That 'Top Gear' / Argentina / licence plate thing....

135

Comments

  • nathancom
    nathancom Posts: 1,567
    you guys should go and mumsnet http://www.revleft.com/vb/
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    I did business in Argentina a few years after the Malvinas thing. Great place to visit. Lets not forget that the whole escapade was for internal politics and power of the junta, and many were glad the outcome was the junta went. However the Falklands are once being used to for internal political reasons in Argentina, and it hardly helps that JC & Co is feeding that frenzy.

    I got fed up with being given a room in the Sheraton overlooking the memorial to the 6 or 7 hundred conscripts who died, but it was as poignant as driving through Wales week after week seeing funerals for Welsh guardsmen.

    I still think we should remember that the middle class foreign educated pilots from Argentina decided not to persecute an all out attack on the undefended convoy in Carlos water, just hit a few ships and went home. Had they persecuted a logical air campaign the outcome could have been very different.

    To my mind the biggest benefit Thatcher got was kick starting the economy through government spending on defence, proving you can refloat an economy through government spending, she just wasn't going to admit it for ideological reasons.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,351
    @ Stevo. Yes, I respect the sovereignty of the Falkland Islanders. I do not know what I would have done had I been Prime Minister at the time.
    The Junta was responsible for the disappearance of thousands of Argentinians and therefore were led into a war for political purposes and nothing else.
    You said in an earlier post that you were mickey taking and now you seem to have got all serious - make your mind up.
    We will never agree about Margaret Thatcher. The woman is an anathema to many and the mutts nuts to others. Of course, if you happen to be in the financial services industry, you are the latter.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,495
    pinarello001 wrote:
    @ Stevo. Yes, I respect the sovereignty of the Falkland Islanders. I do not know what I would have done had I been Prime Minister at the time.
    The Junta was responsible for the disappearance of thousands of Argentinians and therefore were led into a war for political purposes and nothing else.
    You said in an earlier post that you were mickey taking and now you seem to have got all serious - make your mind up.
    We will never agree about Margaret Thatcher. The woman is an anathema to many and the mutts nuts to others. Of course, if you happen to be in the financial services industry, you are the latter.
    And here was me thinking you went all serious on me after my 'yellow chicken' comment and were after a good handbag swinging competition - so I tried my best to deliver...

    We'll never agree on MT, but I've never worked in the financial services sector :wink:
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,351
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    pinarello001 wrote:
    @ Stevo. Yes, I respect the sovereignty of the Falkland Islanders. I do not know what I would have done had I been Prime Minister at the time.
    The Junta was responsible for the disappearance of thousands of Argentinians and therefore were led into a war for political purposes and nothing else.
    You said in an earlier post that you were mickey taking and now you seem to have got all serious - make your mind up.
    We will never agree about Margaret Thatcher. The woman is an anathema to many and the mutts nuts to others. Of course, if you happen to be in the financial services industry, you are the latter.
    And here was me thinking you went all serious on me after my 'yellow chicken' comment and were after a good handbag swinging competition - so I tried my best to deliver...

    We'll never agree on MT, but I've never worked in the financial services sector :wink:

    Oh not you again...f*ck.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,930
    Thin skinned Argies

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... s-war.html
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,345
    Argentina could have saved all the lives lost simply by not invading in the first place.

    Their offence offends me.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,495
    edited December 2014
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Argentina could have saved all the lives lost simply by not invading in the first place.
    As mentioned above.

    Plus it's none of their ******* business as we'll put up whatever monument we want on our territory. You don't see the Germans whingeing about war memorials in the UK.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    Jeremy's story about his dying father last night just adds credence to the fact that this was not planned.

    If anyone thinks he made that up he's already told that story some years ago:

    http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-clarks ... 2008-08-01

    Given that the story was clearly told during the trip, hence the choice of car, and given that there were a limited amount of GTS for sale at the time (the producers said 2), it all adds up fairly convincingly as an unfortunate accident.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    The close up of the plate hinging on one bolt then falling off completely made me think it is all a set up.
  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,516
    Take a wider view and look at the world wide events at that time and the cold war was still in effect? The year before, martial law in Poland, Libyan jets attacking American jets, the Iranian hostages ends,

    1982 Israel invades Lebanon. The Suns headline of "Gotcha" when the Belgrano was sunk was more an indication of a nation's mindset which was far removed from the horrors and realities of conflict.

