> it was just the blog of someone who didn't like being in the Falklands.....
Again, I didn't even read it like that. I didn't see anywhere where she said she really had a problem with any of the issues she raised; she didn't say that she wanted to go shopping, or drink fancy coffee, etc.
Read it again, trying to forget the spectacularly poor choice of blog title, and see if you can actually see where she complains about any of those issues.
I think that islanders just took the hump at the 'Malvinas' crack, and went off on a self-righteous rant.
If her comments so offended them, doesn't it suggest that they too find some of the issues to be a problem? I found only one person suggesting that the issues were in fact virtues. I'd find most of them to be virtues; no malls, no fashionistas, no poncy coffee shops serving double swiss latte cinnamon crappafrappamoccachoccavanillamint light decaff (TM)...
I'd miss TK Maxx, though...
As for the petulant cracks at Kiwis not loving their country; what rot. Why do you think they call it Godzone? (God's Own Country?).
If the name "Malvinas" is so abhorrent to Falkland Islanders, why is there a hotel called "Malvina House Hotel and Conservatory Restaurant"?
Please don't shoot me down Benco If I have been misinformed, I have got this info from Wikimapia.
The Malvina House Hotel is named after a person called Malvina, nothing to do with the Malvinas at all, strange coincidence but true.
You have a point CP, a lot of the comments are pretty cringeworthy, some are pretty worrying (death threats, foul language etc), Its interesting to see how hysterical it has become (people have been creating groups on facebook such as "who is pissed off with Rosemary Minto, I know I am", which now has 119 members, weird!). Interestingly some of the more recent posts are calling for a bit of a moderation.
Anyway my comment was early on before it got crazy.
Since I'm not a Blogger, and don't have a Google mail account (or any of the other tedious identities), I don't appear to be able to post on the blog. But here's what I tried to post:
earwig said: " [...] has made us look much worse in the eyes of the world, God-forbid it's been following this mountain-out-of-a-molehill debacle."
The world is watching, yes, and it's like car-crash TV...
Having been directed to this blog via the thread posted earlier, here's a (perhaps) more dispassionate view from the UK...
Putting aside the spectacularly ill-advised use of the 'M' word for a moment*, I'd suggest you all go back and re-read her comments.
Now show me where she actually complains about any of the observations she makes. Do I see any whinging? No; I see only comments to warn the unwary or ill-informed. A number of you have accepted that her observations are true, but you all seem to have decided that they were complaints, even though she prefixed her comments with a couple of big hints that they were going to be honest, warts'n'all.
For all you know, Margaret couldn't give a monkey's stuff about shopping or fancy coffee. I have no idea what her feelings are, because they're not expressed in the blog entry that started all this (and no, I'm not going to read her entire blog to find out).
And, given that you all seem to have taken her comments to be complaints, doesn't that suggest that, deep down, you know they're true, and the issues bother you just a little bit? Methinks the lady doth protest too much...
For me, the lack of shopping malls and poncy coffee shops would be a virtue, and not something to complain about. But I suspect I'm in a very small minority in the wider world.
Now, to extend Marcus Morrison's metaphor somewhat, put down those pitch forks and burning torches, stop shouting 'death to the monster', and go back to your homes...
Yes, Margaret should apologise and explain herself, but there are a fair few folk on here who ought to be apologising, too. Death threats and vile abuse? It's not British, you know. Well, maybe it is, but only amongst the Sun-reading types.
* And yes, I do remember 1982, and being glued to the TV as 'our boys' fought and died to liberate the Falkands. I fully understand why the 'M' word offends you so.
Strewth, and I thought things could get lively on this site.
From what she says about the Falklands, She would probably not enjoy my beloved Scottish Highlands either, I shall email her and tell her not to visit because if she criticised them, I would also have to send her death threats and maybe even set the midges on her.
And heaven forbid her making an almost as big mistake than the Malvinas one, you know, the one where the whole United Kingdom gets referred to as England. Outrageous, I shall call her a f****** b**** right now, in a preemptive strike.
A true voice of some sense there prevailing then, cp.
