The Guardian: “Britain is asleep over Argentina and the Falklands”
In a piece published last week in London daily The Guardian, and referred to the recent Mercosur support for Argentina in the Falkland Islands dispute, Richard Gott argues that a new scenario has emerged with South America growing in strength, increasingly united and no longer looking to Europe for support and advice which means a different framework for the Falkland Islands s sovereignty dispute.
“The truth is the background music had changed” says Gott which therefore common sense seems to suggest that the two countries involved in the dispute Argentina and UK should meet to negotiate a solution.
Mr. Richard Gott is a writer and historian. He worked for many years at The Guardian as a leader-writer, foreign correspondent and as the features editor. He is the author of Cuba: A New History, published by Yale University Press
The full article follows:
In British diplomatic circles, no one dares to even discuss the future of the Falkland Islands. As far as they are concerned, the issue is settled. There is nothing to talk about, still less to negotiate. And this policy is unlikely to change following the news that the South American trading bloc, Mercosur – which includes not only Argentina but Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay –has agreed to close its ports to all ships flying the Falklands’ flag.
To reinforce British diplomats' wilful blindness, the Foreign Office has closed half a dozen embassies in Latin America in recent years, to minimise the danger of receiving subversive opinions from foreign capitals. All part of Britain's national decline.
Given that Argentina and Britain both have a good claim to the Islands, common sense would suggest that the two countries should meet to negotiate a solution, and that is exactly what Argentina's president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has often suggested. She has not been “ratcheting up the pressure”, still less has she been preparing the Argentine military for an attack. She is merely reiterating a longstanding policy, one that is ensconced permanently in the country's constitution.
Argentina has had a democratic government for nearly 30 years, and the military are wholly discredited as a result of their participation in the “dirty war” of the 1970s as well as for their fruitless assault on the Islands in 1982. They are confined to barracks and have neither the funds nor the weapons nor the inclination to seize the Islands.
What has changed in recent years is the political climate in Latin America. New governments have appeared across the continent with a progressive and nationalist agenda. They do not always see eye to eye with each other, their views on economic policy may differ, but they are united in believing their continent should organise itself for the benefit of its own peoples without outside interference.
This is an age-old aspiration, dating back to the 19th century, but in recent years new organisations have been created to give this idea coherence. Some deal with the mundane operations of banking and energy, others have more ambitious political plans, notably the recently established Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. All give voice to the desire to go their own way, without the controlling hand of the US –or indeed of Britain, America's close ally.
Sources of oil under the South Atlantic seas are now, of course, part of the equation, and if oil is found in commercial quantities it will be difficult for any company to exploit it without the assistance and co-operation of the Argentine mainland. In such an event the Foreign Office will be obliged to awake from its long, self-imposed slumber.
The UK complained about Mercosur action this week, but President José Mujica of Uruguay replied swiftly ”we hold nothing against the UK, but we have a lot in favour of Argentina”.
Traditionally the Foreign Office tells reporters, sotto voce, that the governments of Latin America (and, importantly, these alliances now include Caribbean countries with historical ties to Britain) speak with forked tongues and do not really support the Argentine claim to the Falklands.
Yet the truth is that the background music has changed. The countries of Latin America no longer look to Europe and the US for support and advice. They have grown to like doing their own thing. This week Argentina's claim to the Falklands has been powerfully reinforced.
Sources of oil under the South Atlantic seas are now, of course, part of the equation
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But CFK has no intention of invading anywhere shes far too busy directing Argentina threw the stormy waters of the world crisis with 9% growth in 2011 and over 5% in 2012 projected even by La Nacion.
In the meantime The UK heads for recession at best,its breakup whenever Salmond pulls the plug and its complete isolation in Europe.
“Sources of oil under the South Atlantic seas are now, of course, part of the equation..”
honestly------the most important reflexion of the article directly from The Guardian and without bias is...
“South America is growing in strength and increasingly united. Britain must wake up to this new reality”
and...
“..common sense would suggest that the two countries should meet to negotiate a solution, and that is exactly what Argentina's president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has often suggested..”
Enjoy the truth.....
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/22/britain-asleep-over-falkland-islands?INTCMP=SRCH
and you Clown Lord Ton...start to write your CRAP for falklandsnews.wordpress......c´mon...w´re wating just for laugh.
Please learn some geography: by “England”, I assume you mean the “United Kingdom”. England has not been an independent nation since the Act of Union in 1707.
The USA will always be the UKs ally, whether you think so or not (if it make to feel good to think otherwise, then carry on).
It make no ddifference whther China supports the UK or not.
We know that Brazil has just overtaken the UK as the 6th biggest economy in the world. We contratulate Brazil on ther success. It does not mean that the UK economy is getting any smaller. What it does mean is that Argentina is becoming less and less significant in South America.
Please also learn some more history - the British Empire hasn't really for about 50 years now, so there's nothing to sink.
When learning where neither gas nor oil around Malvinas
they try to change their glance , Afterthat ? they don't know how and
what will be .
Assure yourselves that when you do wake us up, you'll be getting a good hiding, like last time.
Now fcuk off, I'm trying to sleep.
There are many eho have been brainwashed by Murdoch and the BBC to beleive otherwise but this is the reality perfectly recognized in spanish as Inglaterra is almost always used to refer to the large island
Keep nibberling, and the mousee trap will be the least of your problems.
I reckon she is more of a sociopath....
