MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Top Foreign Office diplomat visits Falklands to address Brexit and consequences
Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign Office (FCO) this week assured that the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and the FCO are “working on a common agenda, which is to secure the future of the Falkland Islands.” Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesWhat a ridiculous waste of money - a high-level visit just for 3,000 people. WE never got a such a visit in our neighbourhood of 30,000 in one of England's cities. It's just the colonial mindset at play - and we the taxpayers are footing the bill.
Apr 19th, 2019 - 12:27 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Pytangua - This is not a waste of money and the answers to the questions about the Falklands' meat, wool and fishing exports need some serious attention as the whole Falklands economy depends on clarification of the political impasse.
Apr 19th, 2019 - 12:37 pm - Link - Report abuse +1As for your situation in a UK city - you get continuous attention from your MP(s) and from the 24/7 coverage of the debates and posturing of the politicians. England (very narrowly) voted for Brexit but the Falklanders definitely did not, so they need some attention for the problems they will now face.
Is your 'neighbourhood' subject to the erroneous claims of a foreign nation Pytangua?
Apr 19th, 2019 - 11:56 pm - Link - Report abuse +1It may also be worth restating a correction to a commonly held belief that some people continue to report - the Falkland Islanders are NOT supported by subsidies or UK money. The only UK money that flows to the Islands is the defence budget for the upkeep of Mount Pleasant and associated infrastructure. The Islands are self-supporting, which is why the relationship with Spain and the EU and an open conduit to those markets is so important.
Apr 20th, 2019 - 06:54 am - Link - Report abuse +1Mr.RedBaron...
Apr 20th, 2019 - 02:59 pm - Link - Report abuse -3It may also be worth restating a correction to a commonly held belief that some people continue to report - the Falkland Islanders ARE..., IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE..., supported by UK money... There is an humongous lot of UK monies flowing yearly into the Islands in form of the defence budget... (Not to mention the many millions of €uros that Sukey managed to suck out of the European Regional Development Fond during her many years in London...;-)
Them windblown Islands were more self-supporting in the XIX'th Century than today... laddie...
Learn your own history...
Have a peaceful Easter...
ElThink...
El Think - if that's what you want to believe then please inhabit your own parallel universe.
Apr 20th, 2019 - 08:58 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Fink's Fantasies ............and from a nation that hasn't been self-financing since ...... when?
Apr 20th, 2019 - 10:41 pm - Link - Report abuse +1What is the current debt that Argentina owes the world Think? How is your currency at the moment? So bad that from what I hear, CFK's back in with a chance of the Presidency. Some 12% points ahead of Macri? You folks must really be desperate. A nation of people with bullet holes in each foot.
Still, with the Peronists, the lines are clearer and the UK will simply withdraw.
People in glass houses, Think........ shouldn't
Mr. RedBaron...
Apr 21st, 2019 - 12:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0In my paralell universe of boring, uncreative book-keeping..., having a fully fledged - three services - ~2,000 men strong military base on the wrong side of the planet does indeed cost a humongous lot of UK tax monies to Engrish taxpayers as Mr. Pytangua just above...
In your paralell universe of creative book-keeping..., having a fully fledged - three services - ~2,000 men strong military base on the wrong side of the planet seems to cost almost no UK tax monies from Engrish taxpayers as Mr. Pytangua just above...
With a bit more of your “creative book-keeping”..., you could charge the Engrish Exchequer a couple of hundred million Sovereigns for not having to house them 2,000 Monte Placentero ocupation personnel in central London...
Mr. Roger Lorton..., laddie...
The name is “Think”...
El Think...
How long till Argentina invaded again if the UK forces left?
Apr 21st, 2019 - 09:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Mr. DemonTree...
Apr 21st, 2019 - 10:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Is that question to me or just an Engrish rhetorical one with its desired implicit answer...?
If it is for me..., I Think you lad have aquired some basic understanding about the Argie sociopolitic-economic situation and realities..., including our armed farces...
So, my question to you..., AFTER YOU TAKING OF YOUR IMPERIAL TINTED ENGRISH SUNGLASSES..., would be...:
How long till Argentina invaded again if the UK forces left?
Within the hour I should Fink
Apr 21st, 2019 - 10:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The question was for anyone who cares to answer.
Apr 22nd, 2019 - 12:05 am - Link - Report abuse +1With what the FIG alone could afford to pay for defence, even Argentina would be able to invade, and armed forces like to find things to do to justify their existence. It would depend on who was in power at the time, but sooner or later someone would be elected who'd think it was a good idea.
@RL
I thought you were from Birmingham, not mockney-land.
I hate to bring it up this way but, prior to 1982, there were a handful of local volunteers and a small garrison of naval personnel on the Islands. It wasn't until after June 1982 that the UK were forced to increase the military presence to a full strength fighting unit with all the attendant costs.
Apr 22nd, 2019 - 09:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0If Argentina had not started the conflict at that time, there would be no need for 2,000 soldiers (allegedly), Typhoons, MPA, Frigates, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0&gl=BE
Mr. RedBaron...
Apr 22nd, 2019 - 11:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0We seem to be in agreement then.., humongous Engrish taxpayer expenditure for the last 38 years in them windblown Isles...
