Chavez says Falkland Islands belong to Argentina

[The Monkey]

CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared that the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina on Monday and urged Britain to open talks with the South American nation on the 25th anniversary of the war over the archipelago.

"The Malvinas are Argentine," Chavez said during a televised speech, using the Argentine name for the islands. "Enough already with the colonial period ? colonialism. Venezuela adds itself to the countries that demand Great Britain open a dialogue, because they don't even want to dialogue."

Chavez, who has previously backed Argentina's claims to the islands, paid homage to the 649 Argentine soldiers who died in the war before their government surrendered.

"We pay tribute today to the heroic soldiers who gave their lives in an attempt to rescue what belongs not only to Argentina ? because when we speak of Argentina, we speak of the great South American motherland."

Many Argentines ? especially supporters of President Nestor Kirchner's center-left government ? see Argentina's 1982 invasion of the islands as a mistake by the nation's now-discredited military dictators. But Argentines universally call the islands their own, insisting the British seized them by force in January 1833.

Chavez said many innocent people died in the war and criticized the United States for allying itself with Britain.

Chavez, who calls the current U.S. government imperialistic, also has clashed with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and called him a "pawn of imperialism."

During his speech, Chavez said he hopes that countries will one day form a "South American military organization that defends the interests and the sovereignty" of the region, including the Caribbean. "Only united will we be free," he said.

Source

 

[CptStern]

argentina says the falklands belongs to argentina

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6509705.stm


..so this is no biggie

 

[Solaris]

I fully support this product and/or event

 

[Icarusintel]

I can see it now... The Falklands War - The Redux Edition*



*may or may not include lots of people dying

 

[Sulkdodds]

I'm fairly certain we took them in an utterly bastardish way.

On the other hand, I'm fairly certain most of those who live on the islands wants to remain British.

So screw that.

 

[kirovman]

I fully support this product and/or event

I thought you endorsed the self-determination of the inhabitants (as with Palestine)?

Argentina has only exercised sovereignty over the Falkland Islands for 7 years in the past 200 years.

The only claims Argentina may have are:

a) They are geographically close (so Ireland must belong to the UK then!)

b) Some Argentines lived there for 7 years nearly 200 years ago.


I think that's something that can be agreed, Thatcher aside.

I'm fairly certain we took them in an utterly bastardish way.

On the other hand, I'm fairly certain most of those who live on the islands wants to remain British.

So screw that.

Yeah. It was quite brutal, but the ghostly spectres of Argentine inhabitants have long gone.


Also, I think Chavez is trying to stir stuff up.

 

[Solaris]

Our continued hold over the Falklands is a remanence of British imperialism. British imperialism is still alive today and we can see this in Iraq and Afghanistan. This must stop we have no right to control and occupy lands that are not ours.

Argentina lays claim to the Falklands, just look at a map, it's ridiculous that we should have any legitimate claim to it. The amount of money it costs to defend it is also silly. People are forced to relocate all the time in Britain by councils and whatnot this is no different. We have no claim to these lands, if the people want to stay they can otherwise we should compensate them, but a rock is not worth fighting over let alone all the deaths it took.

 

[kirovman]

But the islanders want to stay under British control. What do we do? Toss them to Argentina?

It's different to Afghanistan and Iraq, because our presence is not welcome there (and they have inhabitants who have always lived there). There's no actual Argentines, or exiles in living memory that are protesting our presence.

 

[StardogChampion]

It's ours. The people who live there want to be under British control. There was a whole documentary on channel 4 a week ago, where Thatcher's daughter went to visit.

 

[<RJMC>]

I fully support this product and/or event

if chavez of castro kill your families and babys you will support them too

and well I dont know much about this stuff but if the people living in the islands want to be britishs them I think thats how it should be

 

[repiV]

Solaris' arguments generally amount to nothing more than "we are always wrong", regardless of how often he contradicts himself.
Tiresome. Moronic. Shockingly immature.

