Falkland Islands

[bickster]

The Pope should just keep to fictional matters like god. Can't we just try to ignore Kirchner and hope she goes away?

Did you know that this Pope hid political prisoners for the Junta, when the nasty inspectors came to inspect? (in his holiday home no less)

 

I wouldn't put it past him to try to interfere, Popes have a history of trying to do something for the motherland. (or fatherland in the last one's case)

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

UK would get the hell out of there in no time if there was nothing in it for them. I don't buy for a second that the British government give a toss about citizenship, it has always been business first for them and it will continue to be so.

[Mantis]

UK would get the hell out of there in no time if there was nothing in it for them. I don't buy for a second that the British government give a toss about citizenship, it has always been business first for them and it will continue to be so.

That may have been the case originally (although I don't subscribe to that view) but I think it's more about principle now.

[bickster]

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

[Chindie]

Altruism doesn't exist in politics - principle would matter little if the benefit wasn't there.

 

I do rather think it's a bit of a red herring discussion, though, and an infuriating read. Again.

[Mantis]

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

Doesn't matter. Catholics are squarely in the minority so my point still stands.

[bickster]

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

Doesn't matter. Catholics are squarely in the minority so my point still stands.

Every cult is a minority

[Mantis]

You seem to have missed my point here completely. Catholics make up a small minority of the population (which is pretty much what I said), so the leader of the Catholic Church speaking out on the Falklands won't change anything here given how few Catholics there are in this country.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Mantis

[tonyh29]

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

not sure about that , I'd stick my neck out and say Church of England

[Mantis]

 

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

not sure about that , I'd stick my neck out and say Church of England

I looked it up and apparently there are more practicing Catholics than Protestants in the UK.

 

I don't really see why it matters though, because it doesn't change the fact that Catholicism isn't very big here which was my original point.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Mantis

[bickster]

 

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

not sure about that , I'd stick my neck out and say Church of England

 

Happened in 2007, Catholics overtook CofE. 

 

Anyway back to Thatcher's U-turn Island, who said she wasn't for turning?

[tonyh29]

 

 

Catholicism really isn't that big here at all.

Catholicism is the most widely practised religious cult in the UK

not sure about that , I'd stick my neck out and say Church of England

 

Happened in 2007, Catholics overtook CofE. 

 

 I'm going on a technicality here

 

5 million Catholics ,

 

26m people have been baptised by the Cof E ....  God knows ( well he would if he were real) how many have been married and how many are buried

 

...  so they may not go to church every Sunday but by following these religious ceremonies they are still practising 

 

 

do i get a B+ for effort ?

[Davkaus]

Even going by official numbers, there's a huge difference between the people who say they're catholic, out of habit, and the people who give a flying **** what some bloke in Italy wearing a dress thinks.

 

Religion topic for this please

[Eames]

[PauloBarnesi]

UK would get the hell out of there in no time if there was nothing in it for them. I don't buy for a second that the British government give a toss about citizenship, it has always been business first for them and it will continue to be so.

 

I would love to know why Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom? 

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

To prevent another Civil War, I imagine.

 

You're right though, we offer nothing and are a massive drain on the public purse.

 

But you're stuck with us for a while yet

[Corcaigh]

I think a decent compromise would be to keep the Falklands under British administration, but let Argentina have rights pertaining to oil & gas extraction in the south Atlantic, with a small token payment to the Falklands public administration of course.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Corcaigh

[PauloBarnesi]

The right thing would be to let the Falkland Islands be independent and let them decide what they want with no British military presence. But that won’t happen because Argentina might invade, and even with a guarantee they wouldn’t, I am not sure they can be trusted. 

 

If one was to grant Argentina a right to off shore oil and gas that was within the Falkland Island area, it would lead to all sorts of other international disputes. Remember that Britain and Argentina did reach an accord; http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/20/world/britain-and-argentina-reach-an-accord-on-falkland-oil-rights.html?pagewanted=1'>Here which they withdrew from.

 

Britain and Argentina Reach an Accord on Falkland Oil Rights

By CALVIN SIMS
Published: September 20, 1995

• SIGN IN TO E-MAIL
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Argentina and Britain took a major step forward today in resolving a 162-year-old dispute over the Falkland Islands when the two countries announced a tentative agreement governing the extraction of oil in the waters around the archipelago.

The accord is significant because it settles claims by both countries, which fought a war over the South Atlantic islands in 1982, to what many energy experts believe are vast natural gas and petroleum resources in the islands' waters.

The agreement, which came after three and a half years of negotiations, also paves the way for Britain and Argentina to begin meaningful talks over which country will ultimately control the islands, occupied by Britain since 1833 but claimed by Argentina.

Officials of the two countries declined to discuss details of the accord, which is expected to be signed by the Foreign Ministers of Argentina and Britain at a ceremony on Sept. 27 in New York.

"It is the most important attempt to date to unlock a situation that was very tense and which will allow both parties to investigate the potential of those resources in the region," said Marcelo Lamesa, a lawyer specializing in international oil disputes for the Cardena law firm here.

 

 

In a radio interview today, the Argentine President, Carlos Saul Menem, said of the agreement: "It is the first real and large step regarding Argentina's permanent battle to regain sovereignty. It is the best that we could obtain 163 years after our islands were taken in 1833."

