sajin: Small island is good place for nationalistic sport with affordable bloody victims.

TheTrveFenris: No words for that, dude.

crazy_dave: Synopsis from Wikipedia:

No one lived there before the European arrival. The first two claims were apparently French and British. The Spanish bought the French colony and invaded the British one. The Brits and Spanish almost went to war and the Brits got theirs back by treaty. That brings us to the American Revolution and Caribbean war against the French when the Brits withdrew forces from their part of the islands and the Spanish took over (really just left a plaque next to the British plaque that Brits claimed the islands with saying "no they're ours"). But meanwhile the Argentinians rebelled and own creating the United Provinces of the River Plate. Since it was the Buenos Ares colonial administration that had governed the islands, Argentina now asserted control, but eventually left on their own accord, withdrawing settlers by 1811. Though both Britain and Argentina claimed control, it seems no one was using the islands for much until 1832 when the Argentinians tried to establish a penal colony. The following January British forces returned and laid claim to the islands that had been "theirs". The Argentinian forces protested but acquiesced. The Brits used it solely as a naval base until 1840 when the first stable colony, and the one that exists today, of civilians was set up.

So summary of the synopsis: No one has historically ever had claim that wasn't enforced at the point of a gun. And really if we want to talk about "firsties", half the islands belong to the Brits and the other half belongs to Spain (I suppose since they bought it rather than took it by force from the French). Since the current inhabitants are probably mostly if not entirely the descendants of Brits, it seems Argentina doesn't have a particularly strong case. I guess it really is just the same political theatre as last time. Oh well. The more things change, the more they stay the same.crazy_dave: I thought your economy was doing okay (well at least considering the state of the world economy anyway) - what are the issues they're trying to distract from? Is the economy that bad again? I mean last time it was incredible hyperinflation if I remember right (not to mention military dictatorship).

What's your sense - are people buying the distraction? Or are they fed up? Sorry you are going through this ... again.

TheTrveFenris: A sad thing to be said, as our army ranks were filled with young conscripts.

Parvateshwar: That is sad indeed. Perhaps that's one of the reasons for the huge difference of opinion. In the UK it was seen as a technological war with few lives actually at risk and the only thing it accomplished was a boost to Thatcher's terrible poll numbers and keeping the Falklanders free. I remember reading about Argentine generals who were later prosecuted for crimes against their own soldiers, I suppose if a young man is forced to fight and possibly die or be killed by your superior officer it can force that generation to look for answers in the wrong places, like trying to assert sovereignty based on geographic proximity. Argentina also tries to claim the South Sandwich Island and South Georgia, which is even more ridiculous but at least consistent.

On another note, our economy (the UK's) is in the shit too, with high and rising unemployment, laughably inconsistent European Policy, weak poll numbers for both Tories and Lib Dems, rising inflation, and a secession crisis, yet the government is treating the Falklands issue as a playful aside from the real issues. I can't say I like the Coalition government but they do seem to be doing the right thing by not trying to milk the Jingoists vote like Mrs Kirchner.

Lone3wolf: Can I be a stinker, and throw this in here? :P
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100858/Sean-Penn-blasts-UK-refusing-hand-Falkland-Islands-Argentina.html

It's the Daily Phail, so expect the comments to be VERY rabid...although there are a few salient points to be gleaned from them :

Argentina NEVER owned the Falkland Isles - so how can they be given "back" to them?
Britain took the islands off the Spanish LONG before Argentina ever existed as a nation.
Mr Madonna Ciccione just shot what was left of his career in Britain in the foot...

Enjoy!

wodmarach: theres a 1-6 month gap where argentina had a single settlement there which the UK quickly removed and replaced with the current settlements (in around... 1833) before that both Spain and britain had claims on seperate islands in the group. Argentina claims they own them due to a deal they did with Spain when they became independent the rest of the world kinda points and laughs at that claim basis

Azarr: It really annoys me that some people keep bitching about Britain not wanting to talk. Despite the lack of anything to talk about.

This Penn fellow can keep kissing all the ass he wants to, it won't change that fact.

wodmarach: Every time the UK has offered to take it to the international courts Argentina has demurred, invaded or walked out when they couldn't put forward a more valid reason than it's closer to us than the UK...
It's citizens regard themselves as British, voted not to move over to Argentine rule and don't particularly feel like being used as an oil reserve to fix Argentina's broken economy...