 

[Solaris]

It's ours. The people who live there want to be under British control. There was a whole documentary on channel 4 a week ago, where Thatcher's daughter went to visit.

That's just it.
Doesn't it belong to the islanders?

Actually, I find it pretty hard to argue a case for why Argentina should have it, they probably shouldn't. It's not really worth anyone dying over it though is it.

If they want it bad enough to fight for it, well thats the point we should give it to them.

 

[kirovman]

That's just it.
Doesn't it belong to the islanders?

Actually, I find it pretty hard to argue a case for why Argentina should have it, they probably shouldn't. It's not really worth anyone dying over it though is it.

If they want it bad enough to fight for it, well thats the point we should give it to them.

There's not really a case for either side owning it. The only thing is that the islanders want to remain British.

If they want it bad enough to fight for it, well thats the point we should give it to them.

Hitler wanted Czech and Poland pretty bad, didn't he? The point is they can't just go and solve things by military force (however hypocritical that might sound) thinking that we will appease them.

 

[Solaris]

There's not really a case for either side owning it. The only thing is that the islanders want to remain British.


Hitler wanted Czech and Poland pretty bad, didn't he? The point is they can't just go and solve things by military force (however hypocritical that might sound) thinking that we will appease them.

Yeh, I wonder though, what if we offered the millions it costs to defend to the islanders if they'd relocate.

Win-win

 

[repiV]

Yeh, I wonder though, what if we offered the millions it costs to defend to the islanders if they'd relocate.

Win-win

Or...we could just not be pussies and defend our territory when it's attacked?

 

[Solaris]

Or...we could just not be pussies and defend our territory when it's attacked?

You pick up a gun and do that.

Or else why not try and find a peaceful solution where everyones happy and no-one dies?

 

[kirovman]

Yeah... I believe that America had a plan to pay each Canadian citizen $1 million if they ceded to America.

However the Canadians wouldn't accept that.

Sometimes people value things more than money


Also, I believe the old saying "Give them an inch and they'll take a mile" applies here.

 

[Solaris]

Yeah... I believe that America had a plan to pay each Canadian citizen $1 million if they ceded to America.

However the Canadians wouldn't accept that.

Sometimes people value things more than money

True story?

Could they afford that?

 

[repiV]

You pick up a gun and do that.

Or else why not try and find a peaceful solution where everyones happy and no-one dies?

The peaceful solution where everyone's happy and noone dies is not to invade our ****ing islands in the first place.

 

[Solaris]

The peaceful solution where everyone's happy and noone dies is not to invade our ****ing islands in the first place.

Now why is it yours?
It belongs to the Islanders or the Argies, I don't see how you could justify US owning it.

Of the islanders want to leave let them.

 

[kirovman]

True story?

Could they afford that?

Probably not, I think it's a myth.

And $20 trillion seems a bit steep (I don't know how their population has changed over time though).

 

[repiV]

Now why is it yours?
It belongs to the Islanders or the Argies, I don't see how you could justify US owning it.

Of the islanders want to leave let them.

We do own it. Every single one of those islanders wants us to own it. They don't want to leave. These are the facts. Stop being hypocritical in your unceasing quest to find ammunition against your own country.

 

[kirovman]

For the Argies, the Falklands are just a matter of sentiment and hurt national pride, there's no real justification for them administrating the islands other than "they are the closest country".

 

[Solaris]

Right, their claim may be injust, but is it worth fighting over if the islanders would rather take the millions?

 

[repiV]

Right, their claim may be injust, but is it worth fighting over if the islanders would rather take the millions?

We are offering millions for rightful residents of a small isolated community to leave in order to support our plan of surrender all of a sudden?
I didn't get the memo.

 

[kirovman]

Not for me, but from a governmental view, probably.

The strategic importance coupled with the image in the world of not being a pushover nation probably sways them.

That's quite important if you don't want other nations to mess with you.

Admittedly, politics is rather like the playground.

