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Friday, 15 June 2012

Let's play a game

So the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has demanded that Britain enter negotiations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Funny name for an Argentinian, Kirchner. Sounds almost German. Well actually it is, but let us leave that aside for the moment. Let's play a game. Charades. I'll start. Well known phrase. Two words. Second word: off. The British know all about Argentinians and Germans who want to help themselves to bits of other people's countries. We are on a 3 match winning streak and I think we would look to be favourites in this game.

5 comments:

Jive Lad said...

Hi Alex

I agree with 99% of your posts, but on this issue, we differ.

Have you considered the financial aspect? Is it not a 'Financial Crime' that we taxpayers are paying oodles of dosh to prop up a few thousand people thousands of miles away?

Alex said...

Not sure what you mean by "oodles of dosh", but the Falkland Islanders are British citizens/subjects and are as deserving of of UK government support as the people of Falkirk or Falmouth.

It is part of our heritage and responsibility to the parts of the world that still fall under the British flag that we treat them well and respect their wishes. If they want to be part of Britain, then so be it. It is for them and us to decide, not some neighbour that has recently invaded the Falklands. The British state has shown itself willing to grant states independence or to transfer them to another state when that is in the best interests of the local people and in accordance with their wishes (e.g. HK), but in this case, and in Gibraltar, the locals want to keep the status quo.

Steven_L said...

A negotiation? Like please can you switch the GPS on and let us have a crack at that battleship with a Block VI Tomahawk?

Please? £25bn worth of Trident and a puppet vote on the UNSC?

Alex said...

ITYM Block IV. They are usually meant for land based targets not battleships as in Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM).

Anonymous said...

Re: Jive Lad -

Oodles of dosh, is it? We are spending oodles of dosh to prop up the Argentinian government, through our contribution to the World Bank. The Argies owe some $16bn, and the UK is currently out £200m.

The Americans have declared that they will be voting against further loans to Argentina, given its aberrant behaviour and refusal to meet the terms of previous loans.

There's a groundswell of opinion over here to persuade our government to do the same. Take a look at:

http://youtu.be/fL_SGfXOlFE

www.stopfundungargentina.org

There's an e-petition (for all that's worth!) here:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34551

We should be saying to the Argies, "We fought the military junta and beat it, so that you could have democracy. It invaded our territory. Our price (apart from our lives lost) is your acknowledgment that Falklanders will always be allowed to decide the question of their future allegiance. No negotiation. Thank you and goodbye".