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| Britain |
| What if: The Day Argentina Retook the Falklands |
| 2011-12-24 |
| The date is July 27, 2012, and in London the Olympic Games are about to begin. For months, the British people have been looking forward to the jamboree of patriotic enthusiasm. But now that the day is here, the mood feels heavy with gloom. The crowds are thin, the drizzle pours down. The Union Flags hang forlornly in the dull breeze. Even the nation's new Prime Minister, the blinking, stammering Ed Miliband, cuts a remarkably limp figure, a melancholy leader for a nation sunk in misery. Several thousand miles away, across the cold seas of the South Atlantic, the atmosphere could hardly be more different. For in the capital of the Islas Malvinas, the archipelago formerly known as the Falkland Islands, an Argentine victory parade is underway. Though victory in the Second Falklands War was secured only a few weeks ago, the islands' conquerors have already been busy. At the tiny airport that serves Puerto Argentino — formerly Port Stanley — a gigantic mural commemorates the soldiers from the mainland who lost their lives. Beside the old Anglican cathedral, draped with a massive blue-and-white flag, the statue of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gazes impassively out to sea. For the Iron Lady, as her adoring country-men call her, the war was a turning point, securing her place in South American history for all time. But for Britain, battered by months of economic austerity, it was a tempest that swept away the Coalition government and destroyed any lingering illusions that the United Kingdom was still a serious power. As the Argentine troops parade triumphantly down Avenida Leopoldo Galtieri, a few miserable islanders stand and watch. Many have already booked their flights back to Britain, sick of the Spanish road signs and posters of Diego Maradona. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #13 What Jack said. |
| Posted by: newc 2011-12-24 23:27 |
| #12 Since I have been there (last February) and have lived in Argentina. NO WAY. LOL. This would be a blood bath of the highest order. Dream on. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2011-12-24 20:40 |
| #11 If Argentina was smart they'd take over the islands diplomatically. Position the conflict as a colonial issue to fool the rubes that barely pay attention to politics but still feel guilty over colonial remnants. They would then offer to allow the locals to stay if they wanted as English ex-patriots and give mineral rights for a set amount of time to the UK. This would (a) appear totally peaceful and convince a lot of westerners to side with Argentina against the evil colonials. It would also being the de armament process in the Falklands and allow the UK to begin any mining operations. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-12-24 19:48 |
| #10 'This week Argentina’s claim to the Falklands has been powerfully reinforced,” declared an article in the Guardian yesterday. Apparently, the political climate in Latin American countries has changed in favour of the Argentine claim, so we should consider consigning the Falklanders to the mercies of a nation they fear and despise. This may strike you as peculiar reasoning, but perhaps things will become clearer if I tell you that the article is by Richard Gott. That’s the same Richard Gott who, while on the staff of the Guardian, received expenses from the Soviet Union – “red gold”, as he put it – in return for… well, that has never been clear. I would have thought Gott’s views on sovereignty were compromised, to say the least, but then this is the paper that just ran an article giving Václav Havel a good kicking for undervaluing the achievements of Communism. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-12-24 18:15 |
| #9 ..the Chinese. |
| Posted by: P2Kontheroad 2011-12-24 17:40 |
| #8 Ok, who's more likely to actually drill & pump this oil? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-12-24 17:22 |
| #7 From Walter Russell Meade: Britain Defiant On The Falklands |
| Posted by: newc 2011-12-24 16:25 |
| #6 Sure. It's a combination of the limits of their budget, the logistics and what they perceive the threat to be. They have intel that you and I certainly don't have so perhaps they know that the Argies can't do much. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-12-24 14:41 |
| #5 They have a total of four combat aircraft present on the islands. A couple squadrons would be much better. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-12-24 14:29 |
| #4 And as it turns out, my drivel is well preceded by this Wiki source that outlines the Falklands defense. They have naval and infantry assets as well as an air presence. The only thing I'd add is a few more Typhoons. I should read more before I comment. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-12-24 14:26 |
| #3 The big issue is air cover. If they don't get more air cover to the Falklands now they'll be unable to do so after any shooting starts. In the last war they had a carrier and a large tanker that they converted to a carrier for Harriers. Now they have no carrier at all, since they retired HMS Ocean and the new carriers have yet to (and likely will never) be built. A submarine loitering in the region would also help. But I'd get a squadron of modern aircraft in: Typhoons, or even Tornado GR4s. They aren't really needed in Europe after all so it makes sense to deploy them. Yes, it's a logistical strain of the first order, but the Argies need a clear signal: look all you want but don't touch. I'd also get a modern anti-air battery in, and some high quality ground forces. The latter need not be overly numerous, but rotating in a battalion of Paras or infantry, with logistics, along with a few squads of SAS or other special forces, would certainly let the Argies now that there would not be such a thing as a quick snatch of the islands. How to pay for this? Let the oil exploration continue and put a small tax on whatever is pumped out from the sea bed in the economic zone. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-12-24 14:16 |
| #2 I think the Brits lack a Navy anymore - the Argentine Nsvy and Airforce is probably larger, anymore. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2011-12-24 13:29 |
| #1 The Argies can't take the islands as long as the Brits have the will to defend them. Which is, of course, what this is all about. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-12-24 12:56 |