Falkland islanders begin voting in British status referendum - Polidicks

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39866645]For the UK, is holding on to this last bit of territory so important? It doesn't make the UK look like a colonial power like in the old days, it looks kind of lame actually. For Argentina, they took their shot and lost. It's embarrassing to see them cry about this all the time, take them back or shut the fuck up already.[/QUOTE] The UK is protecting their citizens, and their interests. That's what goverments are supposed to do. The Argentine goverment just likes to complain about everything, receive VIP treatment and backstab their allies when the chance arises.

It would be silly for the Argie Bargies to say the falklands is British colonialism - British colonialism died a long time ago, the killing blow being the loss of Hong Kong. This is just the president being a tit, and using the "issue" of the Falklands as a distraction from whatever internal problems Argentina may be suffering. she's a total milf though.

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;39865950]They want to be British dude, they've said it a million times, and if somehow Argentina manage to muster the balls to even set foot on the island they'll be fucking flattened before they can say "B-But they're ours Britain!"[/QUOTE] I know they want to be British, I worded it wrongly. I mean that if they didn't want to be British and then seceded Argentina would pounce on them.

"Some 1,672 British citizens - out of a population of about 2,900 - can vote". Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but why can only British citizens vote? Why not everyone who lives there?

[QUOTE=patq911;39867927]"Some 1,672 British citizens - out of a population of about 2,900 - can vote". Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but why can only British citizens vote? Why not everyone who lives there?[/QUOTE] The rest are probably under the age of 18 or not on the electoral register.

[QUOTE=patq911;39867927]"Some 1,672 British citizens - out of a population of about 2,900 - can vote". Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but why can only British citizens vote? Why not everyone who lives there?[/QUOTE] Argentinians living there can vote.

[QUOTE=Keyblockor;39865894]Falkland Islander's will [B]Have[/B] to vote YES this time, or any time, since Falklands will be attacked and try to be annexed by Argentina, and the Argentina president has said that she won't care what'll happen to the Falkland population. Even if they did want to break off of britain, they can't do it now.[/QUOTE] What? Because that worked so well in the 80s..

This almost makes me wish that the Islanders would vote in favour of the Argentinians, just to see the hilarity of the ensuing backpeddling.

[img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188D283D000005DC-682_634x401.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188D5E92000005DC-972_634x416.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188AF9E9000005DC-571_634x327.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188D2960000005DC-541_634x362.jpg[/img] Not even Britain likes Britain that much

When you lived in an area where a country tried to take over your shit and the other kicks them out because of your vote you tend to be a bit more passionate at the ballot box.

[QUOTE=patq911;39867927]"Some 1,672 British citizens - out of a population of about 2,900 - can vote". Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but why can only British citizens vote? Why not everyone who lives there?[/QUOTE] Because there are a lot of people there who aren't citizens. Government Specialists who haven't lived there long enough to apply for residency, people related to the military, scientists visiting/using it as a base for the Antartic mission/South Georgia, etc etc. The children and teenagers who aren't eligible, too. They live there, but aren't Falkland Islanders (Or legally able to vote in the case of children)

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39866645]It's not really self determination if you plant your own people there so they are the majority of the vote, then call a vote to see if they want to retain ties to their own home country is it? I think this is one of those situations where pride has really interfered with rational negotiation. Neither side wants to lose face even though on the surface this problem is ridiculous. For the UK, is holding on to this last bit of territory so important? It doesn't make the UK look like a colonial power like in the old days, it looks kind of lame actually. For Argentina, they took their shot and lost. It's embarrassing to see them cry about this all the time, take them back or shut the fuck up already.[/QUOTE] But it is self-determination, those people have lived their for multiple generations and see themselves as Falkand Islanders.

That's the point though, there's no such thing as Falkland Islanders. Those islands had no native population, those people were brought over by colonial powers. Naturally, they are going to be close to that former colonial power, that's where they come from after all. The US gave Panama control over the Canal. Hong Kong went back to the Chinese. These types of handovers are nothing new and no big deal. That is, unless both sides try to make it about not backing down, rather than doing what makes sense.

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39870558]The US gave Panama control over the Canal. Hong Kong went back to the Chinese. These types of handovers are nothing new and no big deal. That is, unless both sides try to make it about not backing down, rather than doing what makes sense.[/QUOTE] Those two examples had natives. And were leased. The falklands has no natives.

But if there were no native Falkland Islanders, and the British have a superior claim to the island, who do you hand it too? Also, the people on the Falklands may not be descended from native peoples, but they are, for all intents and purposes, the Falkland Islanders. Otherwise citizens of the US are still Englishmen.

