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Falklands war, a turning point for Margaret Thatcher’s image and political fortunes

Monday, April 8th 2013 - 19:55 UTC
Full article 43 comments

When the head of Argentina's military junta General Leopold Galtieri deployed military forces in the Falkland Islands, Britain assembled a task force to sail to the South Atlantic, to the astonishment of people in Britain, and the rest of the world. Read full article

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  • Chicureo

    Bravo to Merco Press for your excellent coverage, but I differ with your comment that: “in the most controversial military action of the war.” referring to the sinking of the Belgrano.
    Without a doubt, the most controversial military action of the war was the surprise invasion by the Argentines.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 08:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Livingthedream

    Only God can Judge her now

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 08:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • warteiner

    Hilarious ...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x-4FJcnX0i8

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 08:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Islander1

    Mercopress- 252 british and 3 Islanders- total was 255. Belgrano not controversial at all - just in the minds of a group of left wing pontificators on both sides who have zero experience of and zero understanding of military action.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 08:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Forgetit86

    As Plato wrote in the “Republic”, inciting wars is a device hated tyrants employed to turn popular attention away from domestic problems and enforce social cohesion. That worked in Greece in the antiquity; and has worked in Britain in the contemporary world.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 09:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • reality check

    Duh what! Britian incited the 1982 war to distract the Argentine people from the actions of the Argentine junta, did it?

    Now that is an interesting hypothesis, crazy! But interesting.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 09:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • darragh

    @5

    and not in Argentina???????????????????????????????????????

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 09:16 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Conqueror

    Comment removed by the editor.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 09:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pete Bog

    @5 Argentina will do anything but say sorry-we were wrong to invade-so now it is Britain's fault that Argentina chose aggression to break UN resolution 2065?

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 09:47 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Musky

    RIP Mrs. Thatcher, defender of freedom and democracy and a True Brit.
    You put these worthless dictators in the their place, at the bottom of the dung heap.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 09:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Forgetit86

    Comment removed by the editor.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Frank

    Escalated the hostilties? Kicked out the invaders? Your point is?

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:14 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Stevie

    10
    No she didn't, she actually befriended one of the worst in the history of Latin America...

    Tell me who your friends are and I tell you who you are...

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Forgetit86

    #10 A “defender of freedom and democracy”, Pinochet's girlfriend, really?

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Forgetit87

    Mercopress removed my message after a request of mine. Here it is again with some corrections:

    Look at the murderous, vulgar rage that truth-telling provokes in the jingoist Thatcher acolytes (specially on Typhoon/Conqueror). It's like telling a fanatic that his God doesn't exist. A moment before you were all praising the piece, though it argues, albeit more politely, exactly what I did - that Thatcher exploited the war in her favor, that she managed to appeal to the downtrodden masses whose lot she ruined with her policies by making them forget their misery in jingoistic orgies. It doesn't matter who started the war. After all, with some exceptions, like the Thatcher-supported Iraq War, wars are seldom a matter of decisions; they don't happen in a vacuum but are the culmination of pre-existent *bilateral* tensions. And it's fair to say of Thatcher that, à la manière of ancient Greek tyrants, she, along with the Argentine junta, chose to escalate the FI hostilities out of political expediency.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:20 pm - Link - Report abuse -1
  • Frank

    What a sad and sorry lot these RGs are... http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/345015/argentine-paper-thatcher-drunk-john-fund?

    I wouldn't piss on an RG if he was on fire......

    Low life mongrel crunts the lot of them.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:25 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Stevie

    16
    “The life of the most controversial of Britain’s 20th century prime ministers ended with senile dementia, confined to her Knightsbridge mansion, under the care of a nurse and unable to go outside because she got lost. Before that, she had suffered the ravages of too many gin and tonics,”

    That is plain mean!

    Clarin is a shit paper anyways.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anbar

    told you we would see the best of Argentines didnt I?

    “Its always somebody elses fault”... and now its Maggie's fault the Junta invaded in 1982.

    You cannot make this stuff up!

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    18
    Not Maggie's fault Anbar, according to the Argetine media, she was dipping her nose in gin and tonic...

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • JustinKuntz

    Gin and tonic, bullshit, Thatcher drank whisky. In moderation, a glass before bed and that was all.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 10:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anbar

    “”according to the Argetine media“”

    sorry, fell on the floor laughing at that point..

    what did you mean to say?

    This is the “Not really free” Argentine press that CFK has been destroying unless it supports her “Argentine Press”? ...or is the “Argentine Press” in your personal parallel Universe where only what you say is the truth and you know everything about everything...?

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 11:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    Indeed
    It's a shit paper, but still Argentine.
    You are the ones defending Clarín...

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 11:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • CJvR

    The sinking of the Belgrano is only controversial to anti-Thatcherites and Argie Junta supporters and rabid nationalists with too much Falklands and too little IQ in their heads.

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 11:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Lord Ton

    http://falklandsnews.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/the-falklands-winston-churchill/

    The belghrano was a legitimate target - if you start a shooting war - be prepared to get shot!

    http://falklandsnews.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/the-falklands-winston-churchill/

    Apr 08th, 2013 - 11:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • St.John

    The sinking of ARA Belgrano was not controversial to her captain Hector Bonzo.