 

[Solaris]

I don't like British international politics in the least, I'd support any insult at British imperialism and I suppose that's why I'm supporting Chavez on this.

 

[repiV]

I don't like British international politics in the least, I'd support any insult at British imperialism and I suppose that's why I'm supporting Chavez on this.

What, British imperalism that doesn't exist?
In other words, you're contradicting your own moral code in order to take a swipe at your own country. That's really immature.

 

[kirovman]

British Imperialism doesn't really exist anymore, that went out the window with the British Empire.

Yeah, maybe we come to blows with some countries and throw our weight around a little, but it's nothing compared to the old days.

 

[<RJMC>]

I don't like British international politics in the least, I'd support any insult at British imperialism and I suppose that's why I'm supporting Chavez on this.

them you are what chavez would call a "traitor"

sooo...traitor

 

[Solaris]

them you are what chavez would call a "traitor"

sooo...traitor

Not really because I hold no allegiance to Britain anyway.

 

[<RJMC>]

Not really because I hold no allegiance to Britain anyway.

them what are you?

 

[Asknoone]

He's human of course.

 

[theotherguy]

I agree with chavez. There's no sense in any nation wasting resources on a little rock in the atlantic. If argentina wants it, it should be given it. The British Empire is all but dead, and the Falkland Islands are just as much of a shameful holding as the phillipines were to the USA.

 

[ríomhaire]

Now why is it yours?
It belongs to the Islanders or the Argies, I don't see how you could justify US owning it.

Of the islanders want to leave let them.

How can you justify the owning of any land by any county:
The people there want to be part of that country.
As is the case with Gibralter and the Falklands.

 

[smwScott]

Damn Solaris ... you have no principles or true beliefs whatsoever. You support these socialist regimes and constantly insult your own country not based on the merits of the issue at hand, but because that fits into the concept of self identity that you created for yourself. Because you just know that you should, so you do. It really wouldn't matter what the issue was would it?

Chavez is a prick. He doesn't deserve nearly as much respect or adulation as hippies/wanna be socialists like to throw at him. Granted, it's a lot better than walking around in a ****ing Che Guevera t-shirt, but still.

This is just another example of Chavez's bullshit posturing. The Falklands are obviously British, there's really no debate to be had here. And no, forcing your citizens to vacate their homes and giving up your territory to someone who holds no rightful claim to it is not right, nor justified. Would you just give someone your bike, house, car, computer, whatever if they told you to, just to avoid a conflict?

 

[Nemesis6]

Administratively, he might be right, but as we all know, anything he says is a product of him craving attention after people stopped taking him seriously.


Now, if those islands had been Venezuelan... Heh. It's a common strategy of dictators: Brainwash the people with nationalism. After that, they'll support stupid bile like this.

 

[repiV]

Damn Solaris ... you have no principles or true beliefs whatsoever. You support these socialist regimes and constantly insult your own country not based on the merits of the issue at hand, but because that fits into the concept of self identity that you created for yourself. Because you just know that you should, so you do. It really wouldn't matter what the issue was would it?

Chavez is a prick. He doesn't deserve nearly as much respect or adulation as hippies/wanna be socialists like to throw at him. Granted, it's a lot better than walking around in a ****ing Che Guevera t-shirt, but still.

This is just another example of Chavez's bullshit posturing. The Falklands are obviously British, there's really no debate to be had here. And no, forcing your citizens to vacate their homes and giving up your territory to someone who holds no rightful claim to it is not right, nor justified. Would you just give someone your bike, house, car, computer, whatever if they told you to, just to avoid a conflict?

Very well said.

 

[15357]

I'm not truly sure that the people with the guns, ie, the UK goverment would agree with Mr Chavez-the-son-of-ab*tch there.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I agree with chavez. There's no sense in any nation wasting resources on a little rock in the atlantic. If argentina wants it, it should be given it. The British Empire is all but dead, and the Falkland Islands are just as much of a shameful holding as the phillipines were to the USA.

What about the people that live there?