Mr. DemonTree...
You can then continue to use the existence of our armed farces to justify the presence of your armed farces and foot them humongous offence bill of them Isles..., until..., sooner than later... a diplomatic solution is reached that leaves both parties equally unsatisfied...
Mr. Roger Lorton...
The name is still Think.... El Think...
(Are you aware lad..., that the lack of proper ale is evidently affecting your good humour...?)
@Think
Apr 22nd, 2019 - 07:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Hey, you can't trust your own government not to do something crazy, so why would we trust them? Technically, we have to spend the money anyway, since we pinky promised it to NATO. (Now *that* involves some creative accounting.) The only question is whether an unsatisfactory diplomatic solution is less likely under CFK or Macri.
The lack of decent Ale may well be having an effect. Something I hope to rectify soon. The local heat wave is not helping (42C the last few days).
Apr 22nd, 2019 - 11:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0DT - I've heard that CFK is now some 12 points ahead of Macri in the polls. Doing something crazy is what she's good at. Looks like the Peronistas will be back. I doubt they'll offer any surprises.
Mr. Roger Lorton...
Apr 23rd, 2019 - 07:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0Jupppppp...
I clearly remember..., time ago..., before AC..., me somehow establishmetarian auld man
telling me during the afternoon downpour in the Canal Zone that the tropics kill us..., white men...
They eventually did...
42C, ouch. I hope you have air conditioning. Meanwhile in the UK we had a mini heatwave over the Easter bank holiday; 23C and beautiful sunshine. It's been glorious, and I've got so much done in the garden.
Apr 23rd, 2019 - 08:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0If CFK is so crazy, then she probably will offer some surprises, no? But she's the one who doesn't trust the army, so maybe somewhat less likely to plan an invasion.
By the way...
Apr 25th, 2019 - 03:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If I was a Kelperman..., I'd be careful with this Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign & Colonial Office (FCO)... Sir Simon McDonald lad...
This chap doesn't even know where he is standing...:
He tweeted...:
“Sunrise over Stanley: If you fly due East from here, 1st land you encounter is Chile, less than 600 miles to your West...”
https://mobile.twitter.com/SMcDonaldFCO/status/1118084169467334656
Google Maps shows us that..., if you fly due West from Puerto Estanley, 1st land you encounter is Argentina, less than 470 miles to your West...
Geeeee....
In my time..., them folks at the Engrish FCO were brilliant young fellas...
Not anymore..., I reckon...
Remember the world is round: https://i.imgur.com/gE16qM5.png ;)
Apr 25th, 2019 - 04:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I know...., lad...
Apr 25th, 2019 - 04:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0That senseless and futile “flight due east” from Puerto Estanley would anyhow take you through Frog..., Convict & Kiwi territory before reaching Shile...
It's just a thing to think about when you're looking out to sea. There's nothing but ocean until you go all the way around the world, almost back to where you started. Don't you think that's kind of cool?
Apr 25th, 2019 - 07:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Mr.DemonTree...
Apr 25th, 2019 - 08:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0***” Sunrise over Mr. DemonTree's sleepy Engrish town...: If you fly due north from there, 1st land you'l encounter (after ~18,000 miles of water) is Ghana..., less than 3,200 miles to your South...”***
Cool..., huhhhhhhhhh..., lad...?
Prime Engrish Foreign & Colonial Office's elucubration....!
It truly proves to the World that you poor little Engrish sausages ARE REALLY isolated...
Lol, if you fly due north you're only gonna end up at the north pole. And if you did continue on in the same direction, I'm pretty sure you'd hit the north coast of Siberia. There's a lot more land up here in the northern hemisphere.
Apr 25th, 2019 - 11:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0According to this map there are some places in Chile where you can look out east or west and know there is no land in the way until you hit Chile again. I wonder if there are any other countries where you can do that?
http://mentalfloss.com/article/57677/whats-other-side-ocean
Voice, V0ice, Vestige, Think et al, sock-puppeteer extraordinaire and mythology major
Apr 27th, 2019 - 06:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“lot of UK monies flowing yearly into the Islands in form of the defence budget...”
It costs Argentina more than the UK in their conflict according to Carlos Escudé. He warned: “If Argentina had power, I would not be doing these proposals,” but reasoned that “pursue policies of power without power is counterproductive” because “leads to losing more than you earn systematically”
“La reivindicación argentina de Malvinas solo sirve para comprar el voto de ciudadanos poco educados”
http://www. infobae.com/2014/11/10/1607855-la-reivindicacion-argentina-malvinas-solo-sirve-comprar-el-voto-ciudadanos-poco-educados
Falklands War Cost-Benefit Analysis
The price of War
”Although the Falklands War had a very noticeable short-term impact on defence expenditure, the impact was not long-lasting. Notwithstanding the first few years after the conflict, when South Atlantic expenditure was greatly consumed by the construction of RAF Mount Pleasant (operational from 1986), the amount spent wasn't overly significant. In 1986-7, it was only 2.23% of total defence expenditure, and by 1989-90, a mere 0.33%. At their height (1982-3), the war's effects represented only 6.76% of total defence expenditure.
http://nikdarlington.blogspot.com.br/2010/05/falklands-war-cost-benefit-analysis.html
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