Falklands / Malvinas heats up

Discussion in 'International News' started by The Biscuitman, Feb 23, 2010.

  1. The Biscuitman

    The Biscuitman Member+

    Jul 4, 2007
    Club:
    Reading FC
    So we start drilling for oil this week around The Falklands and a war of words appears to be picking up speed.

    Kirchner is now reported to have the support of the Rio Groupe. Even comedian Hugo Chavez has waded in: 'queen of England, I am talking to you, If conflict breaks out, be sure Argentina will not be alone like it was back in 1982'

    Interesting times.

    p.s Hope we come up against Argentina in the World Cup this summer!!!
     
  2. Toon³

    Toon³ Member

    Dec 27, 2002
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    This really is a complete none issue but anything that annoys that clown Chavez can only be a good thing.
     
  3. CHICO13

    CHICO13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 4, 2001
    SECTION 135
    Club:
    The Strongest La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Me too...
     
    Chesco United repped this.
  4. Leedsunited

    Leedsunited Member

    Jun 14, 2007
    Yorkshire
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    The words 'heard it all before' spring to mind.
     
  5. saosebastiao

    saosebastiao New Member

    May 22, 2005
    Ummm...forget about BigSoccer posters, why do Argentina and the UK care about the falklands? Its not like they are full of oil, diamonds, and hot chicks. Just a couple of birds and some cold weather.
     
  6. CHICO13

    CHICO13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 4, 2001
    SECTION 135
    Club:
    The Strongest La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    And sheep, don't forget the sheep.
     
    1 person likes this.
  7. tomwilhelm

    tomwilhelm Member+

    Dec 14, 2005
    Boston, MA, USA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Are you joking? I never can tell.

    [​IMG]

    You see all that yellow? Oil. Maybe. At least enough people think so that the UK and Argentina are pissing at one another yet again over it...
     
  8. spejic

    spejic Cautionary example

    Mar 1, 1999
    San Rafael, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Yeah, but a wave of drilling in the very late 1990's turned up nothing, and none of the companies from that group are willing to give it a second go. There is a very good chance this will be just more expensive holes.
     
  9. tomwilhelm

    tomwilhelm Member+

    Dec 14, 2005
    Boston, MA, USA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Then why the hell is the UK doing it?

    And why is Argentina invoking Armageddon over it?

    Jeesh.
     
  10. spejic

    spejic Cautionary example

    Mar 1, 1999
    San Rafael, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Because everyone is desperate for oil and the world is running out of places to look for it. It doesn't look that good, but there is still a chance this could work, and if it does it means a great deal of money and economic growth and political power. Both the UK's and Argentina's production peaked a decade ago and have been going down since.
     
  11. Anthony

    Anthony Member+

    Chelsea
    United States
    Aug 20, 1999
    Chicago
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I guess we can officially wrap up that whole "special relationship" thing now.

    I am of two monds on this. On the one hand, I have long been dismissive of the idea of a "special relationship" between the US and Britain. I those innocent days pre-9/11 and Big Soccer crash, I wrote a longish post during a Bush-Fox summit that Mexico was the new special one for the US.

    I have hoped that the US would get rid of our Cold War Europe First foreign policy, noting that events in Mexico City and Bejing are now in many ways more important to the US than events in Paris, Berlin or London. And I think that is what is happening here. The Obama Administration is not really that interested in Europe and seems to go out of its way to snub European leaders (did you like your DVDs Mr. Brown?). The US is changing, and the old ties of family between the US and Europe are long gone. Churchill and FDR have long since gone onto their rewards.

    If I was British, also, I would find the whole special relationship somewhat one sided and frankly wishful thinking. I am not sure it was ever that important to the American populace as a whole.

    Yet, part of me does feel some regret if it is to end this way. We do share common values. Britain after all is the birthplace of modern representative democracy and the idea that people can rule themselves. Limited government, liberty, all had its genesis in the genius of the British peoples.

