Peace through strength works on political problems both big and small. An example on how it works on a relatively small global crisis can be seen with the Falkland Islands War fought in 1982. During that war, a small dictator from Argentina named Leopoldo Galtieri tried to take the Falkland Islands back from Great Britain through the use of force, invading the islands and taking the British inhabitants there hostage. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in one of her finest moments, declared that this blatant use of force would not stand and she sent the Royal Navy over 8,000 miles south to take the territory back for Great Britain. Though costly in terms of lives (and ships) lost, Britain managed to win the war and take the islands back. Not only did Thatcher stand up to a petty dictator and win, but the Galtieri government fell soon after the war ended. The war showed that dictators, both large and small, tend to lose once people stand up to them and say, “Enough.” I think we should all send Obama a book on the Falkland Islands war. It may help him navigate through this crisis with North Korea, and the one that’s coming with Iran. Are any democrats out there listening?