Anybody else seen 'Guard' yet?? Worth a look....very funny
Who can believe that in this situation the islands belong to those who are living there? The resources are taken away from SouthAmerica!
It is agreed that when a majority so wish that the north will return to the Republic which is 100% Irish government policy.With Sinn Fein in government in the North and very likely to be in the next government in the republic the situation is likely to be fluid to say the least.
If Scotland chooses independence it wont be long until Ireland will also be united and free of the City after 800 years of terror.
I agree Salmond will have a 50 50 chance no more but he appears very capable contrary to the great majority of all European politicians right now
18 you are simply a deluded right winger who no doubt supported the military coups in the past against elected governments as in 76 with the support of Clarin and la Nacion.Wake up baby
Argentina is a democracy since 1983 and your far right wing delusions have no place anymore because 2-3% is all that support such claptrap
What it is turning into is a 'Dynasty'. Once Old Turkey Neck has flown the coop with her suitcases stuffed with USD (watch out for the sniffer dogs CFK) then her fat boy son will be in charge, once he gets over the suicide of his star pupil.
What a fcuking country!
Don't you know anything about this site's loose cannon, Xbarilox?
He's not right wing or left wing or any wing.
He is Xbarilox, and he is unique. As a matter of fact, l enjoy his postings!
Sometimes he is more of a malvinista than you are, other times he is so pro-Falklands that l think he has a union jack on his underclothes.
l think it depends on what he has been smoking/drinking.
l like him & you should too. He makes me laugh & isn't that what it's all about? Peace♥
As far as I am aware, “England” does not have any international treaties with anyone.
FYI: Mr. Richard Gott is a senile, retired Soviet spy. Remember “Cuban” che Guevara? Comrade Gott admired him deeply because, as some of you may remember, he was the KING OF THE PAREDON!
Cheers,
Philippe
21 Sorry i should have said the USSR sorry sorry UK
22 Christy from the land of honesty where the press can bug thoudands of phones and the police have a blind eye,where the lords can have their moata cleaned at parliaments expense,where the prime minister sacked his anti corruption chief because he was getting too close to the truth.I love the holier than thou hypocrit you are.England is hardly a democracy on your terms either is it Christy?
And how do you know all of this?
The answer is you read it in our papers! That's right, our papers, even your favourite the Sun carried it, the expenses corruption by our parliament was out in the open because of the Daily Telegraph: NOT the Gruniad (joke) NOT the Independent (another joke) but a conservative newspaper.
Shortly Argentina will not have any independent newspaPers or media because of the dictatorial new 'Law' (sure it's not a Decree by Old Turkey Neck?) that will control newsprint and set the price and who can by it.
Freedom of the Press? NOT IN ARGENTINA!
en.mercopress.com/2011/12/23/buenos-aires-only-accepts-one-outcome-of-talks-turning-falklands-into-an-argentine-colony#comment80099 (comment 98)
en.mercopress.com/2011/12/22/former-first-sea-lord-suggests-sending-a-nuclear-sub-to-protect-the-falklands (105)
The thing is one a bully always a bully and after talks he will turn and hit you every kid learns this at school it just on a bigger scale.
All of this talk is very cheap, indeed. The British do not need significant air craft carriers to keep the Falklands. They have superior drone craft, satellite imagery, battle hardened troups, night vision capabilities, and other technology to overwhelmingly defeat ARG. They also have backdoor support from the US, that CFK will never dislodge.
Argentines can disregard the Falklanders' right to self determination, but about 50% of Argentine citizens can only trace their roots in the country for less than 100 years. These were immigrants from the great wave of the late 19th century, when Eastern Europeans, Southern Italians, etc fled Euoropean poverty and pogroms. Many more came in the 1930's to escape Spanish fascism and the Nazi invasions. Odd, that they can self-determine their nationality in Argentina, but deny Falklanders the same rights.
While Argentina has claimed the islands for nearly 200 years, they certainly didn't do a darned thing about it until 1982 when the Junta needed a distraction. Now CFK needs a distraction from her runaway inflation (let's face it, 29% is the real annual number).
Any of the South American former colonies could claim the Falklands: Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil: they were all once part of the same administrative system as present-day Argentina.
Well spoken, Jayne.
The main trouble with these maco-men is they hate the fact that they lost.
They always have to win & lifes not like that.
We have lost many times, but we've won a lot too.
You just have to get over it, learn from your mistakes & move on.
Thank you for your observations.
lts up to Argentina to take us to court(the ICJ).
This they refuse to do, why?
Anyway, they will not accept the court's decision if they don't like it!
Some Argentine posters here have openly stated that they will take it to court only when they can stack the court with their friends!
How's that for corruption?
Their only other option is war, & at present they don't have the means to do this, hence their running around trying to drum up support from other(disinterested)countries.
l think that they want another country, like Brazil or China to do their fighting for them!
Either that or they're trying to talk us to death.
Peace.
I agree about O gaga not being Irish. I know quite a few genuine Irishmen and all of them can speak and write English (their Constitution is wriiten in English) far better than O gaga, try as he might. Their use of grammar is also vastly superior to the banal efforts of the Pretend Irishman.
He might be an Argie with a bigger than usual superiority complex and thinks being 'Irish' is the way of demonstrating it.
“That Argentina has claimed the Falkland Islands for nearly 200 years”!
This is what I call history upside down, invented by the injusticialistas.
Philippe
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