"Don't blame the British people.We know the islands belong to you"

[Uncle Leo]

Think I might visit Gibraltar at some point this year, it's always nice to explore different areas of British territory.

Do so. Funny little corner of the world and not worth more than a day or two, but there is some cracking history to the place.

 

[Beefy]

There's oil there, hence why we're bothered. Got sod all to do with anything else. One day it'll all run out and then what?

Nonsense. There's no oil around Gibralter and yet the UK is equally committed to defending that island as well.

Had any oil been found in 1982?

 

[Uncle Leo]

Nonsense. There's no oil around Gibralter and yet the UK is equally committed to defending that island as well.

And the Gibraltarians are as determined to remain British as the Falklanders.

By the way, Gib's an isthmus, not an island. The Gibbos get chippy when people call them islanders, although they do compete in the Island Games. As I said, it's a funny place!

 

[MK Shrimper]

Oil wasn't the reason for going to war in 1982.

No, that was to get Thatcher elected again.

Is that why we are bothered, or why Argentina is bothered?

Also, I think it's more a case of people thinking that there may be oil there, rather than knowing for sure that there is.

Both. You think either country would care if there was no financial benefit?

Nonsense. There's no oil around Gibralter and yet the UK is equally committed to defending that island as well.

Had any oil been found in 1982?

Gibraltar is defended as it's an excellent military base as the mouth of the Med.

Has any oil been found? I don't know, but as I understand it as YB says it's suspected and I believe there's been plenty of test drillings.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Gib's an isthmus, not an island

Maureen from the BT ads jumped into my mind when i read that

 

[canveyshrimper]

No, that was to get Thatcher elected again.

Both. You think either country would care if there was no financial benefit?

Don't be daft, there was no guarantee that Thatcher would have been re-elected in 1983 a year after the Falklands War.

There is apparently extensive oil & gas field in and around the Falklands, however it's still being researched on how to extract it. It will be a good few years before rigs and infrastructure are in place to start extracting it.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

No, that was to get Thatcher elected again.



Both. You think either country would care if there was no financial benefit?



Gibraltar is defended as it's an excellent military base as the mouth of the Med.

Has any oil been found? I don't know, but as I understand it as YB says it's suspected and I believe there's been plenty of test drillings.

Is not Argentina's interest to get Kirchener re-elected?

If a war is needed to get PMs re-elected why did John Major not go to war?

Do we really still need a military base at the mouth of the med when we've now got Southend airport?

 

[canveyshrimper]

Is not Argentina's interest to get Kirchener re-elected?

If a war is needed to get PMs re-elected why did John Major not go to war?

Do we really still need a military base at the mouth of the med when we've now got Southend airport?

Major did I suppose as part of Desert Storm in 1991, ok as part of the alliance to kick the Iraqi's out of Kuwait, and once Andy McNab went over the top brandishing a cotton bud it was all over.

 

[GrumpyBlue]

Is that why we are bothered, or why Argentina is bothered?

Also, I think it's more a case of people thinking that there may be oil there, rather than knowing for sure that there is.

Thats why both the UK and Argentina are bothered (i`m surprised the Yanks have not put their oar in)

 

[Neil_F]

Argentina are using this as a distraction. They are an economic basket case where inflation is out of control and they have been cooking the books for months.

 

[Beefy]

So do you people who think that we're only interested in the oil think that we'd have just shafted the Islanders and let Argentina take over against the Islander's wishes if the oil wasn't there (oil which may not be drillable anyway, from what I read)?

 

[Beefy]

Argentina are using this as a distraction. They are an economic basket case where inflation is out of control and they have been cooking the books for months.

Exactly. The Argentine Government like using the Malvinas issue to whip up nationalistic spirit and destract people from the other problems that country has. We're almost trapped there whether we really want to keep the Islands or not. We can't walk away without shafting the Islanders and losing face (that's discounting the fact obviously that if there is oil there and it's drillable then we obviously won't want to give them up).

 

[canveyshrimper]

So do you people who think that we're only interested in the oil think that we'd have just shafted the Islanders and let Argentina take over against the Islander's wishes if the oil wasn't there (oil which may not be drillable anyway, from what I read)?

We didn't in 1982, and while our motives may not be entirely altruistic I believe that fate of the Islanders comes first. Maybe I am as green as I am cabbage looking.

Neil_F is quite correct the Argentinians are using the Falklands as a smokescreen to cover their own domestic problems, which pretty much mirrors 1982.

 

[MK Shrimper]

So do you people who think that we're only interested in the oil think that we'd have just shafted the Islanders and let Argentina take over against the Islander's wishes if the oil wasn't there (oil which may not be drillable anyway, from what I read)?

Yes absolutely. No oil = no financial reason for a few 100 flag waving Brits to occupy a rocky island full of penguins. Thing is Argentina wouldn't give a monkey's either.

 

[Beefy]

Yes absolutely. No oil = no financial reason for a few 100 flag waving Brits to occupy a rocky island full of penguins. Thing is Argentina wouldn't give a monkey's either.

But those few 100 flag waving Brits have been there for a lot longer than anyone has known that there may be some oil near there.

I think it's pretty arrogant and insulting of you to imply that you know why those people are there. From what I gather having read a bit about them in various reports, the Islanders have created a life and society for themselves there over several generations and don't want to give it up - and they should not be expected to.

 

[MK Shrimper]

But those few 100 flag waving Brits have been there for a lot longer than anyone has known that there may be some oil near there.

I bet the vast majority of Brits had never heard of the Falklands pre 1982. I still maintain there is some economic or military benefit to a British presence on those islands.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

As Genial Harry Grout says, the Falklands are a long way away from Argentina. Not as far away as they are from the UK, granted, but there wasn't an indiginous population there which the Brits displaced and the Falklands have been 'owned' by Britain for longer than Argentina has been a country. If the colonial inhabitants of a territory don't have the right to own the territory on which they've lived for a couple of hundred years then presumably the Argentines will be sodding off back to Spain and giving their country back to the Incas who will then give it to the Diaguitas, Huarpes, and Sanavirones.

If being on the doorstep of a larger country means that the larger country gets to claim ownership of you then perhaps I should head down to O'Connell Street on my lunch break and plant a Union Jack outside the General Post Office. I don't think that would go down too well though.

The only thing that matters is the right of people to self-determination. The people of the Falkland Islands wish to remain a self-governing British overseas territory and for as long as that is the case then we should respect that and defend their wishes.

Many(middle-class) Argentinians have in fact emigrated to Spain since Argentina's economic problems began back in the 90's.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Thats why both the UK and Argentina are bothered (i`m surprised the Yanks have not put their oar in)

That nice Sean Penn already has,I believe.:winking:

 

[Dick Bate's Protege]

Many(middle-class) Argentinians have in fact emigrated to Spain since Argentina's economic problems began back in the 90's.

With the state the Spanish economy is in, they'll probably be trying to move back.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

With the state the Spanish economy is in, they'll probably be trying to move back.

I've taught some of them,who are middle class professionals.One, a notary,went to work for Joan Laporta's(Barça's ex -President)Law firm.Her (and their) economic prospects are much better here.As Neil F.asserts Argentina is a bit of an economic basket case at the minute.