A Discussion About the Falklands
During part of the Falklands War or soon afterwards, I was at an Artemis Users Conference in Denver Colorado.
After dinner one night, four of us, got together and had a few drinks. The other guys were the Project Manager of the McDonnell Douglas Harrier program, a guy with a similar position at Long Beach Naval Shipyard and a banker from New York.
The banker kept on about us needing a nice big flat-top (aircraft-carrier) with a few Tomcats and that would have dealt with the Argentines. I wanted to stand my British corner, but really didn’t know what to say. In the end the other two Americans, just let him have enough rope and then they played their card; the awful weather. One said that the weather reports from the Falklands, they’d seen, were so bad, that the only aircraft you could take-off and land back again was a Harrier.
The banker wasn’t seen again that evening,
The Day Mrs. Thatcher Kissed a Sailor
The Times has an amazing story about how Mrs. Thatcher kissed a sailor, who was a bomb disposal expert in the Falklkands War. Most of the story is here in this article about Michael Fellows from Sussex Life, but it doesn’t tell how they dived under the Cabinet Office Table to see the map of the Falklands on the other side.
I suspect the story will be reprinted in other papers later.
The Falklands Legacy
I have the view that the Falklands War had a much greater effect on the thirty years since Argentina invaded, than we generally think.
I travelled in Europe both before and after the war and it brought a great change to the way Europe thought about the Russian menace. Not about the threat of nuclear war, but a lot of our forces atb the time were lined up with the Germans, the French, the Americans and others to fight the Russian tanks, when they were ordered to attack. But after the Falklands War, it was now apparent that a well-trained volunteer army, could always outfight a conscript one, who wanted to be elsewhere and I think this gave Europe a much stronger backbone against a Soviet invasion.
It wasn’t the sole reason obviously, but it helped to break-up the Soviet Union and release their stranglehold on the satellites. Remember most Soviet commanders at the time had very deep knowledge of the very brutal Second World War they had fought and from what I have read and heard, wouldn’t have really wanted to do it again. After all, when there was the coup later againt Boris Yeltzin, the Army stayed loyal.
I also wonder what would have happened, if we hadn’t regained the Islands by force.
I suspect that Guatemala would have done what they have wanted to do for years and absorbed Belize.
And would we have gone to regain Kuwait from Saddam in the First Gulf War? The Americans might have gone, because they needed the oil.
The Falklands War sent a powerful message in terms of democracy. But it was a tragic, that a bunch of geriatric dictators, decided to invade, in a vain effort to cling to power.
Simon Weston on the Falklands
Simon Weston appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning talking eloquently about not only the war, but Argentina’s reasons for going to war.
It was a better analysis than anything I’ve heard from a politician or a pundit.
He is a true inspiration to those who have suffered a few tragedies in their lives. And long may he be so!
How the Argentinians Could Solve the Falkland Islands Problem
The spat between Argentina and the UK over the Falkland Islands is a bit like a spat between two neighbours over a leylandi hedge that has got out of control, except that both sides think it more serious than a hedge. Although, my late wife was once involved in a boundary case and it was one of the nastiest she’d ever been involved in.
At the moment the Falkland Islands have one silly problem caused by the Argentinians; the lack of eggs and fresh vegetables. My mother and many women of her generation learned how to live without fresh eggs, but it was not easy. So the first thing the Argentinians should do is allow more ships carrying provisions to the islands.
Let’s face it, the whole southern part of South America is rather inhospitable. I once met an Argentinian scientist, who had been raised in Patagonia and he left for Buenos Aires as soon as he could. The only people who want to go there are people with an interest in the birds and animals, that aren’t bothered by three square meals a day, that you don’t have to hunt and constant 24-hour television.
Many of these tourists, who want to see wildlife are English-speaking, so passing them to the Falklands might not be a bad idea as building tourist accommodation in that environment is not easy.
But of course, Argentina would allow its construction companies to do the work.
There is the problem of the oil. I did think though that an agreement on how to split the profits had been signed some years ago.
But would the Falklands want the platform yards and oil refineries, with all their problems? I don’t think so, and I suspect Argentina has many suitable bays or other places to do the work. Fifty years ago, few of the experts on undersea oil production were Scots. Now there are a lot more, because of North Sea Oil. Who’s to say in fifty-years time, that a lot of these high-earning engineers won’t be from the Argentine?
So in some ways by working within the status quo, it might be better for the Argentinians.
I do sometimes wonder what would have happened to the Islands if the Argentinian junta had kept control thirty years ago.
The islands themselves might even be uninhabited, except for those animals and birds agile enough to avoid the mines.
Forget the Superbowl! The Biggest Game Tonight Will be the Battle of Rosario
Last time there was a small skirmish in the South Atlantic, we had just a few dozen marines on the Falklands and South Georgia. This time, I hope we’re better prepared militarily, with HMS Dauntless, probably a submarine, several advanced fighters and quite a few ground troops.
I suspect though that the troops won’t be watching the Superbowl, as at the same time the opening salvo in the next skirmish in the South Atlantic will be taking place in Rosario. This time, though it will be eleven brave women, armed just with sticks, taking on Argentina in the final of the Champions Trophy, after beating the other old enemy, Germany, in the semi-final, yesterday, as is reported here.
I suspect the Duke of Cambridge wishes he could take a few people to the match in his Sea King.
The Anonymous Widower 