[Closed] Do we get any benefit from the Falkland Islands being British .

Other than that it's a political pawn, the a failing Argentinian govement made a pledge to "take them back" (I don't believe they've ever actually belonged to Argentina)

It's... complicated. But their claim is not without some validation, if tenuous (and an excuse to get all nationalistic to divert attention from the ruinous state of the country): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reassertion_of_British_sovereignty_over_the_Falkland_Islands_(1833)

so we have just as much of an obligation to protect them as if someone was looking to invade the Isle of Wite

Yet they don't pay tax to the UK nor make any financial contribution towards the UK armed services,neither does Gibraltar and they are not obliged too AFAIK.

I live on the Isle of [i]Wight[/i] and I can assure you I do pay taxes that go into the UK's coffers which help fund the military. Isle of Man, maybe?

They chose a bit that made slightly more sense to the people living there.

your history knowledge is shocking. I think you need to read up on Indian partition "old chap"

your history knowledge is shocking. I think you need to read up on Indian partition "old chap"

It's certainly not my area of expertise but my understanding was that post-1905(?) East Bengal was majority Muslim therefore the decision to turn it into East ****stan or is vaguely remembered history wrong?

The only things East and West ****stan had in common were formerly being part of British India and Islam so yes, having them as the same country made no sense. Anyway, my point was that if they were ONLY working geographically they'd have sliced off bits of Gujarat, Rajasthan etc

We did not steal the Falklands from anyone, it was part of a formal land trade.

What I find pretty scary about this post is how few people have said anything about the welfare of the people living on the Falklands, or indeed their democratic will, their options to choose their nationality and their own government and indeed our moral duty of care towards them. Its not, and certainly should not be, about costs and returns. When given a vote, almost no one there wanted to integrate with Argentina.

OP and indeed some of the others here - if you were to become seriously ill or injured, requiring months of medical treatment, should you just be written off to die, as you would never be able to pay back enough for the UK health service to make a profit from you? Would that be the right thing to do?

If anything the Falklands people should have the option to become fully independent if they wish - but they cant risk that as Argentina will just annex them again, against their will.

Argentina have already violently forced the Falklanders in to being occupied, so of course they fear becoming part of Argentina as its has behaved so badly in the past to the Falklanders. Loads of people died for the personal benefit of Argentinas own politicians, just for political gains. The terrifying military invasion of the Faulklands by Argentina was not to help the popularization in any way, it was to up the ratings of the Argentinian politicians who were having political difficulties at the time. Instead the war boosted Thacher, an unfortunate side effect for the UK.

If you work on this sort of basis - just money and proximity and ignoring the people, the UK really should offer to become a region of Germany or France due to proximity and past history of aggression towards us over the centuries.

This.

We have a responsibility to the Falkland Islanders.

We did not steal the Falklands from anyone, it was part of a formal land trade.

You need to review your history as well...

Shetlands are closer to Oslo than London so they can be handed over too

Given they are Scottish islands and closer to Edinburgh than oslo, NO.

Stu looks familiar - did he used to be a driving instructor?

Yes, he used to teach Royal Marines how to drive RIB's with 500hp Mercury's in Hong Kong! 😆

Middle aged fatty with a goatee, Orange 5, Audi

Specialised Stumpy, Cube HT, a Harley, a mint condition Kawasaki 750 from the 80's & recently bought GSXR. Oh & a Mondeo Estate. He has lost weight though. 😉

Here's my own special conspiracy theory for you:

Retaining the Falklands has cost the UK and the world untold billions. My belief is that we signed a secret agreement with the US which means that we would support them militarily whenever requested, in order to get their logistic and satellite support during the Falklands war. Initially the US was strongly on the Argentinian side, with (?) Madeleine Albright making very anti-British noises, but something happened for them to switch.
Since then, we have become US poodles. Before 1982, our support for US foreign policy was lukewarm - we stayed out of Vietnam, did not provide much in Korea, etc.
Whey else would we keep Trident, or have gone into Iraq?