A spokesman for the British Embassy said the agreement was "a draft that is still being considered" and that the agreement had not changed Britain's position that the islands are a Crown colony.

Argentina's largest daily newspaper, Clarin, reported today that under the agreement, Britain would obtain 66.6 percent of earnings on any oil or gas discovered in waters to the east of the Falklands, and that Argentina would receive 33.3 percent of the remaining earnings.

The newspaper said Argentina and Britain would equally divide any earnings on oil and gas discovered in waters to the west of the Falklands. Licenses to exploit waters to the east would be granted by Britain, the paper said, and licenses to exploit waters to the west would be awarded by a joint commission.

Western diplomats here who are familiar with the negotiations but spoke on condition of anonymity said the talks reached a standstill at one point over Argentina's demand that it obtain earnings and some control over the awarding of exploration licenses.

The diplomats said Britain finally agreed to grant Argentina royalties and the right to award some licenses.

For its part, Buenos Aires maintains it will not drop its claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, called Islas Malvinas by Argentina. Indeed, Argentine officials said in June that they were determined to gain control of the windswept islands, and they have offered to pay the 2,100 islanders who live there up $800,000 a family to buy them out.

According to a recent survey by the Argentine Government, the majority of the islanders, who are predominately of British descent, have said they would like to remain under British rule.

The islands were discovered by a British explorer, Capt. John Davis, in 1592, and settled by the English, French and Spanish. In 1770 Spain bought out the French and drove out the British. Argentina claimed the islands after it gained independence from Spain in 1816, but Britain reclaimed them in 1832.

[legov]

The right thing would be to let the Falkland Islands be independent and let them decide what they want with no British military presence. But that won’t happen because Argentina might invade, and even with a guarantee they wouldn’t, I am not sure they can be trusted. 

 

If one was to grant Argentina a right to off shore oil and gas that was within the Falkland Island area, it would lead to all sorts of other international disputes. Remember that Britain and Argentina did reach an accord; Here which they withdrew from.

 

 

Britain and Argentina Reach an Accord on Falkland Oil Rights

By CALVIN SIMS

Published: September 20, 1995

• SIGN IN TO E-MAIL
• PRINT

 

Argentina and Britain took a major step forward today in resolving a 162-year-old dispute over the Falkland Islands when the two countries announced a tentative agreement governing the extraction of oil in the waters around the archipelago.

The accord is significant because it settles claims by both countries, which fought a war over the South Atlantic islands in 1982, to what many energy experts believe are vast natural gas and petroleum resources in the islands' waters.

The agreement, which came after three and a half years of negotiations, also paves the way for Britain and Argentina to begin meaningful talks over which country will ultimately control the islands, occupied by Britain since 1833 but claimed by Argentina.

Officials of the two countries declined to discuss details of the accord, which is expected to be signed by the Foreign Ministers of Argentina and Britain at a ceremony on Sept. 27 in New York.

"It is the most important attempt to date to unlock a situation that was very tense and which will allow both parties to investigate the potential of those resources in the region," said Marcelo Lamesa, a lawyer specializing in international oil disputes for the Cardena law firm here.

 

 

In a radio interview today, the Argentine President, Carlos Saul Menem, said of the agreement: "It is the first real and large step regarding Argentina's permanent battle to regain sovereignty. It is the best that we could obtain 163 years after our islands were taken in 1833."

A spokesman for the British Embassy said the agreement was "a draft that is still being considered" and that the agreement had not changed Britain's position that the islands are a Crown colony.

Argentina's largest daily newspaper, Clarin, reported today that under the agreement, Britain would obtain 66.6 percent of earnings on any oil or gas discovered in waters to the east of the Falklands, and that Argentina would receive 33.3 percent of the remaining earnings.

The newspaper said Argentina and Britain would equally divide any earnings on oil and gas discovered in waters to the west of the Falklands. Licenses to exploit waters to the east would be granted by Britain, the paper said, and licenses to exploit waters to the west would be awarded by a joint commission.

Western diplomats here who are familiar with the negotiations but spoke on condition of anonymity said the talks reached a standstill at one point over Argentina's demand that it obtain earnings and some control over the awarding of exploration licenses.

The diplomats said Britain finally agreed to grant Argentina royalties and the right to award some licenses.

For its part, Buenos Aires maintains it will not drop its claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, called Islas Malvinas by Argentina. Indeed, Argentine officials said in June that they were determined to gain control of the windswept islands, and they have offered to pay the 2,100 islanders who live there up $800,000 a family to buy them out.

According to a recent survey by the Argentine Government, the majority of the islanders, who are predominately of British descent, have said they would like to remain under British rule.

The islands were discovered by a British explorer, Capt. John Davis, in 1592, and settled by the English, French and Spanish. In 1770 Spain bought out the French and drove out the British. Argentina claimed the islands after it gained independence from Spain in 1816, but Britain reclaimed them in 1832.

 

That really would have been for the best.

[Mantis]

I think a decent compromise would be to keep the Falklands under British administration, but let Argentina have rights pertaining to oil & gas extraction in the south Atlantic, with a small token payment to the Falklands public administration of course.

 

Why compromise? I don't see what's wrong with the current policy of letting the Islanders decide their own fate.