More On the Falklands

On Sunday I made this video in response to an LRC blog post by Christopher Manion, and got some comments by a couple Brits (I'm inferring they're Brits) who are noticeably concerned over my statement that the people of the U.S. have no obligation to foreign governments. Apparently, saying that the Falkland islanders are British subjects and that Argentina has no rightful claim over the islands just wasn't enough for these two.

It seems that Brits like these two want the U.S. government to, at the very least, stand up and say on behalf of every single individual who resides within the U.S. that "the people of the United States" believe the Falklands belong to the UK and not Argentina. You see, my words, as representative of the views of one single American individual, are not official enough to count. The opinions of persons are irrelevant unless they are ascribed onto everyone else and published as "the opinion" (singular) of "a people" (again, singular).

Christopher Manion posted another blog entry in which he claims that "the British press continues to go bananas" at the sudden realization that the United States government isn't exactly at the UK's beck and call. At the end of his post he excerpts a comment that Howard Baker left on the online article. The comment is pasted in its entirety below.

"The United States of America has to entertain this ‘Special Relationship,’ not approved by our senate, and which has not been put into a treaty, and not even been publicly debated, why? We have to clean up your mess, because you don’t want to let go of some distant islands? We have committed some great transgression for not wanting to wipe your bottoms with our army? Laughable!

"Don’t get me wrong; they shouldn’t necessarily go to the Argentinians. If geography dictated which land should belong to whom, Argentina would have a good claim over Chile.

"The Brits our are friends, but so are the Argentinians (or they all should be). And we side with our friends. And in case you didn’t notice, we have our own problems to deal with. There is more to the United States than that of a personal army you direct toward your enemy. We send billions of dollars to Israel while American veterans eat of dumpsters (an unfortunate reality I suspect all of Europe will soon awaken to.) Our government will only get involved if there are assets to be secured, namely oil or uranium. Certainly not because of some fabled ’special relationship.’

"'I cannot think of a move by Washington that could do more harm at this time to the Anglo-American Special Relationship'

"What special relationship? When we feel like invading yet another country in the Mideast, we will call on you as our old-world trojan horse. We are not friends; you are the dog, and we are the master. It’s not a friendly statement, and I take no pride in expressing it, but you know it’s true. Don’t pout like a child when we don’t rush to your defense. The Argentinians booting you out of the Falklands and you sitting in bewilderment with your thumbs up your 'arses' is precisely the lesson you deserve."