Why was Sean Penn wading into the Argentina/ uk Faulklands issue?

[Kayano]

He just made himself look like a total tit. I don't even understand what it has to do with him?!

I don't care about Sean Penn (who btw has things to say about his country too, and to be honest I can't see why anyone can't have opinions on other countries foreign policies), but your exchanges on this thread are just pretty scary.

Why scary Franca?

I am not very comfortable with the lightness with which nuclear submarines or combat zones are discussed.

I've been discussing them, and been aboard them at various times for 26 years as I am married to a nuclear submariner; it's what HM Forces call black humour, and the 'if you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined' mentality. It is one of the ways this is dealt with in the Forces community.

We all know it is serious Franca, and those of us with members of our families who are still serving, and were serving at the time of the Falklands, remember it only too well, and hope that it won't happen again; but we have had a presence down there now for 30 years, so nothing has changed and Argentina/Kirchner is sabre rattling because it/she can. I don't think HMG would have allowed HRH to go there if there was any imminent danger.

When you say nuclear submarines which kind do you mean? There is a difference.

I thought the whole idea of our nuclear subs was that they act as a deterrent. No one knows where they are patroling. I really don't think that celebs should start mouthing off about causes they really no nothing about. The islanders want to remain british and should the worst happen and the argies invade (lets hope it never happens) then unfortunately all the defense cuts will be shown up for what they really are, pretty damn stupid. As for borrowing aircraft carriers off the french, i can't see that working seen as the french allegedly gave the argies the codes for the exocet missiles that killed so many of our men in the war. That kind of shows where their allegencies lie. This is a very serious issue but i don't think there is any coincidence in the timing of the argentines renewed vocalisation of their claims.

'i don't think there is any coincidence in the timing of the argentines renewed vocalisation of their claims'. Well no, it's 30 years since the last time they invaded, and they want to make a noise about it.

They seem to ignore that self determination is a right for all time, and applies to the Falklands as well as the rest of the world.

To be fair from what I read, the French sold the Argies the missiles before they invaded and during the war gave us the information on how to render them useless. They also lent us aircraft to train against and were quicker to come out in support of the UK than our supposed special friend the US of A.

If it came down to picking sides, I've no doubt the French would be on our side. But I don't think that extends to putting their armed forces in harms way.

Ive been getting really annoyed when I hear/read people talking about Britain giving the Falklands 'back' to Argentina.

Why the hell people dont check facts before mouthing off I dont know.

They just jump on the 'lets bash evil colonialist Britain' bandwagon and assume we stole it from Argentina.

Dont know if its the spirit of the 80s rising up in me because I feel quite passionate about it, but if Argentina try it, I hope they get 7 shades kicked out of them.

I was 8 during the Falklands war, I remember my dad ceremoniously chucking out tins of corned beef from our kitchen the day it started!

....and yes, Sean Penn is a nob.

vnmum, you are wrong about France in teh Falklands. France was our greatest ally during that time

'France was Britain's greatest ally during the Falklands war, providing secret information to enable MI6 agents to sabotage Exocet missiles which were desperately sought by Argentina, according to Sir John Nott, who was Defence Secretary during the conflict.

In his memoirs he reveals that while President Reagan was pressurising Lady Thatcher to accept a negotiated settlement France helped Britain to win the conflict.'

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1387576/How-France-helped-us-win-Falklands-war-by-John-Nott.html

Didn't Mitterand point out that the only reason he handed over the disable codes was because Thatcher said that she was going to chuck a nuke at Argentina if he didn't? It certainly wasn't because France cared at all about whether the british were in the right or not.

I think that was Mitterand's sense of humour. The US President would have been just as concerned about that. It wasn't only Mitterand that would have been concerned.

France was a closer ally than the United States, and it is obvious why. France believes in a strong EU and wants Britain as an EU partner. France lies next door to Britain and built the Concorde and Channel Tunnel with Britain. France will always be a British ally in the final analysis because it will always be Britain's neighbour.

www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110663

And I think that will probably remain true in spite of Obama saying that France is the United States' biggest ally. It is when teh chips are down that you find out who supports you.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346006/Barack-Obama-declares-France-biggest-ally-blow-Special-Relationship-Britain.html

I did say "allegedly gave the codes" so if there is evidence to prove otherwise then fair enough. I still think that if this does get more unstable (i really hope it doesn't) then it is the defence cuts that our government have put in place that will be telling as to wether we can defend our interests.

Really though why do Argentina want the islands so badly? DH has done a tour there and said there isn't really much to it and it is fairly barren, apart from sheep farming etc. So why is it so important to Argentine? I think most of us have a very good inkling as to what that reason is and it is to do with what is under the islands not on them

I think there's two reasons why Argentina are now making noises about the Falklands again.

Firstly their economy is in the tank so whipping up some nationalistic fervor helps them out politically and distracts the public from how shit their government really is.

Secondly there has been some quite positive noises about oil near the Falklands. I know they've been drilling for years to no real avail but reports about viable oil fields seem to be more optimistic recently. So Argentina regaining the Falklands means they'd get the oil revenue instead of the UK (Falklands).

Penn's mother is of Irish/Italian catholic descent. Irish Americans tend to be very anti-British, even if they've got nothing to do with us. Could be the connection.

Unfortunately I find it very difficult to have an impartial view on this as I have fancied SP from the first time I ever set eyes on him and so he could say pretty much anything

Have you seen his moustache noddyholder? You still like him?

Nothing would put me off him!

Wow. That's true love right there.

DIRTY OLD LADY

He is older than me thank you

noddy!

Maybe when he was much younger, but now his face is weasely

He is still going on about it and I am not having it said that he is attractive. He is perhaps the ugliest man I have laid eyes
On