Sovereign Protection?
War is hell, yes it most certainly is. The urge of imperialist countries in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries to extend their visions, expand their horizons, subjugate other less powerful countries and reap the benefits of their resources while holding their peoples hostage to the perceived needs of the conquering country was just another scourge in the world repeated time and again in earlier incarnations, but now generally frowned upon.The British Empire extended far and wide, and in its hey-day competed for hegemony with countries like Spain, France, Portugal and Russia. Britain's was a vast empire of conquest, an amazing feat for a small island-nation determined to enlarge its territory, resources and reputation. Only bit by bit did Britain relinquish control of all those subjugated countries so far removed from her own geography.
But an odd thing happened on the way to independence for many of those countries; they determined it would be in their best interests to remain loyal to the British Crown, and despite attaining independence as sovereign states, also bowed to their past as subjugated states. The world, all of a sudden, on April Fool's Day, 1982, became aware of a little island that Britain named the Falkland Islands, and which Argentina from whom it had been wrested by Britain named the Malvinas.
Argentina at that time was in disarray, its dictator-politicians held in deep suspicion by its people, and it sought an adventure to restore its former territory-island as a way to bring back a little lustre to its sorry self. The thing about the Falklands is that, despite its distance from Britain, it was settled by Britons, and over the generations Falkland Islanders have remained British, their loyalty to the home country unalloyed by proximity to Argentina within South America.
Britain too was in political doldrums, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher restored herself in the opinion of her public by ordering a task force to the rescue when Argentine troops invaded 25 years ago. Outright war seen through two months of miserable fighting. Margaret Thatcher's popularity soared, guaranteeing her victory in a looming election that previously had her on the losing end. It was the worst kind of imperialistic posturing, to prosecute a nasty war to retain a tiny island that Britain had no business acquiring in the first place.
And in the process of that war, Argentine troops were completely routed, utterly demoralized, and the country of Argentina had reason to go into a deep mourning for the lives of hundreds of seamen lost when their ship was bombed and sunk by the British. The Argentines fought bravely for what they believed was theirs to begin with, but they were no match in the end for the well-trained and superbly equipped British. Moreover, there were Falklanders who spied on the Argentine troops and passed on vital military information to the British forces.
Details such as equipment, position and morale. There were even photographs taken of anti-aircraft sites smuggled through to the British. In some places like Goose Green and Darwin, hand-to-hand combat took place, with rifles, pistols, bayonets, shovels and fists. There were no tanks, little air cover, and hardly any artillery. The debris of war; wrecked mortars, discarded army boots, food rations and crushed radio and signalling equipment still litters the coast in places.
Since the British success in defending the Falklands and the complete routing of the Argentine forces, British troops remain on standby there.
Question is, what was accomplished? How can a country find pride in such an enterprise? More to the point, how can Lady Margaret Thatcher have a clear conscience for the deaths of so many for so little?
Labels: Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Friday, March 23, 2007
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