Monday, April 02, 2012

30 years ago the world thought we were finished

Defence is about deterrence - at least the non-bloody variety.

30 years ago the ruthless bloody Argentine dictatorship thought there would be, indeed could be, no response from the United Kingdom that was in its last death throws of industrial decline.

So they decided to give the corpse a kick, knowing their could be no consequences.

If anyone else that Margaret Thatcher had been prime minister they would perhaps have been right. Maybe the Generals though that having a mere woman as prime minister was just the confirmation of the decline of Great Britain that they were depending upon.

They clearly hadn't studied Margaret Thatcher too closely.

But on this day thirty years ago the United Kingdom had a leader who could provide the clear direction and enabling support that our military needed to unleash their talent.

It must have been terrifying to see the alien Argentine invasion of your home that the Falkland Islanders had to see, knowing that ultimately the invade would be looking to exterminate your culture, language and quite possibly life. Argentina was a country ruled by evil that has kept the desire to crush and destroy a neighbouring country, just to satisfy their ego's, to this day.

But they were not left in darkness and despair. And today we need to remember those British service personnel who paid the price of that response that brought a new dawn to the people of the Falklands. They have bought just short of 30 years of peace and dawns - each one free - over the Falklands.

We have to ensure this continues.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Which means we need a leader with principles (think Thatcher, Davis, Carswell, Hannon, Redwood, Farage etc.), not a follower of focus groups (think Blair or The Heir to Blair).

Anonymous said...

Yes - we do need to remember those servicemen who liberated the Falklands but its no good just remembering. There are thousands of ex service men and women who deserve and need not just our best wishes but practical help. Those who have served should, like American, Australian and even German veterans, be given priority or assistance in housing, health care and welfare. Instead we wave flags at them and drop the odd quid in a collectors tin. Kipling was right - "Its Tommy this and Tommy that and chuck him out the brute, but he's the saviour of his country when the guns begin to shoot" The Governments and people of this country can best be described as ingrates. When Afghanistan is but a memory so too will those be who served there.