I've had this hypothesis semi-confirmed three times, once by a security man who was attached to a junior minister of defence, once it was hinted at by a very senior civil servant from the MoD, and once by a high-ranking UK officer who spent time seconded to the Pentagon.

atlaz - Member

If we're going on geography alone, the Shetlands are closer to Oslo than London so they can be handed over too

There's some bits of the UK that are closer to Shetland than London

Stu looks familiar - did he used to be a driving instructor?
Yes, he used to teach Royal Marines how to drive RIB's with 500hp Mercury's in Hong Kong!

My Stuart is a different one then. The man who taught me to drive specialised in falling out of planes and walking a long way to meet new people and kill them.

He said teaching me to drive was far more stressful than his camping expedition to the south atlantic in the early 80's.

Yes, he used to teach Royal Marines how to drive RIB's with 500hp Mercury's in Hong Kong!

Clever that. Mercury don't make 500hp outboards.

I have seen 500hp Mercury's in the boathouse at Hereford.

My Stuart is a different one then. The man who taught me to drive specialised in falling out of planes and walking a long way to meet new people and kill them.

😆

Yes, he used to teach Royal Marines how to drive RIB's with 500hp Mercury's in Hong Kong!

I bet they handled like a right bloody boat on the country roads...

gobuchul - Member
Clever that. Mercury don't make 500hp outboards.

Don't let facts get in the way of his man-crush

I have seen 500hp Mercury's in the boathouse at Hereford.

Do we get any benefit from Yorkshire being part of Britain? No, we''l be off then. We can take the Falklands with us as it'll mean we can on our holidays there and it will still feel like home but with penguins.

Perhaps we should use the Falkland islands as a holding camp for immigrant and asylum seekers whilst their claims are processed.

Perhaps we should use the Falkland islands as a holding camp for immigrant and asylum seekers whilst their claims are processed.

The Australian model?

Here's my own special conspiracy theory for you:

90,000 UK nationals served in Korea

Do we get any benefit from Yorkshire being part of Britain?

If only we had a use for shoulder chips Yorkshire would be invaluable! 😛

OP and indeed some of the others here - if you were to become seriously ill or injured, requiring months of medical treatment, should you just be written off to die, as you would never be able to pay back enough for the UK health service to make a profit from you? Would that be the right thing to do?

Well that's why we pay towards the NHS , we all pay in and some end up net contributors and some don't , similar to car insurance .

I have seen 500hp Mercury's in the boathouse at Hereford.

What goes on in the boathouse in Hereford stays in the boathouse in Hereford.

Considering De Niro doesn't even know how to pronounce Hereford would suggest he's a bit of a Walter Mitty to. :-)"Hearford". 🙂

@ piemaster, your our chips if you can afford it.

Considering De Niro doesn't even know how to pronounce Hereford would suggest he's a bit of a Walter Mitty to. :-)"Hearford".

I believe that's how it's meant to be pronounced if you're going walt-catching. 😆

https://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/The_Boathouse

Clever that. Mercury don't make 500hp outboards.

Did they ever make a 250? cos 2 of those make...?

Anyway, he used to ferry the SBS around so whatever they used.

Of course I've got a mancrush on Stu, he shot an Argie Skyhawk down! 8)

Here's my own special conspiracy theory for you:

Retaining the Falklands has cost the UK and the world untold billions. My belief is that we signed a secret agreement with the US which means that we would support them militarily whenever requested, in order to get their logistic and satellite support during the Falklands war. Initially the US was strongly on the Argentinian side, with (?) Madeleine Albright making very anti-British noises, but something happened for them to switch.
Since then, we have become US poodles. Before 1982, our support for US foreign policy was lukewarm - we stayed out of Vietnam, [b]did not provide much in Korea[/b], etc.
Whey else would we keep Trident, or have gone into Iraq?

I've had this hypothesis semi-confirmed three times, once by a security man who was attached to a junior minister of defence, once it was hinted at by a very senior civil servant from the MoD, and once by a high-ranking UK officer who spent time seconded to the Pentagon.

Whey else would we keep Trident, or have gone into Iraq?

Because the CIA knew that our politicians, tv celebrities and aristocracy were a bunch of peados and were willing to release the evidence.

Wow.... if only conspiracy theories were true...one of the guys I did my apprenticeship with would have been delighted not to have been in Korea and not to have not frozen his butt off in a centurion tank or to have been left deaf