Hello from Argentina, that is in America, so we too are Americans.
Sorry for my english.
The Falkland Islands are a chain of British Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, as I'm sure you intelligent well endowed folks know
Once again they're in the News because Brazil has sided with Argentina along with most South American nations in saying that the Islands should be Argentinian.
But, it's just crazy.
The whole point of 'Self-Determination' according to the UN is that the people who live in a place should decide what country they are part of. The Falklanders are 100% British. Before the British arrived the islands were un inhabited.
Argentina has NO claim to them what so ever, except that the next nearest land is Argentina. By that logic Alaska should be given to Canada, regardless of what the Alaskans themselves want.
The UN policy is to end with the colonies in the world.
"The Falklanders are 100% British" of course man, if they are occupying the territory! With that argument, we can send 3500 people in a boat to the islands, make and election and easy resolved! That's not about 1982, but british occupation in 1833. Before that the first settlement was a French one, that after give that to Spain. In the middle, british come and gone, after agreements with Spain, and after the spanish themself leave too. Then Argentina goes and take sovereignty. And here we go again to 1833 when british occupied military the islands, claiming an inexisting sovereignty for them (and kicking out argentinians).
Argentina has NO claim to them what so ever, except that the next nearest land is Argentina. By that logic Alaska should be given to Canada, regardless of what the Alaskans themselves want.
The geographic element (important for the decolonization UN policy) adds to the historical. Your comparison with Alaska is tricky, since USA get that not just by an election from alaskans, or i am wrong? The same (and worst) about New Mexico, Texas, etc. If Canada had had people in Alaska and the U.S. had kicked out then, that would be a good comparison.
I thought Lady Thatcher settled this. Other than scoring some meaningless diplomatic points, there isn't much Brazil or Argentina can do about it. I mean, the British govt threatened that Buenos Aires would be Nuked over this issue in the 80's. Is any archipelago really worth that?
Well, certainly it matter to the British, didn't they?
More from the geographic element: the island are in the argentinian maritime platform. Imagine if we go to a Canadian island uninhabited (they have a lot of islands) and claim argentinian sovereignty, it's obviously ridiculous!
For "all sides" oil matters. Remembers all that about invading Irak for weapons they never found? Oil, oil, oil...
Also, matters the strategic position in the world for future conflicts.
Exactly how do a couple thousand sheep farmers three hundred miles out to sea from Argentina decide its economic fate? Other than to fulfill stupid nationalistic pride, there is no reason for Argentina to claim the islands. The colonels came up with the idea to distract people from the fact that they bankrupted the country (again) in the 80's.
It's true they may have some oil there but the Argentinians withdrew from the agreement that would have let them share in exploiting it several years ago, so fuck em. Argentina wants to make the islands the Alsace-Lorraine of the Atlantic, but the simple fact is that they aren't. If the British want to poke a stick in the eye of Buenos Aires, more power to them says this American.
The Brits settled them (without killing or displacing anybody), built them up, and even held several plebiscites to see if the inhabitants wouldn't really rather be citizens of Argentina, which were rejected soundly each time. They defended the islands and their people with blood and treasure against a despotic, hostile military government, and now are profitably exploiting their resources. What more do they need to demonstrate their rightful ownership?
1982 war nothing have to do with any discution about the claims for sovereignty, it's hard to understand? and yes, they "displacing anybody" in the XIX century. The recent plebiscites are ridiculous, is like we make one in Buenos Aires to get under british kingdom! they are british occupants, is obvios what they will vote!
Of course it were a despotic government in 1982, but that is also funny to say, like if Thatcher had not been despotic in his own way, in many ways! But, i repeat, 1982 war nothing have to do with any discution about the claims for sovereignty, 1982 war nothing have to do with any discution about the claims for sovereignty, 1982 war nothing have to do with any discution about the claims for sovereignty
Last census, which was more than 10 years ago, guestimated that the population of the entire country was about 40 million.
I agree with some and and disagree with oter things you said, however they are about things that have nothing to with Malvinas subject, but i just wanna tell you that the 2010 census gives a 40 million population.
Argentina is a country whose phenotype is probably whiter than the UK!
LMAO what some people thinks...