    ”The opinion of the commander of the ship on May 2, 1982, Argentine navy captain Hector Bonzo
    I do not like when they talk about the Belgrano as a war crime. If I had sighted a withdrawing British ship I have no doubt that we had attacked it. We were not harmlessly peaceful. The Belgrano had 15 152 mm cannons and was equipped with Exocet missiles”.

    http://www.lanacion.com.ar/702442-general-belgrano-crimen-o-acccion-de-combate

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 01:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marcos Alejandro

    16 Frank “What a sad and sorry lot these RGs are...”
    I don't personally celebrate the dead of anyone Yank, but apparently your cousins do.

    “Glasgow: More than 300 people attended impromptu street party
    London: Over 100 people gathered in Brixton to 'celebrate'
    Facebook campaign to take 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead' to number one”

    Durham Miners' Association: Her death was a 'great day' for coal miners
    Second most trending topic on Twitter: #nostatefuneral

    NUS National conference reported to have cheered at news of her death

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305760/Lefts-chorus-hatred-Champagne-streets-students-union-cheers-vile-internet-taunts.html#ixzz2PvmmHm23

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 02:57 am - Link - Report abuse -1
  • XAVIERV

    Comment removed by the editor.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 03:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • reality check

    Xarv
    I doubt she is there, but if she is, she can give those 600 argy heros she sent there another good spanking!

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 06:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Gordo1

    http://en.mercopress.com/2009/04/23/captain-of-falklands-war-cruiser-general-belgrano-dies-in-argentina

    The facts about the sinking of the Belgrano. No crime - act of war provoked by Argentina.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 06:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Musky

    @13 Stevie & @14 Forgetit86

    hmm, well it is funny how friendships form when you have a common belligerent enemy. Was Pinochet was worse than the Junta? Was Chile invading peaceful British islands? Argentina was the belligerent sabre rattler, Chile and Britain were not. Chile was in imminent danger of invasion from Argentina and whilst Chile was officially neutral, they helped out Britain. The Falklands war benefitted Chile and the ultimate fall of the Junta benefitted Argentina.

    Margaret thatcher, Regan and Gorby brought about the end of communism in eastern Europe and that alone brought freedom and democracy to 100s of millions of people. And what did the Junta do??? Ah yes, steal babies from political prisoners and kill their mothers by pushing them out of helicopters... lovely regime. Give me Chile any day.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 07:12 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • stick up your junta

    @15
    Just love the lecture from the Brazilian, he’s got got a civil war going on in his country

    Brazil's social civil war
    A new report calls Brazil the most insecure country in the world and links the rise in violent crime to the process of rapid urbanisation
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/oct/03/brazilssocialcivilwar

    Brazil police arrested after Sao Paulo murders
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/oct/03/brazilssocialcivilwar

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 07:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Usurping Pirate

    was watching the C5N news , and they were referring to the Belgrano sinking as a war crime because “ it was outside the exclusion zone ”
    This conveniently forgets that the exclusion zone was a warning to third parties , not to the argentines .After all , they could have parked the 25 de Mayo on the edge of the zone and launched air strikes all day long otherwise .
    Even if there had been no war , Argentines were no admirers of Maggie because Menen copied her neo liberal policies , and Argentina does not “ do ” neo liberalism , preferring the pseudo marxist model instead .

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 07:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • stick up your junta

    Slice of war crime anybody?

    Sixty Argentine military officers accused of war crimes in Falklands conflict
    http://en.mercopress.com/2009/03/21/sixty-argentine-military-officers-accused-of-war-crimes-in-falklands-confli

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 07:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    Musky
    Pinochet wasn't worse than Videla, Borbaberry, Stroessner or the Brazilian ones.
    He was just the same piece of human waste as the others mentioned.
    And a good friend of Thatcher.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 08:08 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Clyde15

    #26
    Glasgow: More than 300 people attended impromptu street party The converse of this is that 599,700 did not.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 09:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Leiard

    message from the pope

    http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/30757.php?index=30757&po_date=08.04.2013&lang=en

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 09:23 am - Link - Report abuse -1
  • reality check

    Saw them dancing on the news report, bunch of rent a twats, the oldest looked about 19.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    Oh dear so much anti British , Margaret Thatcher,

    And yet the only real concern to Argentineans is and was the Falklands war,
    What she did, was repel an invader of an innocent unarmed peaceful none aggressive tiny islands
    300 miles of the main land, without provocation and no justification at all, they invaded,
    They also totally ignored UN demands to withdraw,
    And are thus directly guilty of the deaths of over 700 innocent lives,
    [prove it wrong if ya can]
    ,,,,,,,,,,,

    Margaret’s life in Britain, has no more to do with Argentina,
    The rest is of interest to the British only,
    She did bad things, and good,
    Here we talk about the good things,
    Without her, we would not have our rebate,
    She stood up to the Europeans, and stopped Britain sinking into the gutter as poor man of Europe,
    But most importantly she defeated the argentine junta, full stop..

