British Liner Told To Take Down Flag After Docking In Argentina

QUEEN VICTORIA Photo by Brian Burnell

Editorial Note 1/22/2015: Since this was published Russia signed treaties with Argentina for the servicing of their navel vessels operating off the shores of the Americas. Shortly there after Russia issued statements in support of Argentina's bogus claims on the Falklands. This post triggered by a now no longer news worthy incident is worth a revisit because despite Argentine / Russian claims the underlying international law is still settled.

American Admiralty Books Safety & Privacy Policies EU VISITORS WARNING POSSIBLE COOKIES AHEAD

THE FALKLANDS ARE BRITISH, GET OVER IT

Editor's note: We have said this before concerning both Argentine claims on the Falklands and Chinese claims on a host of island groups within other nations exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Effective settlement trumps all prior claims to formerly vacant lands based on proximity, early sightings, flag plantings, etc. The Falklands have been settled for at least 200 years under British authority. Argentina did not exist as a nation when the British settled the islands, and is not the heir of the former confederacy that once pursued claims to but did not settle the islands. The island inhabitants who have Spanish last names descend from people who settled under British license and support and many are intermarried with Anglo peoples who also settled under British license and logistic support. The issue of affiliation with nearby Argentina has been openly discussed among the island chain's population and thoroughly rejected time after time.

Sorry Argentina, as a nation you are just too poorly governed to attract people used to the British government. Of course your invasion of the islands knocked any charm offensive to convince the populace to elect Argentine governance right out of the ball park. People remember things like an invasion for a long time. You might try a charm offensive in say about 100 years, but even then we doubt it will work. There will be too many people still around who heard the horror stories of the invasion directly from living grandparents. Yea, we know, there wasn't much in the way of real troop misbehavior during your brief occupation but just dropping in and running around people's neighborhoods with automatic weapons is scary enough. Then there was the actual shooting when the British rightly came to the rescue of their citizens. Argentina wasn't the only side to lose military personnel, but among the islanders there wasn't much empathy for your losses, you were the hated invaders.

WARNING THESE COLORS NEVER RUN

Face it, the islands have been settled for generations with people loyal to Great Britain. If you could take the islands militarily, and you can't; you'd be forced to remove the population from their homeland that they have had for generations. The world would not stand for it. You would become a global outcast. The Falklands are British, get over it

Recently a British cruise vessel visited Argentina and had to endure an unprecedented insult to their flag. In a childish display of pique, and without any precedent in international law or diplomatic practice Argentine authorities required the ship to strike her British merchant ensign:

THE HUFFINGTON POST CARRIED FULL DETAILS OF THE EVENT: