[Merged] Gibraltar - Forever British

[Pierre]

Winging Spanish

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3533676.stm

Get over it, its ours.

If they don't like far off countries occupying areas geographically binded to another state.

They should give the Canaries to Morocco.

[darkangel]

we'll give back the rock when they give back Ceuta

brings a union flag tear to my eye.


If the Spansih are so bothered about it and they want the useless piece of rock back, get their fishing fleet the **** out of our waters and then we may just may listen to you.

[neel2k]

Have you read this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3528268.stm

We should do what france do with their overseas possessions.

"France has had a more straightforward policy. It has simply incorporated its far-flung islands into the French Republic."

Things would be a lot simpler having say a MP for Gibralter, MP for Falkland islands, etc. in the house of commons so they would be a part of the United Kingdom instead of being Dependent Territories.

[SOSAGES]

well- while im very proud that we went off and killed a load of dark skin people and sold a load of slaves and was generally nasty, i see no reason not to give it back we gave back most stuff already. it dosnt mean a lot to be british anymore.

[Flubflow]

Generations of Spaniards have never known Gibraltar to be anything other than British so why all the fuss now?

If the reverse situation was true and that Spain owned small outcrop of Britain then I think it would be a good thing, having a little bit of some other countries culture right on your doorstep - even if they are a bunch of lazy hotheads.

Time for my siesta.

[Flubflow]

Originally Posted by SOSAGES

well- while im very proud that we went off and killed a load of dark skin people and sold a load of slaves and was generally nasty, i see no reason not to give it back we gave back most stuff already. it dosnt mean a lot to be british anymore.

You mean the Spanish were pro-slavery and the British were anti slavery.

[SOSAGES]

no i didnt really mean slavery in terms of our spanish buddies - i was just saying why not give it back as we gave back a lot of other stuff that we happened to get as the rest of the world had just discovered fire and we was off murdering them all with guns - also im sure if the spanish owned say wales we would care - well actually maybe not.

so maybe im out the loop but what advantages do we get out of the rock?

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by SOSAGES

well- while im very proud that we went off and killed a load of dark skin people and sold a load of slaves and was generally nasty, i see no reason not to give it back we gave back most stuff already. it dosnt mean a lot to be british anymore.

Strangly enough it means a lot to the population of Gibralter, or do their wishes not count?

[orangebird]

Give it back to them - why do Britain really need it? It's a damn ugly, dirty, over priced place. Yuck.

[SOSAGES]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Strangly enough it means a lot to the population of Gibralter, or do their wishes not count?

i imagine it does but its out of my hands - if the spanish took it over again im sure they would adjust its still the same place except they get to have a kip in the afternoon .

[Flubflow]

Originally Posted by SOSAGES

no i didnt really mean slavery in terms of our spanish buddies - i was just saying why not give it back as we gave back a lot of other stuff that we happened to get as the rest of the world had just discovered fire and we was off murdering them all with guns - also im sure if the spanish owned say wales we would care - well actually maybe not.

so maybe im out the loop but what advantages do we get out of the rock?

The question also has to be asked: What would spain get out of it if they had it back now? Probably about as much as we get from keeping it. Nothing much of anything really I suppose. So we might as well leave it as it is and not offend the people who have been living there for centuries - the Gibraltans (who should decide their own destiny).
I think it has become an overblown spanish political hot paella and it is now very fashionable (and voteworthy) to want to claim the rock back. Just like the Falklands issue in a way.

The reason Britain grabbed it from the Spanish in the first place, was to use it as an important Naval Base. Working with bases in Malta and Alexandria, the RN was able to contain the Med, and all possible naval fleets from agressor nations. Without Gib, it is highly likely that Britain would have lost the war in North Africa, during WW2. Then during the Cold War, its importance as a Naval Base again came into porminance. Thats why we kept it, and I really dont see any point handing it back.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by SOSAGES

i imagine it does but its out of my hands - if the spanish took it over again im sure they would adjust its still the same place except they get to have a kip in the afternoon .

With spanish laws, spanish politics, spanish budget etc.
You'd seriously ignore a native population's wishes and force them to hand control over to the spanish?

[zovat]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Strangly enough it means a lot to the population of Gibralter, or do their wishes not count?

Well said

The population of Gibraltar are very proud to be British, and wish to remain so.

I look at Gib, in the same light as the Falklands - They are british, the population are british subjects, the laws are british laws. They have the right to british citizenship, and they wish to remain that way.
To "give back" Gibraltar to spain would, IMO, be akin to giving the falkland Islands to Argentina....

Oh, and as an interesting statistic :

Spain ruled Gibraltar from 1462-1704 (242 Years) (before that it was moorish)
Britain rules Gibraltar from 1704-2004 (300 Years)