Falkland 1982 No Go

In early 1982 after nearly five years of thinking and worrying about the direction of America's future, I decided to relocate to an out-of-the-way location to live simply and safely. It was the year of my first climate change essay: Oil Droughts. My conclusions were summarized in an essay, "By the year 2000." My choice was the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic which had a small population of a few thousand English speakers, lots of sheep and no trees. About six weeks later the newscasts were dominated by the Argentine invasion of the islands.

My goal of running from the coming problems was another instance of how no matter how fast one runs, one cannot outrun one's problems. At this time I concluded that the only solution to the cancer consuming humanity was to find a cure. What a Don Quixote!

The cure is better democracy and better economics. Unfortunately, with accelerating global dying, it may be too late to save life on earth, the primary moral imperative.

2026 update: The British Navy in 1914 had of over 600 ships fulfilling its policy of equaling the combined strength of the next two largest navies. In 1982, it sent 43 ships with 22 Fleet Auxiliaries to the Falklands. In 2026, the once mighty British Navy has just 13 ships: 4 submarines, 7 destroyers, and 2 aircraft carriers. The carriers have serious problems and destroyers are aged with new ones prone to breakdowns while at sea.

The United States is repeating England's military mistakes that have been accelerated by the gut reactions of President TACO: Talk loudly but don't stick around.