Falklands
Thursday 25th February
Now… who do the Falkland Islands belong to?
Let’s look at some comparisons:
Geography
Distance from Britain to Falklands: 8000 miles
Distance from Argentina to Falklands: 300 miles
Closest country to Falklands: Argentina.
History
1833: Britain seizes control of the Falklands by force from the Argentinian governer there.
Am I over simplifying things here?
Even if the full historical perspective gives the opposite story, you still have the following argument:
Geography
Distance from Britain to Falklands: 8000 miles
Distance from Argentina to Falklands: 300 miles
(Pssssst… Don’t mention the oil)
Who do the Falklands belong to?
The Falklanders.
Job done.
Kouros
25 Feb 10 at 12:07 pm
Ooh yeah… ‘cos then they won’t be big enough to support an army, and we can go and invade and claim the islands for ourselves.
D’oh!
But yes… you are right when it comes down to it!
Stu
25 Feb 10 at 12:09 pm
It doesn’t necessarily have to mean sovereignty. If the Falkland Islanders want to remain a British overseas territory and we want them, then so be it. If they want to be Argentinian and Argentina want them, then all the power to them.
I don’t see why its somebody else’s argument other than their own.
What is Spain decided it no longer wanted Argentina to be independent after several hundred years?
Kouros
25 Feb 10 at 12:17 pm
“What is Spain decided…” Hhurrm. Evidently EdExcel taught me English. Bah.
Kouros
25 Feb 10 at 12:23 pm
And what if Spain decided it no longer wanted Gibraltar to be a British Territory after several hundred years? Wait…
Divine
25 Feb 10 at 12:26 pm
Divine – Yep. Absolutely. So the populace of Gibraltar should decide. Which is, coincidentally, what all the of major political parties support on the rock.
Kouros
25 Feb 10 at 12:32 pm
Wait a minute though, all those other fellows are foreign, so the right answer is all their stuff are belong to us.
sweavo
25 Feb 10 at 1:30 pm
Channel Islands? Ask any Islander whether they think they’re French or UK.
Geography isn’t the only factor to consider – if it was, Alaska would be Russian before it was American (and Canadian before either, of course): Off the top of my head, there’s also Bermuda, Belize, large tracts of Antarctica, and Northern Ireland.
Gottle
25 Feb 10 at 2:14 pm
But geography to the tune of 2600%…
Stu
25 Feb 10 at 2:16 pm
Stu – I love that!
“But geography to the tune of 2600%…”
Brilliant quote!
Rich
25 Feb 10 at 4:35 pm
I thought I’d won the Falklands in a raffle last year. Was I ripped off then?
Omally
25 Feb 10 at 7:00 pm
As above, I suspect oil is the key, but in an ideal world the population of today should decide. That would include Channel Islands, NI, Falklands, Gib, which would all inevitably remain British. Why do countries that we stole islands from put rocks before people? I am sure the British never did. Surely a compromise with Argentina is possible: lease-back the islands, share(!) oil revenue etc. Anyway, no trees and too f*cking cold IMHO
lordhutton
25 Feb 10 at 7:50 pm
“Oh, we need the Falkland Islands…for strategic sheep purposes!” – Eddie Izzard
rollasoc
26 Feb 10 at 9:06 am
Hawaii was illegally annexed by the US in 1898; Spain has the enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta …
Jan
26 Feb 10 at 10:29 am
In the 1967 referendum in Gibraltar about sovereignty, the vote (100% turnout!) was 12,138 to 44 in favour of staying British. A 99.19% vote is fairly definitive in anyone’s book. I understand that the next day 44 suitcases were provided at the airport …
Jan
26 Feb 10 at 10:33 am
Are you sure Hutters! Britain never put rocks before people? I guess it depends on which people you are asking and how many of your people you managed to get onto the rock before conducting the poll.
sweavo
1 Mar 10 at 6:05 pm