Britain sends huge destroyer to Falklands to head off any ''foolish nonsense''

[Jacobtm]

"These islanders want to remain British and any oil or gas found in its waters will be British.

"I do not believe there is any immediate or short-term military threat, but there is no question that Argentina has been stepping up its rhetoric and trying to build alliances against us."

"They've got the most amazing anti-air warfare capability. Should there be any foolish nonsense from Argentina, Dauntless can sit just off the airfield and take down any aircraft coming in. It's a game-changing capability."


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24032446-destroyer-sets-sail-for-falklands-to-head-off-any-foolish-nonsense.do

I just love when the most powerful countries in the world act like poor ones with small militaries are threatening them.

[ag]

Good. Very timely and appropriate peacekeeping mission.

[Redalgo]

There are only what? A little over three thousand people on the islands? It is kind of amazing that Britain still has so many leftover imperial territories, but I suppose the locals prefer to be with the U.K. and having the islands promises that country a lot of maritime economic territory to exploit. I do not see the point of sending this destroyer aside from posturing though - Argentine forces were crushed last time around and it would happen again were another invasion to suddenly occur. :<

[dead0man]

Yeah, how dare the UK protect UK citizens!  Jerks!

[Jacobtm]

Yeah, how dare the UK protect UK citizens!  Jerks!

Ha!

The British military need to protect themselves against Argentina?

What planet are you from?

[Joe Republic]

Yeah, how dare the UK protect UK citizens!  Jerks!

Ha!

The British military need to protect themselves against Argentina?

What planet are you from?

Uh, we're from the planet where a small cluster of islands (pop. 3140, plus about a million sheep) located nearly 8000 miles away from its mother country, have an aggressive neighbor that wants to conquer them located less than 300 miles away.

You seem to be on anti-British trip recently, guy.  Remember that thread you posted reporting that an American citizen was being deported to the UK for breaking a UK law that is legal here, only to be told that it was actually the complete opposite way around?  You got pretty quiet soon after that.

[patrick1]

We may also be from the planet where Argentina's military invaded thirty years ago, hence the increase in coverage....

You also seem to greatly overestimate the reach and power of the British forces and underestimate those of Argentina.

[Jacobtm]

Uh, we're from the planet where a small cluster of islands (pop. 3140, plus about a million sheep) located nearly 8000 miles away from its mother country, have an aggressive neighbor that wants to conquer them located less than 300 miles away.

You honestly think Argentina is going to attack what is essentially a British military outpost? They won't. They have no ability to pull it off, and as the Destroyer evidences, they would suffer terribly and accomplish nothing.

You seem to be on anti-British trip recently, guy.  Remember that thread you posted reporting that an American citizen was being deported to the UK for breaking a UK law that is legal here, only to be told that it was actually the complete opposite way around?  You got pretty quiet soon after that.

You remember that thread but don't realize what it was? You're using your mental energy in all the wrong ways dude.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Argentina obviously isn't happy about the situation, but they're not stupid, so they're not going to actually attack.

[Jacobtm]

We may also be from the planet where Argentina's military invaded thirty years ago, hence the increase in coverage....

You can't say it was an invasion, they didn't even set foot on the islands, it was just long-range target practice for the British, provided by a callous dictatorship that didn't mind sending its own troops to the grave for theater's sake.

You also seem to greatly overestimate the reach and power of the British forces and underestimate those of Argentina.

Great Britain's military expenditures: $57 billion
Argentina's military expenditures: $3 billion

Britain has the world's #3 military after the United States and China.

Argentina is somewhere waaaay down the list, on par with Peru and Morocco.

What is with people thinking that the top dogs are THREATENED by these small poor countries?

[Joe Republic]

Uh, we're from the planet where a small cluster of islands (pop. 3140, plus about a million sheep) located nearly 8000 miles away from its mother country, have an aggressive neighbor that wants to conquer them located less than 300 miles away.

You honestly think Argentina is going to attack what is essentially a British military outpost? They won't. They have no ability to pull it off, and as the Destroyer evidences, they would suffer terribly and accomplish nothing.

No, I don't honestly think Argentina is going to try it again.  However, what is the harm in (a) posting a sizeable deterrent by the islands, which in turn helps assuage the fears of the islanders themselves, and (b) remind South America who is boss in those parts?

What is with people thinking that the top dogs are THREATENED by these small poor countries?

Britain does not feel threatened.  The islanders probably do, though.  Many of them actually remember what happened thirty years ago, when it took about a week for the UK to get there to retake the islands.

[Jacobtm]

However, what is the harm in (a) posting a sizeable deterrent by the islands, which in turn helps assuage the fears of the islanders themselves, and (b) remind South America who is boss in those parts?

Cause Latin American nations have been reamed enough by Europe.

Or are you just in favor of kicking around people when you can?

That's more of a rhetorical question, especially when directed at a Republican...

