Is Nato A Force For Good?

[carosio]

Both those countires appear to be having second thoughts.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, spilldig said:

Yes and NATO did nothing to help us when Argentina invaded The Falklands.

I have never heard a good reason why the Falklands should ever have belonged to us. In my opinion, it belongs to Argentina

When you consider this, Gibraltar and Northern Ireland,  were we not guilty of Russia's favourite trick of taking over countries which we thought may be useful to us at that time.

[L00b]

2 hours ago, spilldig said:

Yes and NATO did nothing to help us when Argentina invaded The Falklands.

NATO countries (particularly France and the US) and the EEC helped you with the Falklands.

 

Eaten bread is soon forgotten.

Edited March 3, 2022 by L00b

[Anna B]

17 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

I have never heard a good reason why the Falklands should ever have belonged to us. In my opinion, it belongs to Argentina

When you consider this, Gibraltar and Northern Ireland,  were we not guilty of Russia's favourite trick of taking over countries which we thought may be useful to us at that time.

Indeed. The past was all about empire building, and we did our fair share of it, and that included a number of attrocities as well. We are still suffering the repercussions today. IMO We are in no position to hold the moral high ground.

Having said that, we have to help where we can and do our bit. We are supposed to have moved on and be able to behave better in better times. 

 

[Guest]

As it seems widely accepted that every  country has behaved badly in the past, imagine a world where we  we could live peacefully together (or peacefully apart)

and spend the billions that every country wastes on weapons to the benefit of that countries citizens with a portion reserved to look after poor and under developed countries.

Every nation could have modern efficient housing, more and better equipped hospitals and look after their young, their old and their disabled better.

When the Berlin wall came down, I thought that was the direction we were heading but, unfortunately, mankind never learns from the past and repeats past mistakes again.

[altus]

54 minutes ago, West 77 said:

How did France selling Argentina Exocet missiles help Britain during the Falklands conflict?

How France helped us win Falklands war, by John Nott

Quote

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.

 

[the_bloke]

9 hours ago, West 77 said:

I believe Donald Trump wanted the European members of NATO to contribute more money to the budget.  From what I understand the UK is the only European member that has honoured the agreement to contribute 2% of GDP to the budget.  Donald Trump was correct in calling out the European NATO members.

It was well publicised last week that the Ukraine conflict finally persuaded Germany to spend something like an extra 100bn Euros to meet the 2% obligation.

Edited March 3, 2022 by the_bloke

[Jeffrey Shaw]

"Is Nato A Force For Good?"

Well, more so than Russia is (although that's not saying a lot).

[hauxwell]

I don’t think America got much support from NATO when Bush declared war on Iraq.  Was the UK the only NATO country to support him?  We should never have got involved in that war.  I’m sure there was other ways we could have punished Iraq without going to war. 

[cuttsie]

2 hours ago, hauxwell said:

I don’t think America got much support from NATO when Bush declared war on Iraq.  Was the UK the only NATO country to support him?  We should never have got involved in that war.  I’m sure there was other ways we could have punished Iraq without going to war. 

That was an even bigger war crime than the one Putin and Russia are doing now , Iraq was thousands of miles away from both America and the UK , posed no threat to us and as it turned out had no weapons of mass destruction and was indeed better of under Saddam than it is now .

If Putin is charged with war crimes than those who lead that war should join him .