[QUOTE]Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has said the inhabitants' wishes are not relevant in what is a territorial issue.[/QUOTE] fuck ME do i hate this fucking stupid country and do i hate myself for being born in it not only am i tortured by shitty pings on every single multiplayer game, i'm also tortured by the fact that my country wants to take over some fucking frozen over rock plagued with landmines and penguins for no reason other than "HRRBOO MOROONBUUUM DA ISLN NER DA SHOOR". They shove this fucking shit into my face EVERYDAY telling me that THEM BRITS R RIGHT GOD DARNED BRATS WHO DONT RESPEK NO COUNTRY. I even fucking believed it for a while until I went into the net and realized that all that bullshit they were mucking about with could've filled a fucking ocean. Economy is shit, everything is fucking brkoen down and right now I'm pretty fucking sure that the country's having a big old "fk da presidency" because the president's a female. This place's fucking garbage. I never should've been born in this country, or at all for that matter unless it is the US or the UK I would be born into. i hope to god this country crashes and burns AFTER i left it Really do fucking hate being too young to move out of this fucking shithole.

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;39870645]But if there were no native Falkland Islanders, and the British have a superior claim to the island, who do you hand it too? Also, the people on the Falklands may not be descended from native peoples, but they are, for all intents and purposes, the Falkland Islanders. Otherwise citizens of the US are still Englishmen.[/QUOTE] The reason why the US citizens are no longer 'Englishmen' is because they have declared independence and cut all ties from the crown in 1776, not to mention that the UK has recognized the country. The reason why Falkland Islanders are not called Falkland Islanders is because they are still under colonial/administrative sovereignty of the UK and no other country would recognize them as another nation.

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;39871135]The reason why the US citizens are no longer 'Englishmen' is because they have declared independence and cut all ties from the crown in 1776, not to mention that the UK has recognized the country. The reason why Falkland Islanders are not called Falkland Islanders is because they are still under colonial/administrative sovereignty of the UK and no other country would recognize them as another nation.[/QUOTE] Yeah but they voted in the past to remain a British holding. It was their choice, Margaret Thatcher wasn't standing outside with a bat threatening to crack skulls if they voted wrong. They chose, much like the Revolutionaries chose to support Washington, and if Argentina does not recognize that choice and continue to claim that, because the islanders are colonial descendants, that they do not hold a proper claim, then Argentina should be considered null as they are a nation of colonial descendants with what few natives remain.

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39870558]That's the point though, there's no such thing as Falkland Islanders. Those islands had no native population, those people were brought over by colonial powers. Naturally, they are going to be close to that former colonial power, that's where they come from after all.[/QUOTE] In that case, let's return Peru and Argentina to Spain, seeing as how the original population was almost completely wiped out (And the survivors enslaved) during the Conquest, and most of their current population is now descendant of the spanish colonists. The point is that, right now, England is in control of the islands. And seeing how many kelpers were born there, that makes them natives.

[QUOTE=matt.ant;39869073][img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188D283D000005DC-682_634x401.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188D5E92000005DC-972_634x416.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188AF9E9000005DC-571_634x327.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/10/article-2291206-188D2960000005DC-541_634x362.jpg[/img] Not even Britain likes Britain that much[/QUOTE] well i wonder who won

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39870558]That's the point though, there's no such thing as Falkland Islanders. Those islands had no native population, those people were brought over by colonial powers. Naturally, they are going to be close to that former colonial power, that's where they come from after all. The US gave Panama control over the Canal. Hong Kong went back to the Chinese. These types of handovers are nothing new and no big deal. That is, unless both sides try to make it about not backing down, rather than doing what makes sense.[/QUOTE] Why are you talking about handovers? No one (apart from Argentina) wants anything to change, the rest of the world is happy with ~2000 quasi-British people living on it.

That's because the falklands is like britain without the shitty weather.

Argentina president Is pretty hot

[QUOTE=Lizzrd;39873065]That's because the falklands is like britain without the shitty weather.[/QUOTE] Isn't the weather even worse there, I mean penguins happily live there..

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39866645]It's not really self determination if you plant your own people there so they are the majority of the vote, then call a vote to see if they want to retain ties to their own home country is it?[/QUOTE] That happened so long ago that it's not really a fair point. It's not like the UK shipped a load of people there last week [b]just[/b] to win this referendum. [QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39866645]For the UK, is holding on to this last bit of territory so important? It doesn't make the UK look like a colonial power like in the old days, it looks kind of lame actually.[/QUOTE] It has nothing to do with looking like a colonial power - it's about sticking up for your citizens who you have sworn to protect.

[QUOTE=Lizzrd;39873065]That's because the falklands is like britain without the shitty weather.[/QUOTE] You've never been to the islands, have you? Their weather is almost exactly like Britain (Well, Scotland and Wales, maybe), albeit with more wind and more snow.