Lest we forget 25 years ago

Its worth watching this old ITN film on the Daily Telegraph's web site. Think about how it makes you feel to see British people enslaved in their own country.

Then never forget that feeling, because its the memory of it that will keep us safe. Note the Nazi style suppression of the population and the instant attack on the culture of the islanders. If you want to prevent that happening you need a capable and professional military.

Let us also be thankful that Mrs Thatcher and not Mr Blair was the prime minister at the time.

I have tried to explain the Falkland islands war to friends in Europe and I often mention the picture of Argentine personnel carriers driving up the wrong side of the street past a woman pushing a pram. I explain that that picture created hot and then cold fury in the UK. The Argentines were in a lot of trouble ever afterwards.

The difference between us and the Argentinians was - and continues to be - our attachment to the people of the Falklands.

Incidentally the BBC keeps ending almost every item on the Falklands with a statement that military conflict could not happen again. However there are signs that Argentine special forces may have been on the Islands recently. The islands have been over flown by their air force which also tests out the RAF.( Why does the BBC trot this stuff out - state it as fact - but never justify itself ? )

As I've said before I'm not against an eventual transfer of sovereignty - if the people of the Falklands will accept it and sufficient guarantees that the sort of thing you can see in the film above never occurs again. The current head banging government in Argentina is very unlikely to pull off that particular diplomatic success.

Update: See this essay from an Argentine perspective explaining why Argentina will never gain the Falklands by Professor Carlos Escude. I don;t agree I think the peaceful friendly approach - with a bit of imagination ( think Svalbard / co dominion / Andorra ) could work. My Mother is just back from holiday in Argentina as she has nothing but good things to say about the people she met there. If the Argentine people can reassure that they don't want to colonise the Islands then perhaps there's scope for progress - albeit very slow progress.