mikewot

I know it's not relevant to the ME but I enjoyed this article: http://www.fleetstreetfox.com/2013/0...ntina.html?m=1

Jim Smith

As a Falkland Islander there is only one thing I can say...............Keep the Falklands British!!!!!

mentalist

Yeh and I'm sure there were plenty like you who once said...Keep India British, Keep Kenya British, Keep Jamaica British etc. We simply have to move with the times.

mikewot

Well the islanders get their say soon: A referendum on the political status of the Falkland Islands will be held on March 10-11, 2013. The islanders will be asked whether they support the continuation of their status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom in view of Argentina's call for negotiations on the islands' sovereignty. Should the islanders reject the continuation of their current status, a second referendum on possible alternatives will be held. The proposed question is "Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?" The final wording of the question was to have been adopted on November 21, 2012.

I note the current Argentine leader has jumped up on the usual 'Malvinas' bandwagon. Let's see how 'democratic' she is if the islanders vote to remain British.

Fossildog

And look at how their societies have thrived and matured once the British left

mentalist

Are you for real? Ask any Indian, Kenyan or Jamaican, matey? Your username says it all.

NorthernLad

Interesting you say Kenyan...would you say Zimbabwe, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria etc... have thrived with happy and well treated citizens?

scot47

Why does Westminster/Whitehall have one formula for the Falkands Islands and a completely different one for Diego Garcia ? Thew interests of the population of Diego Garcia were totally ignored - and they continue to be disregarded despite court victories.

Fossildog

So you feel that India, Kenya and Jamaica all have well developed societies on par with the West?

Equestra

Now that's my kind of learning! Fab article, thank you!

Paracletus

Do you feel Indian, Kenyan or Jamaican culture is comparable to the west and as such, can be organized as societies of the west?

The colonial legacy is an interesting one, though I've only lived for any length of time in one of them, though visited several. Africa could do with some new borders, and a new view on leadership, which was directly inherited from their masters. Ruling by force and oppression continues.

Kix

Not entirely true is it, they've been paid compensation by both UK and Mauritius Governments, their last legal cases all failed and one is still pending (at European Court).

flares

Can we invite them over to Cowdray Park for a winner takes all chukka

Millhouse

nope, not at all. But given that we raped them for a massive amount of their wealth and created massive structural political and cultural divides in order to control them you can kind of see that, apart from the railways, we didn't leave them in such good shape to become developed societies on par with the west.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for keeping parts of the empire... but there is no way we can control it now (our apathetic population can't even elect a government) --- so it's time to wake up to that fact.

Oh, and WTF is the Sun thinking, placing an advert in the Argentine press?

The Dean

In other news, the England rugby team will be touring Argentina this year (June). I have already written to the RFU at Twickenham to seek assurances that they will have the guts to refuse to play any matches in the city of Mendoza - or, more specifically, at this provocatively-named stadium:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estadio...nas_Argentinas