Comments by "" (@RedXlV) on "USS Phoenix / ARA General Belgrano - Pearl Harbor Spectator to South Atlantic Predator" video.

The captain of the Belgrano didn't understand the controversy either. His thoughts on the matter were basically that it's war, you win some you lose some.
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@LucioFercho Argentina was about a year away from actually being right about the Brits. In 1983, the brand-new HMS Invincible was scheduled to become HMAS Australia, and HMS Hermes was scheduled to be scrapped. Along with plenty of other of downsizing. Had that all happened prior to an Argentine invasion, the Royal Navy probably would've been deemed too small to mount a credible counter-offensive. Basically, the Argentine junta saved the Royal Navy from near-oblivion at the hands of Parliament.
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A huge part of Thatcher's subsequent political career was built on the victory in the Falklands, which is ironic since her own policies would've made that victory impossible had the Argentines waited just one more year before invading.
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It's the same reason so much attention was played to the Soviet Union's Sverdlov-class during the Cold War, even though they were basically just a pre-WW2 light cruiser design upgraded with newer radar. And Britain's ultimate solution to that threat had the Cold War ever turned hot was pretty much "let the Americans handle it" (or the RAF if one of them dared to enter the North Sea). The Royal Navy's fleet, especially once their own aircraft carriers were retired, was predicated on not facing any foes with armor and heavy-ish guns. Anything along those lines would be dealt with by air power, while the Royal Navy would focus on anti-submarine duties.
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Because the Brooklyns were older and less capable. That's the same reason USS Savannah (which was significantly upgraded after surviving a Fritz X hit in 1943) wasn't among the Brooklyns that got transferred to the South American navies. Argentina really wanted her; they argued that there ought to be a 3:2:2 ratio instead being limited to parity with Brazil and Chile. But the entire reason the US gave those ships to the South Americans (and heavily lobbied Britain to block any sale by Vickers of new-construction cruisers) was to prevent a new South American arms race. But still giving the major South American powers enough of a fleet to deter them from potentially seeking ships from the USSR instead. All of the Clevelands and the remaining two Brooklyns were kept by the US Navy until 1959, at which point all of them that hadn't gone through missile conversion were disposed of.
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@alganhar1 Yeah, the British military is embarrassingly small. You'd think the renewed prospect of a major war in Europe might trigger some changes, but not so far.
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Pity none of the South American cruisers were preserved.
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