Argentina, Falkland islands, Britian your opinions?

Answer 1

The whole thing was blown up by Maggie Thatcher - she had ample time to defuse the situation before the Argentinian navy arrived (she was warned about it long before she did anything).
In my opinion, she engineered the whole thing to make her popular in time for the following general election.
And yes, I agree, Britain should give the islands back to Argentina (and Gibraltar back to Spain)

Answer 2

the Brits have lived there for hundreds of years if Argentina has done without them this long than they don't need them. The people on the island have no cultural links of any kind with Argentina and don't want any. Who can blame them Argentina is a screwed up country who would give up their freedoms they have under British rule to be ruled by a Banana Republic that has a coup d'etat every 20 years or so. So the Argentinians had better get used to the idea that the Falklands will remain British unless the Argentinians can con the locals into joining Argentina. I know the British govt would love to get rid of the Falklands to save money. The Royal navy likes the Falklands as it gives them a base of operations in the south Atlantic.

Answer 3

They are British and hopefully will remain so.The Falkland Islands have been in continuous British occupation since 1833. Captain John Strong, who gave the islands their English name, made the first known landing in 1690. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were once Dependencies of the Falkland Islands. They were formed into a separate dependent territory in October 1985.
Argentina disputes the British claim to sovereignty over the islands. The country bases its claim to the Falklands (or the 'Malvinas' as they are known in Argentina) on the grounds that it succeeded to rights claimed by Spain in the eighteenth century. The British Government however has no doubts as to their British sovereignty, as Britain has continuously administered the islands since 1833 and the population consider themselves to be entirely British.So if Argentina fancies another go.................she will be repelled,just as before!!!

Answer 4

British. Now that our far flung vast Empire has waned away our little island outposts are our only legacy left to the world which was quick to forget how Great we once was. All these third rate countries who are quick to poke at the British would have quivered in their boots not so long ago.
Besides, The Falklands are home to British people now who would not want to be ruled by another nation, a nation that would probably turf em out and not know what to do with the place.
Keep em British!

Answer 5

The Falkland Islands may be 2000 miles from Britain but they are also 200 miles from Argentina, not exactly next door. The inhabitants are British Nationals, see themselves as being so, speak the same language as the UK, have no cultural ties to Argentina and the islands have never been populated by Argentines, not even before Britain colonized them. So any claim that they are naturally Argentinian is as absurd as it would be for Britain to claim the Canaries from Spain.

People often make the completely irrational argument that defending the Falklands is an example of imperialism. But surely forcing the Falkland Islanders to change their constitutional arrangement, ignoring their basic human right to free self-determination, trading them to another state against their wishes, would be imperialism of the worst kind? The UK has no right to conquer territories and force peoples to adopt our laws and government, but nor does the UK have any right to force territories and peoples to hand over their own sovereignty to another state. The Falkland Islands are a British Dependency, they run their own affairs but are too small to protect themselves so we agree to do it for them. It would be an absolute betrayal to allow their government to be overthrown at gunpoint simply because it is convenient for us to forget about our responsibility to defend them from a large state.

I am not a war hawk and if the Falklanders ever wanted to become part of Argentina then I would happily see the UK government hand them over. But when any foreign power launches a military invasion of territory we have promised to defend, and dares to overthrow that people's democratic government, putting guns to their heads, then I would fully support retaking that territory by force and any British government hesitating to do so would not be fit for office.

Answer 6

British, no worries mate. And don't believe we couldn't do it all over again. The Royal Navy has a larger amphibious capability today than it had in 1982. The surface fleet is more powerful and modern than 1982 and the will to win is, as ever, immense. So don't get any smart ideas.

Answer 7

I don't think Argentina has anymore claim to it then Britian.

Argentina is a made up place(by Spain), the native Argentinians don't consider themselves that(they are descents of Incas and other native peoples) and they were never at the falkans anyway.

Answer 8

In 1996 the company I worked for were involved in test drilling for oil on and around the islands, all 3 wells came up dry.......... and they say that Iraq was the first of the oil wars !!

Answer 9

it's down to simple self determination : the falklanders, like the gibraltans and the majority in N Ireland want to remain under british rule, so it's their democratic right to do so.

Answer 10

Because the British Isles are near to France, does that make Britain french? Yes, the Magna Carta was written in French, but apart from that?