    But maybe like a couple that has grown tired of each other, it is time to move one.
     
  12. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nonstory. Unless Argentina desires to get slapped up again, they will just yell and scream.
     
  13. CHICO13

    CHICO13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 4, 2001
    SECTION 135
    Club:
    The Strongest La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Chavez and Evo decide to stick their big fat noses into it. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if her Majesty's RAF came in and took out Morales. I could actually go home and enjoy myself. :D
     
  14. Chris M.

    Chris M. Member+

    Jan 18, 2002
    Chicago
    Over the top British "journalism"?!?!?

    Who knew. :D

    Not much of interest in there, but this:

    Over the course of the last year, we’ve seen a staggering array of foreign policy follies by this administration, from the throwing under the bus of the Poles and the Czechs over missile defence . . .

    One man's foreign policy blunder is another man's securing of a commitment from a country who was once Iran's biggest nuclear benefactor to sit on our side of the table in the biggest state sponsored threat that faces America.

    Sorry Nile, but a) I don't think we threw the Poles and Czechs under the bus and b) Obama was looking out for the best interests of the United States, and oh by the way . . . England as well.

    Honestly, until I saw this thread, I had no idea that things were heating up in the Falklands again. The fact that the US doesn't throw full support behind England when the first little verbal pebbles are exchanged means very little. Let's see how this plays out.
     
  15. purojogo

    purojogo Member

    Sep 23, 2001
    US/Peru home
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We need the USMNT to show England how much we care about that "special relationship" ....about as much as Terry and Cole do about theirs..
     
  16. HerthaBerwyn

    HerthaBerwyn Member+

    May 24, 2003
    Chicago
    Oils pretty near to the line. Were I Argentina Id hire the Chinese to set up and do some Slant drilling.



    What?
     
    1 person likes this.
  17. leg_breaker

    leg_breaker Member

    Dec 23, 2005
    Argentina is even less capable of taking the Falklands now than in '82 when it was completely undefended.
     
  18. Leedsunited

    Leedsunited Member

    Jun 14, 2007
    Yorkshire
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC

    In reality it's very sensible from the US. I'm sure in private things are a little more slanted towards Britain. They probably realise that this is the traditional pre-election rallying call by a likely outgoing President, that Argentina couldn't militarily take back the Falkland Islands even if she was serious, and the stakes are just slightly higher than normal because of perfectly legitimate industry in their own waters by the islanders. Also the UN is committed to self-determination, hard to see how they'd get involved further than calling for talks.

    I think we'll see weeks of hot-air, calls for talks that will lead to nothing and the Royal Navy being a little busy telling Argie ships to piss off when they get too close.
     
  19. spejic

    spejic Cautionary example

    Mar 1, 1999
    San Rafael, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    I don't know that China wants to get involved. They are in their own controversy over who owns islands with disappointing oil production over in the South China Sea.

    Britain has upgraded their air forces on the island in the last few months. It's not going anywhere.
     
  20. CheeseAndOatcakes

    CheeseAndOatcakes New Member

    Aug 20, 2008
    Staffordshire
    Club:
    Stoke City FC
    It is a shame it's come to this but if things kick off then we should immediately leave war zones like Iraq/Afghanistan and concentrate on what is important to us in the way BO is doing for the US.

    We have long questioned what the US does for us since we seem to be dishing out the favours and getting little in return, maybe now it's time to stop doing those things and let the US try to build a relationship with another power, albeit if they try to do so with China/Russia it will fail miserably IMHO given they have entirely different values and goals with the world.

    Seems BO is alienating everyone including the Chinese with his recent Dalai Lama visit against Chinese wishes much to their dissatisfaction. He's trying to be soften the enemy and seems hell bent of snubbing Europe which is a recipe for poor relations with everyone. I suspect he doesn't know where to put his flag and in doing so will lose the respect of all.

    My other half is from NC but lives in SC and in my travels of those states and surrounding states I've only experienced hatred of him.

