A terrific article, Daniel on a subject too little discussed! The Falklands War of 1982 is a little remembered and seldom discussed episode in history but one that is most fascinating. It is a classic story of the principal self-determination. The Falkland Islands had no native population. They were deserted until the French arrived and attempted to colonize it. But they were forced out due to diplomatic pressure from the Spanish. The Spanish would end up leaving as well in 1811 due to a collapsing overseas empire. So, when the British settlers arrived in 1833, it was free for the taking. The Islands themselves aren't anything special. Sheep farming is its only industry. For the British government, it far was away, difficult to defend and expensive. Even the British government under Margaret Thatcher wanted to find a way to get rid of it. But the Islanders were resolute that they wanted to stay British. Plus, they absolutely had the right to self-determination as they oppressed no native population and governed themselves. Argentina however, had other plans. They wanted the Falklands for themselves. But their claim to the Islands was complete nonsense. They claimed "Las Malvinas" are nearby. They are nowhere even close! They are 500 miles away in the middle of God forsaken nowhere! Second, they claimed the Falklands were a colonial relic. This is laughable! First off, the Falklands as stated above has no native people, it was deserted like Hawaii was before the Polynesians arrived. Second, this is hypocritical because the whole reason Argentina speaks Spanish and has a mixed population is because of Spanish colonialism. The British government had a snotty, condescending attitude towards the Islanders. So much so, they were negotiating to try and give up the Islands even as the war with Argentina reached its climax. They might well have handed the islands over to the Junta if not for the steely resolve of the Islanders to force them to keep the Falklands and defend it. We must self-determination for all people whether it be the Kurds, Druze, West African Christians, Israeli Jews, or the Falkland Islanders.
I'd been an ignorant inadvertent Malvinist due to my distaste for the British for their duplicity and despicable denial of refuge for the Jews in the land that they were assigned to provide refuge for the Jews in and giving away 80% of it to the hashemites from Saudi Arabia.
That open bias still exists within but you made the case for their independence from Argentina eloquently as the Falklands as the elemental aspect of self-determination fulfilled .
Which shines the light on the despicable depravity of the bastardly British in reneging on that mission for the Jews essentially enabling the Holocaust with the white paper in 1939 due to their cowardly choices to supplicate to the Arabs and enable them with gusto and spite. When international law malpractice becomes a thing Britain will be on trial for everything 🤔
Some titles for your reading pleasure to learn more about the Falklands War:
* The Battle for the Falklands by Max Hastings & Simon Jenkins
* The Falklands War by Martin Middlebrook
* The Falklands War 1982 (Essential Histories) by Duncan Anderson
* Across An Angry Sea: The SAS in the Falklands War by Sir Cedric Delves
A terrific article, Daniel on a subject too little discussed! The Falklands War of 1982 is a little remembered and seldom discussed episode in history but one that is most fascinating. It is a classic story of the principal self-determination. The Falkland Islands had no native population. They were deserted until the French arrived and attempted to colonize it. But they were forced out due to diplomatic pressure from the Spanish. The Spanish would end up leaving as well in 1811 due to a collapsing overseas empire. So, when the British settlers arrived in 1833, it was free for the taking. The Islands themselves aren't anything special. Sheep farming is its only industry. For the British government, it far was away, difficult to defend and expensive. Even the British government under Margaret Thatcher wanted to find a way to get rid of it. But the Islanders were resolute that they wanted to stay British. Plus, they absolutely had the right to self-determination as they oppressed no native population and governed themselves. Argentina however, had other plans. They wanted the Falklands for themselves. But their claim to the Islands was complete nonsense. They claimed "Las Malvinas" are nearby. They are nowhere even close! They are 500 miles away in the middle of God forsaken nowhere! Second, they claimed the Falklands were a colonial relic. This is laughable! First off, the Falklands as stated above has no native people, it was deserted like Hawaii was before the Polynesians arrived. Second, this is hypocritical because the whole reason Argentina speaks Spanish and has a mixed population is because of Spanish colonialism. The British government had a snotty, condescending attitude towards the Islanders. So much so, they were negotiating to try and give up the Islands even as the war with Argentina reached its climax. They might well have handed the islands over to the Junta if not for the steely resolve of the Islanders to force them to keep the Falklands and defend it. We must self-determination for all people whether it be the Kurds, Druze, West African Christians, Israeli Jews, or the Falkland Islanders.
I'd been an ignorant inadvertent Malvinist due to my distaste for the British for their duplicity and despicable denial of refuge for the Jews in the land that they were assigned to provide refuge for the Jews in and giving away 80% of it to the hashemites from Saudi Arabia.
That open bias still exists within but you made the case for their independence from Argentina eloquently as the Falklands as the elemental aspect of self-determination fulfilled .
Which shines the light on the despicable depravity of the bastardly British in reneging on that mission for the Jews essentially enabling the Holocaust with the white paper in 1939 due to their cowardly choices to supplicate to the Arabs and enable them with gusto and spite. When international law malpractice becomes a thing Britain will be on trial for everything 🤔
Interesting perspective that I hadn't seen presented quite so muscularly before. Well done.
A typo: "Indeed, had the colonists of Buenos Aires been more strategic, they would **of** prevailed."