    We needed a strong leader, we had a strong leader, the enemy died, sorry but thats an outcome of launching a military invasion. Underpin that when the aggressor is a military junta with a woeful record on human rights and was guilty of thousands of disappeared. The bigger travesty would have been to let the invasion go unanswered and sent a message of political weakness.


    Oh and I believe the British invented the phrase " gunboat diplomacy" so any "reputation" for diplomacy is misplaced at best.
    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • merkin
    merkin Posts: 452
    dodgy wrote:
    The close up of the plate hinging on one bolt then falling off completely made me think it is all a set up.
    Given the furore at the time they were run out of the country and the fact that the programme was probably edited afterwards, I doubt that close up means anything.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    Yes. Registration plates fall off all the time just as a camera is pointing at them.
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    Jeremy's not an idiot. You'd have to be an idiot, regardless of your intent, to wave Falklands references in the Argentinians faces whilst in that country.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    TG goes to the home port of the Belgrano, what could possibly go wrong?
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    florerider wrote:
    TG goes to the home port of the Belgrano, what could possibly go wrong?

    Absolutely. They were asking for trouble and well and truly received it.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • Aphorism
    Aphorism Posts: 11
    The fact that it's being discussed is evidence JC uses to claim his extortionate salary each year. Was it a set up? Yes, it's Top Gear and every bit of it is scripted and set up. The multiple takes of a single scene, the cleverly placed cameras recording the critical parts of the plot, the nail-biting finishes to the race challenges. It's simple minded entertainment, and if you find it entertaining, you're probably simple minded.
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,930
    Aphorism wrote:
    The fact that it's being discussed is evidence JC uses to claim his extortionate salary each year. Was it a set up? Yes, it's Top Gear and every bit of it is scripted and set up. The multiple takes of a single scene, the cleverly placed cameras recording the critical parts of the plot, the nail-biting finishes to the race challenges. It's simple minded entertainment, and if you find it entertaining, you're probably simple minded.

    Oooo. Get you! :wink:
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    Aphorism wrote:
    The fact that it's being discussed is evidence JC uses to claim his extortionate salary each year. Was it a set up? Yes, it's Top Gear and every bit of it is scripted and set up. The multiple takes of a single scene, the cleverly placed cameras recording the critical parts of the plot, the nail-biting finishes to the race challenges. It's simple minded entertainment, and if you find it entertaining, you're probably simple minded.

    Fair play, you watched it all. :D
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • tyred&weary
    tyred&weary Posts: 243
    florerider wrote:
    TG goes to the home port of the Belgrano, what could possibly go wrong?

    Ignoring the intended irony, it could jeopardise the safety of these guys for a start.

    "Chris is in the driving seat of a 2001 MAN L2000 Dakar truck along his crew of 2 ex military men; Charlie Sincock (R2R class of 2013) and Martin West. "

    See https://www.facebook.com/pages/Race2Rec ... am&fref=nf for full details. The Dakar starts on January 4th in Argentina and continues to the 17th passing through Chile and Bolivia and back to Buenos Aires.

    Ex Service men driving through Argentina after three morons turn the focus on British vehicles; what could possibly go wrong? Fortunately last year the Argentineans were caught up in the enormity of the challenge of amputees taking on the desert, salt flats. With luck despite best efforts of morons that will continue.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,700
    Ballysmate wrote:
    Aphorism wrote:
    The fact that it's being discussed is evidence JC uses to claim his extortionate salary each year. Was it a set up? Yes, it's Top Gear and every bit of it is scripted and set up. The multiple takes of a single scene, the cleverly placed cameras recording the critical parts of the plot, the nail-biting finishes to the race challenges. It's simple minded entertainment, and if you find it entertaining, you're probably simple minded.

