Is Celebrating Death Justifiable?

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Originally Posted by YesNo

I agree. It is not the islands themselves but their location and the resources owning them gives one a right to that must be considered as you mention. For the Argentinian government to just take over the islands without negotiation was wrong and it seemed that Lady Thatcher met that challenge nicely.

The war that Bush and Blair later got themselves into in Iraq, on the other hand, was unjustified.

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Yes Bush tailed along after Cheney and Blair tailed along after Bush. The justification for the war had less to do with WMDs and more with Halliburton's balance sheet and Cheney's retainer's fee.

I agree with your thoughts on the current Falklands dispute. Ideally, it would have ben best to negotiate a really good deal for the islanders whilst we were in a strong position rather than posture and postpone inevitable problems until today. The regime was corrupt then, but we could have waited a good few years to finalise. The islanders are living a dream of Britishness that lots of expats do. It would be better for them to face reality. but then it is a less than ideal world, and people prefer fantasy.

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Originally Posted by cacian

Not to mention Kuwait and Afghanistan none of these wars are really the England's make up. England was made involved with both of them.
Having the falklands as a territory means the British navy gets to keep its formalities and keep training ie spending money on behalf of the working British population. One needs to justify the spending cuts and the Falklands is a very good reason why the navy is vital. Future wars await.
This means England is made the scape goat whenever the Us or France decide they have a war to run. England gets to send her troops for support. Another threat is soon coming from South Korea meaning England will fork out the help needed to support any of the allies suggestions to go to war yet again. The Falkland's is just a very good reason for the navy to subsidise while your average British worker slaves day in and day out to keep the war momentum going . The allies in the meantime get to peddle about and around looking hugely important because they know England is army prepared.

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I hadn't thought of the training that the Falklands provide the British military. It is best to do sort of thing far from home.

I like to think, or fantasize especially after watching the movie, that if Margaret Thatcher were Prime Minister rather than Tony Blair, Bush would have been the lap dog and maybe those wars wouldn't have had to happen at all. Of course, as a US citizen I can't get away from my own responsibility even if I didn't vote for him.

It seems that the ten million figure is widely reported to be the figure costing the state for her funeral on Wednesday. 'A modest sum' says one minister interviewed on ITV. I'm sure ten million is a 'modest sum' for Tory MPs but for millions of real people ten million is far from modest.

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Originally Posted by Neely

It seems that the ten million figure is widely reported to be the figure costing the state for her funeral on Wednesday. 'A modest sum' says one minister interviewed on ITV. I'm sure ten million is a 'modest sum' for Tory MPs but for millions of real people ten million is far from modest.

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You never did answer my question Neely.

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Originally Posted by YesNo

I hadn't thought of the training that the Falklands provide the British military. It is best to do sort of thing far from home.

I like to think, or fantasize especially after watching the movie, that if Margaret Thatcher were Prime Minister rather than Tony Blair, Bush would have been the lap dog and maybe those wars wouldn't have had to happen at all. Of course, as a US citizen I can't get away from my own responsibility even if I didn't vote for him.

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Yes, the British travel 8,000 miles to go do training in the Falklands. ROFLMAO!!

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Originally Posted by Volya

You never did answer my question Neely.

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What, the one asking why Margaret Thatcher's funeral shouldn't be funded by the state? I'm sorry it just doesn't deserve a response.

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

I agree with your thoughts on the current Falklands dispute. Ideally, it would have ben best to negotiate a really good deal for the islanders whilst we were in a strong position rather than posture and postpone inevitable problems until today. The regime was corrupt then, but we could have waited a good few years to finalise. The islanders are living a dream of Britishness that lots of expats do. It would be better for them to face reality. but then it is a less than ideal world, and people prefer fantasy.

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Very true. Despite the islanders' wishes, their position is a tenuous one. They are a long way from 'home' and, in the nature of power politics, they are only a bargaining chip in the Falkland's scenario. Which is why the recent referendum on British sovereignty is dismissed by Argentina as a gimmick. Ideally, the islands could be leased to Argentina for 100 years with the UK's rights to shared oil and mineral resources guaranteed. The problem is that entrenched positions make it difficult to arrive at a solution where the opposing parties would benefit without the use of force.

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Originally Posted by Emil Miller

Very true. Despite the islanders' wishes, their position is a tenuous one. They are a long way from 'home' and, in the nature of power politics, they are only a bargaining chip in the Falkland's scenario. Which is why the recent referendum on British sovereignty is dismissed by Argentina as a gimmick. Ideally, the islands could be leased to Argentina for 100 years with the UK's rights to shared oil and mineral resources guaranteed. The problem is that entrenched positions make it difficult to arrive at a solution where the opposing parties would benefit without the use of force.

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I don't think you understand the situation. The British made the islanders citizens. Case closed.

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Originally Posted by Neely

What, the one asking why Margaret Thatcher's funeral shouldn't be funded by the state? I'm sorry it just doesn't deserve a response.

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No not that, I agree with you there. The one about why my question came across as trollish.

Just read the Faulkland Islands' history on Wikipedia. It's a mess - always has been. The Brits don't really want them, the Argies really really want them, but are going about getting them in completely the wrong way.

Had the military Junta understood the British psyche and asked nicely, they would have got them by now.

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Originally Posted by prendrelemick

Just read the Faulkland Islands' history on Wikipedia. It's a mess - always has been. The Brits don't really want them, the Argies really really want them, but are going about getting them in completely the wrong way.

Had the military Junta understood the British psyche and asked nicely, they would have got them by now.

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The problem was that the Junta wanted to ensure its hold on the country and the Falklands invasion was a means of gaining public support.

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Originally Posted by Volya

No not that, I agree with you there. The one about why my question came across as trollish.

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Just because it seemed such a bizarre suggestion, for us to pay for her funeral, being such a lover of the private market etc. Not I that I thought you was a troll, as I know that's not the case, just that it was a trollish sort of suggestion, almost perverse. Though maybe you were just being devil's advocate?

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Originally Posted by cafolini

I don't think you understand the situation. The British made the islanders citizens. Case closed.

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I can see it now - the British team of negotiators present that to the Argentine team who then throw up their arms exclaiming of course - case closed. End of story. They'll all end up ROFLTAO and everyone will go home happy.

Simple.