To not understand why some Argentinians seem to want the Falkland Islands so much?

It’s common practice to move your supporters into any disputed area to try and claim territory - so whilst the people living there are British it still feels very uncomfortable to me given the actual location of those islands

It's a gorgeous place for a holiday as it is. If it were Brazilian, so be it. But it's a totally false equivalance anyway given how close the IOW is to Portsmouth, and that the Falklands are 300 miles out to sea! It's more like the Faroe Islands which are Danish anyway.

I don’t really get the obsession with the Falklands. No one seems to be utilising whatever deposits they have there. We have an obligation to look after them because the islanders are British, the whole set up is ridiculously expensive, but honestly as an RAF wife I’d be thrilled if we could hand the sodding things over. It’s the worst deployment.

I'm not supporting Argentina on this but planting your people in a territory, and then saying, but look, the inhabitants want to stay British, isn't that great an argument. It's exactly the one that's used in NI too.

It should be up to what the islanders want and that's the end of it.

Dh visits/goes fairly regularly for work purposes (although is non miltary) so has got to know a number of acquaintances/colleagues who live there quite well.

Memories of 1982 are still very fresh and real and he always comes back with the impression that the vote to stay British is an accurate reflection.

To not understand why some British seem to want the Falkland Islands so much?

It works both ways so why is it hard to only understand one point of view?

Milei is doing it as a distraction from internal issues. Create an artificial external cause and get everyone focused on that.

Trump likes shit stirring. He is the living embodiment of the saying that a lie is halfway round the world while the truth is still pulling on its boots. He says things which make other people run around proving that what he said was false or a generally bad idea. By the time people come back with their evidences he is no longer interested.

My personal suspicion is that he gets fed some of his more outrageous suggestions indirectly from Russia. This is being done to keep the West distracted and inward looking rather than focusing on what Russia is doing.

I'd find it a more interesting place to holiday if it was culturally Brazilian

😆 🤣

I don’t think “Britain” would be too upset if the islanders themselves chose to leave. But as they currently choose to remain a British Overseas Territory, the majority of Brits support them in that. Self determination being the guiding principle.

You're right and how lovely to see loyalty instead of bashing Britain. Simon Weston bears the scars for life but must wonder why he bothered with the hate some Brits have for their own nation.

It’s more than just the oil and gas. The claim to the Falklands is very handy to whip up support from the Argentine public when times are bad. In 82 the Junta was in trouble and needed a diversion from home problems. They seriously underestimated us and our resolve (I was there)(and would do it again). It will rumble on and if times get hard in Argentina or they need the oil fields they will come again and I hope we will take it back.

The Falklands is resource rich - especially their fisheries
There is also oil and gas reserves.
Their GDP per capita is x5 higher then Argentina (£70,000 compared to £14,000).

But the people who live in the Falklands overwhelmingly voted to stay a British territory and its been a Crown colony since mid 1800s before that it wasn't permanently inhabited it was a whaling station.

Oh god, they're the Millwall of Latin America!

It is odd. I hope one day all
the ridiculous territories end- Canaries, Cueta, etc, Falklands & others, Guadeloupe &others,

British people (Falkland Islanders) want to be and are British

Its never been Argeninian. Argentina did not even exist when Britain took hold of it.

As is the way with the way the world is divided up.

Does Argentina want to give itself back to Spain?

The way things are going at the moment, I wouldn't discount Russia wanting Alaska back at some point...

It's not the same as England with the Isle of Wight. The nearest Argentinian main land to the Falkland Islands is 250 miles away.

It was also never ruled by Argentina. IIRC the predecessor to Argentina settled there for a few (18?) years after the Spanish left, but we took it over in 1830.

Also culturally they're British, not Argentinian. Same goes for Jersey.

If the channel islands voted for it then sure.

It’s mainly about the Sealion oil fields. Licence is owned by an Israeli company that majority owns a small British oil exploration company. I can’t believe trump is now getting involved. It’s so depressing and 19th century. They were finally reaching first oil in the next 2 years, with all the licences in place, after years of effort and investment. Argentina are opportunists, and America is just a greedy bully. Think Greenland, Venezuela etc. He can’t stop himself.

It's interesting because I've seen online lately, which could be bots tbf, quite a few claims from Argentinians to be indigenous in response to people pointing out they're a settler-colonial state. Never ask a woman her age, a man her salary or an Argentinian irredentist why the small percentage of indigenous DNA across their population is overwhelmingly from the maternal lines...

It’s about resources. For Britain too. The weirdest one for me is Gibraltar!

If the people living on the Isle of Wight wanted to stay as Brazilian citizens, that would give me no issue whatsoever. I'd visit and enjoy the food.

No, this is about oil & gas. And men's egos.

There’s a historical difference between how Britain and France ran their empires and subsequently decolonised. Britain gave its overseas territories a lot of autonomy. They usually ran their own affairs broadly independently, but enjoyed the security of the British armed forces. France ran its colonies from Paris. When their empires were wound up, France essentially gave its remaining colonial territories an elected seat in Paris. From the UN’s perspective this makes them part of France, despite a lack of geographical proximity. However, it means their votes in their concerns are drowned out. We did the opposite. We gave our remaining territories more local autonomy but no MP in Westminster. It’s better for locals making decisions locally, but it doesn’t fit the model of either being incorporated into our country or becoming fully independent. Clearly the Falklands couldn’t defend themselves from Argentine invasion without our support, but they also enjoy the fruits of not being treated as a single constituency in Westminster, but their preferences are deemed to leave them as a colony in an age when colonies are politically unacceptable. This means other claims are taken seriously.

Ditto Mauritius and Chagos. Their only claim is based on the fact we administered Chagos from Mauritius. Neither had a native population prior to colonisation. Mauritius was settled by workers brought in from the Indian subcontinent who are largely Hindu and Muslim. Chagos was settled by Christians brought in from Africa. No one questions the rights of the current descendants of Mauritian settlers to remain there, but they do question the rights of the Falkland Islanders and they ignore the rights of the Chagossian people.