    Oooo. Get you! :wink:

    I bet he's terrific fun at parties :roll:
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,930
    Thirty odd years ago Argentina, led by a military junta, launched an invasion of foreign territory and were forcibly removed by the British. This led to the removal of the junta who had shown scant regard for human rights.
    Since then, some people here have felt the need to continually apologise to Argentina at every opportunity, regardless of the bullshit emanating from people like Kirchner.
    Do you think Cleese agonised over The Germans episode of Faulty Towers, thirty years after the war? Perhaps he prostrated himself before Helmut Schmidt, begging forgiveness for causing offence? I doubt it.
    I have no idea whether or not the reg no was spurious and quite frankly don't give a proverbial.
  • arran77
    arran77 Posts: 9,260
    I did enjoy watching Clarkson and the other two stooges cowering in the hotel room like pussies when it all started getting heavy :lol:
    "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity" :lol:

    seanoconn
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Ballysmate wrote:
    Thirty odd years ago Argentina, led by a military junta, launched an invasion of foreign territory and were forcibly removed by the British. This led to the removal of the junta who had shown scant regard for human rights.
    Since then, some people here have felt the need to continually apologise to Argentina at every opportunity, regardless of the bullshit emanating from people like Kirchner.
    Do you think Cleese agonised over The Germans episode of Faulty Towers, thirty years after the war? Perhaps he prostrated himself before Helmut Schmidt, begging forgiveness for causing offence? I doubt it.
    I have no idea whether or not the reg no was spurious and quite frankly don't give a proverbial.

    You're right but Fawlty Towers was all done from the cosy comfort of a studio in Britain. I'd suggest that there are parts of southern Germany and Austria where a p!ss take like that would have seen Cleese get his head kicked in. Anyone fancy there chances with a bit of political comedy on the streets of Northern Ireland yet?...I thought not.

    I think the golden rule is if you want to indulge in a bit of jingoistic comedy pick your venue carefully, they should have stuck to ripping the piss out of Mexicans from their hangar in Oxfordshire. As Arran says the best part was watching them Sh!t themselves in a hotel room. Comedy gold :lol::lol::lol:
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,495
    Just goes to show that there are bad losers everywhere.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • mamba80
    mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Just goes to show that there are bad losers everywhere.

    the whole thing was staged for publicity and ratings, nothing more, the BBC would never in a 1000s years put so many people in real danger.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,345
    mamba80 wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Just goes to show that there are bad losers everywhere.

    the whole thing was staged for publicity and ratings, nothing more, the BBC would never in a 1000s years put so many people in real danger.
    Except Top Gear is not a BBC production.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • mamba80
    mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    PBlakeney wrote:
    mamba80 wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Just goes to show that there are bad losers everywhere.

    the whole thing was staged for publicity and ratings, nothing more, the BBC would never in a 1000s years put so many people in real danger.
    Except Top Gear is not a BBC production.

    Your missing the point, in the publics eye it is a BBC program and they would get the blame.
  • Aphorism
    Aphorism Posts: 11
    ddraver wrote:
    Ballysmate wrote:
    Aphorism wrote:
    The fact that it's being discussed is evidence JC uses to claim his extortionate salary each year. Was it a set up? Yes, it's Top Gear and every bit of it is scripted and set up. The multiple takes of a single scene, the cleverly placed cameras recording the critical parts of the plot, the nail-biting finishes to the race challenges. It's simple minded entertainment, and if you find it entertaining, you're probably simple minded.

    Oooo. Get you! :wink:

    I bet he's terrific fun at parties :roll:
    Which bit isn't simple minded? It's aimed at the lowest common denominator. If you like it, that's fine.

    'Quick Sheila, that Clarkson bloke is about to say something witty about foreigners and that he doesn't like the way an £80,000 car goes round a corner. He's hilarious. Do you remember that war we had with the Argies? He's dragging that up again'.
  • Aphorism
    Aphorism Posts: 11
    bendertherobot wrote:
    Aphorism wrote:
    The fact that it's being discussed is evidence JC uses to claim his extortionate salary each year. Was it a set up? Yes, it's Top Gear and every bit of it is scripted and set up. The multiple takes of a single scene, the cleverly placed cameras recording the critical parts of the plot, the nail-biting finishes to the race challenges. It's simple minded entertainment, and if you find it entertaining, you're probably simple minded.

    Fair play, you watched it all. :D
    No, just guessed based on previous hilarious, witty off-the-cuff episodes. :wink:

    Was I right??

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