22 December, 2011

The Falklands: at risk?

This blog began in September 2007 and I never thought I would write a post with this title. However the President of Argentina, like M.Sarkozy in France, has found that Brit bashing pays dividends, and whilst Ms. Fernandez is not coming up for re-election, times are difficult in Argentina and she needs all the base public support she can get. She, and Sarkozy too, will find that Argy-bashing and Frog-bashing also play well in the lower forms of the British Press.

What Ms Fernandez has done is to persuade Mercosur, the free trade association comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, to ban ships carrying the Falklands Islands flag from docking at ports in any of these countries. It is a small gesture, since the ships are entitled to carry the British flag, but an inflammatory one.

Is Ms Fernandez hoping to inflame tensions in the run up to the 30th anniversary of their invasion, which takes place next April? She would be ill-advised to do so. Mr Cameron, under criticism for not seeming sufficiently Churchillian or Thatcherite, can probably hardly believe his luck. The islands would be easier to defend now that there is an airbase, Mrs. Thatcher is frail and may have a state funeral next year and the political dividends....

Back off, Christina, is the advice from this blog.

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