The Falkland Islands

[Boy-Blue]

Isn't it time that the British government did the honorable thing and handed
back the Falklands to Argentina, the rightful owners?

[Mosaic]

The continenet of south America belonged to a whole lotta people who weren't Spanish or Portuguese for much longer than it (oh damn run out of syntax)

[ZedBloke]

So where is boy blue then?

[Baldric]

They should stick to what they're good at;

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=argentina+corned+beef&hl=en&tbo=u&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&;rlz=1I7PRFA_en&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=nr_lUN3UOMyX0QXjoYDoDA&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1239&bih=518

And we'll carry on Penguin Bowling

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/penguin.asp

[Boy-Blue]

Ok,you have all made it abundantly clear that Britain hangs on to its spoils of war.

[Wharton]

Jingo Bells Jingo Bells

[Mosaic]

BB, if I gave that impression I apologise.
I believe all indigineous people's claims should be acknowledged. In Argentina's case it is simply one aggressor / usurper ranting about another.

[Boy-Blue]

Ok, you have all made it abundantly clear that Britain hangs on to its spoils of war...tut tut

[Hopkirk]

Isn't it really about oil, as usual?

[DTCwordfan]

that's a daft thing to say...could you us an outline of how Britain was at war with Argentina in the 1840s and culminating with Pact of Friendship in 1850......You may become the next Simon Schama and it will merit a PhD.......?

What twaddle.

[Wharton]

I was being facetious Boy-Blue :-)

[DTCwordfan]

And not that Argentina is averse to war. 1864 the Paraquayan war or the War of the Triple Alliance when the Argies beat up the poor Paraquayans, killing 1.2 million of them through war-death or disease to seize the lands of the River Plate

The UK's involvement down there was over the Plate and only a blocade (in 1845-50) with the French to support the Uruguayans who were being beat up by your lot, the Allied forces including Brazil and the Argentine Unitarians. The Pact of Friendship came out of this - hardly a war like the one above.

[ZedBloke]

The Falklands where not taken in war. Your ignorance is really quite breathtaking. Are you argentine or just a really anti British Brit? I can't decide!

[Hopkirk]

I hate to swim against the tide.

However in these days of austerity, can we justify the cost of defending this distant outpost?

[Baldric]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A fair number of us think so I'm sure!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Beach_Military_Cemetery_at_San_Carlos

[Baldric]

One more try;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Beach_Military_Cemetery_at_San_Carlos

[DTCwordfan]

The plonker, especially if he is Argie, is blithely ignorant of other excesses of the Argentinians - against its own people.

I refer him to the Conquest of the Desert and the Conquest of the Chao people which lasted from the 1870s to WW2 and involved the seizure of native lands and killing of them, not forgetting the removal of women to become Japanese-style comfort workers for the Argentinian army and also the mass-slaughter of their livestock to destroy the Pampas and Patagonian economies.

[vulcan]

Boy-Blue, a number of people here have given valid reasons why Argentina doesn't own the Falkland Islands. Rather than offering one line accusations, please give us your reasons why Argentina is the rightful owner.

[dickythecook]

This might explain the posturing, somewhat.
Copied from rt.com. Max Keiser report.

The Fitch ratings agency has downgraded Argentina five notches, saying the country could default on its obligations to US creditors. That’s after a US judge ordered Argentina to set aside $ 1.3bn for debt repayment by December 15.

The rating agency cut its long-term rating for Argentina to “CC” from “B,” with the short-term rating being cut to the level one step above default – to “C” from “B.”

US Judge Thomas Griesa of Manhattan Federal Court ordered Argentina to set aside $1.3bn in bond payments to certain investors, which includes Elliott Capital Management and Aurelius Capital Management. Next month the country will need to pay back coupon obligations of another $3bn.

In the meantime, Argentina authorities are appealing the decision. Argentinean politicians, even those opposed to President Cristina Fernandez, have nearly unanimously criticized the judge's ruling as threatening the success of the debt relief that enabled Argentina to grow.

Argentina hasn’t had access to international debt markets since 2002, when the country announced a default on its bonds worth $95bn. After years of negotiations the country’s authorities agreed to restructure its debt with almost all of its creditors, except Elliott and Aurelius.

If Argentina is forced to pay in full the other debt holders are expected to demand immediate payment of their $11bn as well.

On top of that, Argentina is now grappling with social unrest. Besides the court case, Fitch cited a “tense and polarized political climate” and public dissatisfaction with high inflation, weak infrastructure and currency. In early November Buenos Aires saw Argentina’s largest anti-government protest in years, where high inflation and corruption were among the top criticisms.

[Zeuhl]

Cristina Fernández the current argentine president is- according to wikipedia:

/ born in Ringuelet, a suburb west of La Plata, Province of Buenos Aires, daughter of Eduardo Fernández (of Spanish heritage) and Ofelia Esther Wilhelm (of German descent) /

Perhaps we should hand over the Falklands

Perhaps we should do it the day after all the Argentinian Spanish and Germans head back to Spain and Germany and hand Argentina over to someone else

Of course, the Argentinians may feel they have some claim to their south american territories, if so, they should show the Falklanders the same respect

[sunny-dave]

Or we could just nuke the buggers ....

< for the avoidance of doubt this is an example of 'tongue in cheek' British humour ... probably >