Regarding the Falkland Islands, do you support the UK’s claim or Argentina’s and why? 🇦🇷🇫🇰🇬🇧
RachelLia2003 · 22-25, F
Uncfred · 70-79, M
I think it is up to the inhabitants, and their government ought to back them, whatever their nationality. (From an English man).
Burnley123 · 41-45, M
It's a few strips of rock with a few hundred inhabitants in the middle of nowhere.. It has British inhabitants and is British owned because of the legacy of colonialism.
Argentina itself was never part of the British Empire. It was once part of a Spanish colony and was an independent state from the early nineteenth century. Though it was a major part of Britain's informal empire because Buenos Aires rose as one of the kind st important trading ports in the Americas. It was at a time when British companies dominated bayer global trade. Many were based there and British engineers helped build the early infrastructure of the country. Though, of course, it was mostly populated by immigrants from Italy and Spain.
The deep British influence explains why Argentina has the second oldest professional football league in the world. From there, the game spread across Latin America.
But the Falklands War was a turning point. Argentinians military dictatorship was struggling in 1982 and thought it would be a nationalist victory to retake the islands. They did and calculated that Britain would not care about the islands.
Unfortunately for them, Britain also has a rightwing nationalist government that was struggling in the polls and Thatcher sent a full blown naval taskforce to retake the islands. A load of people got killed, the Argentinian government was overthrown and Thatcher won the next election.
All that, for what? It was a war in which both sides were pathetically and ridiculously wrong. Both were using nationality jingoism for political purposes for a war over territory that had little value to either. Two bald men fighting over a comb, as someone memorably said
Argentina itself was never part of the British Empire. It was once part of a Spanish colony and was an independent state from the early nineteenth century. Though it was a major part of Britain's informal empire because Buenos Aires rose as one of the kind st important trading ports in the Americas. It was at a time when British companies dominated bayer global trade. Many were based there and British engineers helped build the early infrastructure of the country. Though, of course, it was mostly populated by immigrants from Italy and Spain.
The deep British influence explains why Argentina has the second oldest professional football league in the world. From there, the game spread across Latin America.
But the Falklands War was a turning point. Argentinians military dictatorship was struggling in 1982 and thought it would be a nationalist victory to retake the islands. They did and calculated that Britain would not care about the islands.
Unfortunately for them, Britain also has a rightwing nationalist government that was struggling in the polls and Thatcher sent a full blown naval taskforce to retake the islands. A load of people got killed, the Argentinian government was overthrown and Thatcher won the next election.
All that, for what? It was a war in which both sides were pathetically and ridiculously wrong. Both were using nationality jingoism for political purposes for a war over territory that had little value to either. Two bald men fighting over a comb, as someone memorably said
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InstructHer · 61-69, M
It is a left-over remnant of British colonialism but Argentina's claim is not strong either. They did not exist as a country when the British Empire and Spain tussled over it. The inhabitants are of UK descent in the main. The only peaceful solution is the UK to maintain sovereignty but negotiate equal access, exactly as as now happened with Gibraltar, another relic of the past.
Justme264 · 70-79, M
@InstructHer yep, we stole it but not from Argentina....same way (if I remember) we stole Gibralter
SUPERVlXEN · F
What do the inhabitants of Falkland think themselves?
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Burnley123 · 41-45, M
@SUPERVlXEN On the narrow point, any referendum of the citizens would return a near 100 per cent vote to remain as part of the UK. The people there are li'lle bit bri'ish.
The history is complicated. Some say it was uninhabited for a long time. Some say Britain was an imperialist bastard. Some say it doesn't matter that much.
The history is complicated. Some say it was uninhabited for a long time. Some say Britain was an imperialist bastard. Some say it doesn't matter that much.
SUPERVlXEN · F
@Burnley123
I read your reply as no one actually asked them but that there’s assumptions. My point to the OP is instead of asking which side we support like in a game in the World Cup it’s more interesting to listen to the ones it’s about, aka the people living there.
I read your reply as no one actually asked them but that there’s assumptions. My point to the OP is instead of asking which side we support like in a game in the World Cup it’s more interesting to listen to the ones it’s about, aka the people living there.
Richard65 · M
Forget history and politics, the fact is the Falkland's inhabitants wish to remain British. That's it. Everything else is moot. British soldiers died defending it, so no British politician will ever just hand it over to Argentina or they'd be metaphorically hanged from the nearest lamppost and so would the entire government who betrayed those dead troops. Argentina will never get them.
bijouxbroussard · F
I’m not a fan of colonialism. I remember during the 1982 conflict thinking it ridiculous that a country that far away was claiming possession of land in another country’s "backyard”.
But I don’t live there.
Do the people who do think they’re better off as part of the UK, or Argentina ? 🤔
But I don’t live there.
Do the people who do think they’re better off as part of the UK, or Argentina ? 🤔
AdmiralPrune · 46-50, M
Burnley123 · 41-45, M
I honestly don't think either side has a strong claim and I really don't care.