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

[Jane3212]

I really like Argentinian literature and would like to know more about the country- I don't know much at the moment.

However, I have read up on the Falklands War, especially after Milei's grandstanding and the World Cup, and I'm confused as to why there still seems to be a strong sense it was 'stolen' and 'needs to come back', and disregard for the wishes of the Islanders, among some Argentinians (I know many don't feel this way).
The war was terrible and Argentinian men were conscripted. But that was the fault of Galtieri. Argentinians suffered under the brutal junta: we had to defend the Islanders, or they would have suffered under it too. And aside from that, the Islanders don't want to be ruled by Argentina. Virtually no Argentinians live there, and it's not particularly large or rich in natural resources : why the obsession among some? It also seems odd to frame Argentina as a sole victim of colonisation by Britain when the modern country itself was founded upon colonising the indigenous peoples.

I was disgusted with Trump's behaviour : I'm sure he'd scoff at anyone saying that the US is an illegitimate settler state, but he appears to be leaning to Milei for his own ends.

AIBU?

I know Argentina has been through hard times and still is in them, economically, but it would be much better to focus on their positive achievements and potential now, and not rehash territorial arguments. Spain still disputes Gibraltar, but they manage to have friendly links with it nevertheless. This kind of violent blackmail from Milei will just deepen divides.

They want the oil and gas deposits

Geographically it is odd that it’s ours.

Good point, I'd overlooked that.

But the invasion was of course in the 1980s, and there was a lot of public support. The dispute & emotion over it seems to date back further, too. The oil & gas was only found in 2010.

As above, and gold exploration too.

Yes, but then geographically you could say it's odd Guadeloupe still belongs to France, or that so many white British descendants live in Oz. Yet that's how it's panned out. Most people living there are descendants of Brits and feel British.

What if the Isle of Wight belonged to Brazil? How would we feel about that? I remember when the Falklands' crisis broke, I looked at a map of the UK, expecting to find the Falklands north of the Shetlands.

Am I the only person who wouldn’t care if the Isle of Wight was owned by Brazil? Why should I care, assuming the people on the Isle of Wight wanted to remain Brazilian?

This.
Falkland Islanders overwhelmingly voted to be British.

You might be right. Imagine what Ryde carnival might be like.

Why does Britain want them so much?

I may be wrong, but I don’t believe the Falklands had inhabitants before Europeans got there. The first recorded visit was by a British ship. After that the French, Spanish and British set down tiny settlements over a few decades. They each may not have even known the others were there. After various withdrawals of all the countries the British asserted sovereignty in 1833.

Argentina’s claim to the islands is the weakest one possible. It’s nonsense really, just a distraction for their politicians.

By that logic, Guernsey and Jersey are nearer France than Britain, maybe France should have them back?

Do you know the context? They overwhelmingly want to remain British, and we want to support them in that. If they didn't, I'm sure there'd be no issue. But they do.

As pp said, they are sitting on a massive oil and gas supply. Huge.

This article I read a while ago is interesting.

https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/the-ghosts-of-the-1982-falklands-war-haunt-the-argentina-england-match/

The dispute & emotion over it seems to date back further, too. The oil & gas was only found in 2010, the war was popular in 1982 and before that the dispute existed.

Argentina want the Falklands because it is resource rich.

Argentina didn’t exist at the point the Falklands became a British territory. Nobody lived there at all. The British people who live there wish to remain so.

Argentina trying to grandstand now, after already losing a war over this, is tedious.

Yes, but the recent resurgence of the dispute is all about the oil, intensified by the current situation in the middle east.