    Next.

    p/s
    as for ships sinking,
    in war==ships sink =planes get shot down = soldiers die= war…
    all caused by===you can answer that one..

    .

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 06:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Gordo1

    The military junta of Argentina in 1982 ordered the invasion of the Falkland Islands and from the euphoria of the crowd assembled in front of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires this was supported by the majority of the Argentine population when it was announced. Thus the conflict, whatever the consequences, was provoked and supported by the population of Argentina.
    The principal consequence was that Britain did not just “roll over” and allow Argentina to have its illegal way - we responded, led by Mrs Margaret Thatcher, in defence of our fellow citizens whose land had been illegally taken from them by foreign elements.
    The conflict was not nice - many young men lost their lives - but the BLAME LIES WITH ARGENTINA. The sinking of the General Belgrano was NOT a war crime - the captain of the vessel, Captrain Bonzo acknowledged on several occasions that it was an Act of War and he was supported by an Admiral of the Argentine Navy Operations.
    So what's all the evil intent of the Argentine trolls with the death of Baroness Thatcher - she was not responsible for the deaths of so many young argentinos, Argentine was entirely to blame.
    And I congratulate our new Holy Father on his message to Britain in connection with the death our beloved Baronness Thatcher. ¡Viva el Papa!

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 06:56 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • reality check

    @26
    Thanks for the link, suspect you did not read the comments though!

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 07:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Escoses Doido

    Notice the headline say the argentines 'deployed' forces to the Islands.

    Not really being honest is it, - They Invaded them. Invaded.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 10:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Raul

    Miguel song Piero Cantilo and truly portraying the criminal and genocidal Margaret Thatcher

    LADY VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN

    Lady violence firecrackers clouds
    Words flamethrower and criminal reason
    Architect built a fire of fear
    Machete arrogant and pit scar.
    Lady of the blows and curses
    With hands gillette gun and sex

    Lady violence where will the children of thy womb
    Muscles resistant leather
    Punishing enemies screaming and kicking
    Someone who loves me, killing living.

    Lady violence rages
    Revolution and war, national pretext
    For many people release their anxieties,
    Your sleeping body and animal instinct.

    Energetic lady wild fields
    Patron of the jungles and brutal work
    Lady of the men who grow up in the footprint
    Deformed lady, crazy in the city.

    Where are the children of your womb
    With effervescent lead flakes
    Mistreating animals and felled pine
    Destroying forests, breaking the valleys,
    Withering grass ranging treading.

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 10:13 pm - Link - Report abuse -1
  • Escoses Doido

    @42:
    Don't give up your day job.

    Who's that even supposed to be about by the way?

    Apr 09th, 2013 - 11:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marcos Alejandro

    20 JustinKuntz “ Thatcher drank whisky”
    Like his new roommate Galtieri, lol.
    They had so much in common.

    Apr 10th, 2013 - 02:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GeoffWard2

    reality check (#37)
    ”Saw them dancing on the news report (in Brixton, London), bunch of rent a twats, the oldest looked about 19.”

    I think they probably did it without being told to, because, unlike in Argentina, this is not the British way. Probably it was a 'spontaneous happening' generated on the cell phone.

    OK, they were born many years after Thatcher left office, but they still ascribe their unemployment to the Miners' Strike during the Thatcher years 30 years ago ... significantly, not to the gradual decline in British industry since well before WWII or to the flight of world industry to the (cheaper) Far East.

    The horrendous excesses of the unions (Jimmy Reid, Alf Scargill, et al) and the anarchy (!) of the fundimentalist Left (Liverpool City Hall, Camden Town Hall) are conveniently forgotten.

    Also conveniently forgotten are the billions of pounds of North Sea oil money that were diverted (terminally lost) from 'developing new industry' to social services to ease the plight of those whose industries had disappeared.
    Unfortunately, the Blair/Brown years led goverment after government to believe that unfunded social provision and borrowing could carry on for ever :-(
    Thus, when Labour left office recently to be replaced by the Con/Lib Coalition, they left the note “Sorry, there is no money left!”

    Apr 10th, 2013 - 07:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    Ya see,
    Some Argies are so so afraid of Maggie, they now write poems to her,

    Like simple peasants did thousands of years ago,

    Frightened that her spirit might come back and harm them,
    If they don’t appease her .

    Keep up the poems,
    She aint far away.

    a poem every blogg,

    boy her influence is really powerfull.

    Apr 11th, 2013 - 05:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Usurping Pirate

    Raul : More Google translation , again a free choripan if you can name it .
    If nothing else , it will demonstrate the folly of Google translate .

    Hear the sacred cry fatal

    Freedom, freedom, freedom.

    Hear the noise of broken chains

    ved in noble Equality enthroned.

    .................................................

    Since their worthy throne

    United Provinces of South

    and free the world reply:

    To the Argentine people good health

    and free the world reply:

    To the Argentine people , Good health !

    choir

    The laurels be eternal

    They knew how to win (rep)

    Live crowned with glory

    or swear to die gloriously (rep twice)

    Apr 13th, 2013 - 07:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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