts they would either fight alongside the US, or would operate in environments where organic air cover wasn't needed.

Had they retained the Sea Harrier FA.2 with its Blue Vixen radar AMRAAMs a repeat of '82 where Comrade Hugo decided to come to play would be possible. Without ... the TFs would be easy meat.

US help for Britain in protecting British interests in the Falklands, and in the Carribean from Chavez is not a sure thing, after Brown has pulled British forces out of Iraq.

The US in the last Falklands engagement merely shared intel.Today the USA would likely just watch, knod and wink, unless another Tony Blair was in office.

Gordon Brown is a myopic, strategic idiot.