[Joe Republic]

You can't say it was an invasion, they didn't even set foot on the islands, it was just long-range target practice for the British, provided by a callous dictatorship that didn't mind sending its own troops to the grave for theater's sake.

Wait a second... what?


     

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You don't even know what you're talking about, clearly.

[Хahar 🤔]

I have to mention here that that Telex log will never not be hilarious.

[Joe Republic]

However, what is the harm in (a) posting a sizeable deterrent by the islands, which in turn helps assuage the fears of the islanders themselves, and (b) remind South America who is boss in those parts?

Cause Latin American nations have been reamed enough by Europe.

Or are you just in favor of kicking around people when you can?

That's more of a rhetorical question, especially when directed at a Republican...

lolwut

Now, any doubt that you don't know what you're talking about just flew out the window.

There's more to my avatar that meets the eye, but good job jumping to conclusions anyway, bud.

[Marokai Backbeat]

That's more of a rhetorical question, especially when directed at a Republican...

Joe is neither a conservative or an actual Republican, I assure you.

[dead0man]

Cause Latin American nations have been reamed enough by Europe.

Or are you just in favor of kicking around people when you can?

How is a UK destroyer (huge or otherwise) hanging around the Falklands "reaming Latin America countries"?  How is it "kicking anybody around"?

Me thinks your biases may be blinding you a bit here.  It happens to all of us.

[patrick1]

We may also be from the planet where Argentina's military invaded thirty years ago, hence the increase in coverage....

You can't say it was an invasion, they didn't even set foot on the islands, it was just long-range target practice for the British, provided by a callous dictatorship that didn't mind sending its own troops to the grave for theater's sake.

You also seem to greatly overestimate the reach and power of the British forces and underestimate those of Argentina.

Great Britain's military expenditures: $57 billion
Argentina's military expenditures: $3 billion

Britain has the world's #3 military after the United States and China.

Argentina is somewhere waaaay down the list, on par with Peru and Morocco.

What is with people thinking that the top dogs are THREATENED by these small poor countries?

You are ill informed on this.  This is barely worth talking about since this is posturing but here goes

Argentina is a  developed country with 40 million people- small and poor? Not exactly.

The expenditures are entirely useless in a short term.  Are the British going to miracle a whole fleet there from their bases around the globe.  It all would take time and air cover. This scary destroyer they are sending is merely replacing another ship.  The complement is a few hundreds sailors.  Truly, an armada....... Next, Are they going to redeploy from Helmand Provice and Germany to Falklands overnight.  The British dont really have the lift or refueling to pull this off with speed.  They would come by ship, again, and these would be susceptible to anti-ship missiles.  My mate who was on the HMS Sheffield could tell you of their efficacy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sheffield_%28D80%29#The_sinking_of_HMS_Sheffield

You make the Falklands sound like some impregnable fortress. They could probably muster up a few infantry companies and I like they have a squadron (4) fighter aircraft.  The destroyer that is replacing another unit is merely to keep them honest.  After all the announcement 30 years ago that the RN was leaving FI emboldened Argentina in the first place. 

P.S. That Telex is hilarious.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I have to mention here that that Telex log will never not be hilarious.

'THOSE ARE THE FRIENDS I WAS MEANING'

It's like the world's blackest-humored AIM chat.

[patrick1]

Cause Latin American nations have been reamed enough by Europe.

Or are you just in favor of kicking around people when you can?

How is a UK destroyer (huge or otherwise) hanging around the Falklands "reaming Latin America countries"?  How is it "kicking anybody around"?

Me thinks your biases may be blinding you a bit here.  It happens to all of us.

I think he thinks it is like a Star destroyer or something.

Fun fact:  The owner of Chelsea FC's yacht is bigger.

[Joe Republic]

This is how that conversation played out in my head:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[ag]

but they're not stupid

That, surely, is a proposition that needs to be proven.

[ag]

Cause Latin American nations have been reamed enough by Europe.

This, in my book, is pure bull. Latin American nations, as they are (and, Argentina, especially) would not have existed w/out Europe, that's true.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

This is how that conversation played out in my head:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

FOUR BLOODY SHEEP. Get it right.

[batmacumba]

Cause Latin American nations have been reamed enough by Europe.

This, in my book, is pure bull. Latin American nations, as they are (and, Argentina, especially) would not have existed w/out Europe, that's true.

So, should we thank them for implanting exploitation colonies, instead of populating; ravaging local populations, making them slaves; forbidding commerce or any crafts production; sucking every resource they could extract not even letting any small amount to inner investment (neither getting rich with this); implanting an obnoxious elite, which role would always be their foremen; after we got rid of those first ones, then come others to control the foremen, keeping resources drainage; helping to crush any attempt to change status quo, with logistics or directly; acting geopolitically to ensure that we wouldn't develop; to the point that we are only able to develop when they are in crisis and forget about us?