Britainology 7: The Falklands War

Listening to this again and thinking about my uncle who is the French Canadian version of Gaz Baz (Van Doo regiment paratrooper, too mouthy to promote high as an NCO but genius driver)

I keep coming back to this ep. Love it, you should do another about some of the WW2 hijinks of the SAS as there's a lot of similar notes of "dudes rocks"

Great stuff, just one note that "two bald men fighting over a comb" was Borges, not Neruda. Even Argentine conservatives knew the war was stupid.

Argie here. I'm totally on board with your position on the political issue of the islands. While I support our claim for purely anti-imperialist reasons, the war itself was just a desperate attempt by a decaying bloodthirsty fascist regime to justify it's legitimacy (as bloodthirsty fascist regimes usually do) and to basically distract the population from the huge problems related to the rapid neoliberalization of the economy. There is indeed nothing "woke" about siding with Argentina as far was the war goes. The only things it managed to achieve was bring death and suffering to lower class people who were forcefully conscripted and, as I just found out by listening to the episode, actually SAVE Thatcher's regime, so it was basically shit all around. Besides this, I will admit that the historical claim itself is extremely brittle and honestly, at this point, those lads over by the island are probably so insanely anti-argentinian that even if we managed to arrange some sort of diplomatic settlement I don't think we'd ever manage to get along without some insane rambo dads camping in the woods making life hell for whoever poor schmuck we sent there to deal with administration. Also, now I want to read about insane wacky right wing plans, like the plane hijacking and the -totally sane and reasonable- plan of sabotaging the gibraltar strait to block off the royal navy. Anyway, great stuff boys, love you.

Spot on the guards. My granddad came up Irish guards before the Second World War. He ended up serving in India and then Burma (leading to an indeterminate number of half-aunts and uncles). The only war story he ever shared with my Dad was the tale of his George Cross. He was serving as a logistics officer coordinating a supply covoy that got spotted and straffed by Japanese Bombers. Long story short he stood there checking stuff off the ledger when a fuel tanker blew up behind him. This lodged an 8 inch piece of hot steel in his back. He the got back up and continued to direct the convoy around the burnt out husk of a tanker before collapsing 3hrs later. No heroics, no jumping bayonet first into a machine gun placement, just "Battalion Command have given up an order! So we will continue to carry out that order! And no private, the bleeding mess of grilled bone and flesh in my back is not a relevant factor! Now if it's not too much of an inconvenience for you, I'd like to find out where that truck-load of army issue staplers and manilla folders has gotten to! "

Also, Nate, if you're reading this, a while ago on What a Hell of a Way to Die you mentioned an article about the Presidential US-style government and how the US never used it to install new governments in their protectorates because it was too unstable and bad, and here you mentioned something about the government form used in most south american countries being really prone to falling apart into a dictatorship or military junta. I *need* this article. Please someone give it to me

It was always my well-balanced centrist position that the Falklands were created while the South American tectonic plate separated from Africa, and therefore that Las Malvinas son sudafricanas. Fight me.

I was driving and seriously considered crashing into a light pole when I heard "Caveat off what the Commander said..." Brought me right back. Good job.

Loved the episode, Falkland Islanders sound like the most cursed people on this planet outside of Irish unionists

Great episode. I just wonder, as an Argentinian, is it really seen that .ar has a big German influence or it’s just a bit? there are some towns in the south (Patagonia) that look germanic, etc. but culturally Argentina is mostly a mix of Italians and Spanish imho.

I have basically no familiarity with the British military but in spite of (or because of) this, this is my new favourite TF episode

Lol, this Terry Peck gold from the Wikipedia article on the Battle of Mount Longdon: "Not long after this successful foray, Peck while guiding a close-target-reconnaissance patrol (under Corporal Peter Hadden) opened fire in error at Sergeant John Pettinger's standing patrol also from 3 PARA's D Company, but no British casualties were registered in this friendly fire incident."

The Argentines really were 'a land of contrasts' militarily, because on the one had you did have their pretty well equipped air force and not un-substantial navy, but then just a spectacularly shit conscript army that could not compete with the psycho energy of Gaz and Baz even when they tapped into their most right-wing nationalist frenzy.

Dave Courtney in the 41st millenium: ate eretics, ate xenos, luv emprah, simple as

I need to go into a coma for a few years so I can wake up with dozens of episodes of Britainology to binge.

luv britainology luv alice luv mad lads 'ate thatcher simple as

My father's friend wrote a book and talked about his time in the Falklands. Funnily enough, after they took prisoners of war he heard "Ti siarad Cymraeg?" with a strange accent, it was one of the Argentinians. He then started speaking Welsh with a Patagonian. Their accent is fucked, even for Welsh people

but can someone explain to me who Gaz Baz and Donald McDonald are? Are those real guys or characters or just made up by the show hosts?

this ep is a masterpiece

Growing in Uruguay, I always got the really washed version of the Falklands war, it was nice to hear a bit of the other side of the argument. This is still, many years later, a really hot topic on both sides of the political spectrum. And just a minor correction, in the begining you mention Fray Bentos as an Argentinian city when is actually in Uruguay. Also, really funny to hear you try to say something in Spanish.

Delicious Gazbazcho

Yesss more Bology

Proud tales of the 3rd Flat-Nosed Geezer Battalion (Dave Courtney's Own)

When are we getting Midwestology?

Just hook britainology to my veins.

Oh, happy holidays indeed!

Yes fuck! This goddamn podcast is more addictive than twitter.