Ronald and Margaret

In his book Reagan and Thatcher: The Difficult Relationship, Richard Aldous includes this transcript of a telephone conversation between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands War. I find it (unintenionally) very funny and at the same time very moving.

“This is democracy and our island,” she warned him, “and the very worst thing for democracy would be if we failed now.”

“Yes …” began Reagan.

Thatcher cut across him again.

“Ron, I’m not handing over … I’m not handing over the island now. I can’t lose the lives and blood of our soldiers …”

“Margaret, but I thought that part of the proposal …”

“You surely are not asking me, Ron, after we’ve lost some of our finest young men, you are surely not saying, that after the Argentine withdrawal, that our forces, and our administration, become immediately idle? ...”

“I wonder if anyone over there realizes, I’d like to ask them. Just supposing Alaska was invaded? ...”

“No, no, although Margaret, I have to say I don’t quite think Alaska is a similar situation.”

“More or less so,” she snapped back.

“Yeah, well, uh … uh …Well Margaret, I know I’m intruding on you …”