    They label him 'The Spineless Coward' and seem to have a hatred of their own president that is unmatched by our dissatisfaction of his recent lack of support here.

    Anyway regardless of his passive behaviour, that land is ours and the people have the right to self-determination and they choose to be part of our nation and so be it not to mention the oil will be a good pay day although we've been supporting the Falkland Islands and people well before we were aware of those assets.
     
  21. CheeseAndOatcakes

    CheeseAndOatcakes New Member

    Aug 20, 2008
    Staffordshire
    Club:
    Stoke City FC
    I suspect this was all orchestrated.

    Last year the UK upgraded air defences, the bases and other military assets.

    They also replaced the Tornado's with the Typhoon which is a truly awesome bit of technology and will make mincemeat of anything the latin countries have to offer.

    Not to mention there's been subs in the area in preparation for this and we all know what happened to the Argentines navy the last time they encountered a British sub (1 ship sunk, the rest ran away).
     
  22. bright

    bright Member

    Dec 28, 2000
    Central District
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why are we bumping a thread from 1982? ;)
     
  23. Rafael Hernandez

    Rafael Hernandez Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 6, 2002
    My reaction to the whole article and such was always that it seemed to be that the "special relationship" means support me all the time or else it's BS. I don't know but maybe the US and Obama may disagree about the rights to the islands like I think most people in Latin America do.

    I think that things will remain the same. That being said I think the Falkland Islands are a sign of european colonial domination and for the UK to claim they belong to them, when they are a stone throw away from Argentina and insanely away from the UK, shows that the claim is based on other stuff. Sure the UK has supported them before the oil but Argentina has claimed the islands for the entire time it's been a UK colony.

    I don't see why Chavez are criticized when they are spewing the idea of the majority of Latin Americans on the subject. I would think the only reason for that there wasn't support of a lot of Latin Americans in 82, was because of the millitary junta in Argentina but not a lack of support of the claim itself.
     
  24. spejic

    spejic Cautionary example

    Mar 1, 1999
    San Rafael, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    So is Argentina. The Ona, Haush, and Yahgans are all dead.
     
  25. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    With all due respect to the British who post here, -I know you have your position based on what they teach you in England, just like I have mine based on what I've learned in Argentina- I think you should be aware that the issue of self-determination is a hypocritical way to hide Britain's true intentions, which are to make money stealing resources from the South Atlantic.

    There are only a few thousand people in the Malvinas, which is a hell-hole barely inhabitable, and they are there for the most part because Britain bribes them with a very generous welfare program to encourage them to stay there. Britain has made a lot of money from selling fishing rights in the South Atlantic to the Japanese, and now they are after the oil of the South Atlantic. It is a colonialist situation, and the UN is on record as recognizing this fact.

    Britain has no business taking oil or selling fishing rights in the South Atlantic. The only reason Britain is in the South Atlantic is its military might. They stole the Islands from Argentina at the same time that they blockaded the port of Buenos Aires in order to keep the young nation from developing economically and to keep by force the British monopoly on trade.

    Yeah, it was foolish for Argentina to challenge Britain by force, and it would be foolish to do so again. But what the British perhaps don't realize, or maybe they do and don't care, is that this arrogant bullying attitude plays into the hands of demagogues -from the right and from the left-, like the Galtieris and the Kirchners. And also it helps the Chavez and Castros as well, who get points with the regular folk all over Latin America for eloquently showing solidarity.

    I admire the British system of government, the freedoms it garantees its citizens, and the respect the citizens have for their institutions. But if Britain was honest about standing up for freedom as they claim, then they would see how their stealing resources from the South Atlantic will backfire, because this type of behavior leads to hatred for the West among the people of Latin America, and plays into the hand of hostile leaders like Chavez and the Kirchners who abuse power.

    On the other hand, if Britain doesn't give a shit about freedom in Latin America, then by all means keep plundering us. But be careful. Someday in the future the developing nations may rise up and have their revenge.
     

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