Fact or Fiction
The last war that Argentina was involved in was a rather monstrous mistake, more famously known as The Falklands War. If, like me, you knew the name but not the exact location, don't be ashamed. Just go to your closest map and you will find them, tiny as they are, off to the southeast of Argentina. Most Brits don't even know where they are located, although every single Argentine does. Although they are not the Falklands in Argentina, but Las Malvinas, and given the complete lack of similarities in how each country represents its respective description of the islands, it is more than appropriate that it have two distinct names.
In the early 1980's, the military rule of Argentina decided, in order to bolster national pride, to invade Las Malvinas, a property of much contention for almost a hundred years. Why, you might ask? Well, as the story goes, Argentina about two hundred years ago was the first to claim Las Malvinas as their land. Supposedly, after laying claim to the little island group they proceeded to forget all about them until England came along and established colonies there during its great imperial rule. As far as I know, Argentina raised not much a fuss when this happened, and The Falklands, as England named them, were under British reign for about one hundred and fifty years. Bear with me, some of my times and dates could be off, but you get the point.
Anyway, the islands continued along swimmingly under British rule, speaking English, driving on the left side of the road, using the incredibly strong pound as their currency, so on and so forth. The only hitch, if you can consider it that, is that geographically it would make more sense for the islands to be part of Latin American, specifically Argentinean rule. And in comes the military government of 1982 to repossess Las Malvinas which has been considered always rightfully theirs anyway.
It was a spectacularly bold move for unstable Argentina of 1982 to go against the Goliath of England. Spectacularly bold and, I hate to be so biased but logic holds more weight than sentiment sometimes, outlandishly stupid. The invasion by Argentina lasted only a couple of months, and the islanders were less than impressed by the cultural changes Argentina sought to affect, like changing the language to Spanish and which side of the road they drove on. Two months later, Margaret Thatcher forever boosted her reputation by pouring British strength into the defense and soon the Argentinean troups had no recourse but to surrender.
As evidence of the weakness of the relations between government and people in Argentina, until the very day of Argentinean surrender, the newspapers and government had been telling their people that Argentina was winning the war, when actual facts were everything to the contrary.
In spite of their loss, and this is the best part, my favourite anecdote to pass around about the effects of the Falklands War on the Argentinean psyche is that all world maps printed for Argentinean schools show the Falklands as territory of Argentina, even though every single map printed every single other place in the world lists them as territory of the United Kingdom. And though every couple of years the islands are able to choose whether to stay under British power or go under Argentinean power, (and really, why would you want to abandon the safety of the British economy) they resolutely continue to choose England as the parent they want to live with, and Argentina continues to believe that the Falklands are rightfully theirs.
It reminds me of another example of the at times illogical hubris I have witnessed with Argentineans. Upon losing a friendly soccer game between English volunteers and Argentinean high schoolers, an Argentinean boy came up to one of the volunteers and said, "We lost, but we are still the best players."
You've got to admire that type of undaunted confidence, even if you make fun of it a little.
The last war that Argentina was involved in was a rather monstrous mistake, more famously known as The Falklands War. If, like me, you knew the name but not the exact location, don't be ashamed. Just go to your closest map and you will find them, tiny as they are, off to the southeast of Argentina. Most Brits don't even know where they are located, although every single Argentine does. Although they are not the Falklands in Argentina, but Las Malvinas, and given the complete lack of similarities in how each country represents its respective description of the islands, it is more than appropriate that it have two distinct names.
In the early 1980's, the military rule of Argentina decided, in order to bolster national pride, to invade Las Malvinas, a property of much contention for almost a hundred years. Why, you might ask? Well, as the story goes, Argentina about two hundred years ago was the first to claim Las Malvinas as their land. Supposedly, after laying claim to the little island group they proceeded to forget all about them until England came along and established colonies there during its great imperial rule. As far as I know, Argentina raised not much a fuss when this happened, and The Falklands, as England named them, were under British reign for about one hundred and fifty years. Bear with me, some of my times and dates could be off, but you get the point.
Anyway, the islands continued along swimmingly under British rule, speaking English, driving on the left side of the road, using the incredibly strong pound as their currency, so on and so forth. The only hitch, if you can consider it that, is that geographically it would make more sense for the islands to be part of Latin American, specifically Argentinean rule. And in comes the military government of 1982 to repossess Las Malvinas which has been considered always rightfully theirs anyway.
It was a spectacularly bold move for unstable Argentina of 1982 to go against the Goliath of England. Spectacularly bold and, I hate to be so biased but logic holds more weight than sentiment sometimes, outlandishly stupid. The invasion by Argentina lasted only a couple of months, and the islanders were less than impressed by the cultural changes Argentina sought to affect, like changing the language to Spanish and which side of the road they drove on. Two months later, Margaret Thatcher forever boosted her reputation by pouring British strength into the defense and soon the Argentinean troups had no recourse but to surrender.
As evidence of the weakness of the relations between government and people in Argentina, until the very day of Argentinean surrender, the newspapers and government had been telling their people that Argentina was winning the war, when actual facts were everything to the contrary.
In spite of their loss, and this is the best part, my favourite anecdote to pass around about the effects of the Falklands War on the Argentinean psyche is that all world maps printed for Argentinean schools show the Falklands as territory of Argentina, even though every single map printed every single other place in the world lists them as territory of the United Kingdom. And though every couple of years the islands are able to choose whether to stay under British power or go under Argentinean power, (and really, why would you want to abandon the safety of the British economy) they resolutely continue to choose England as the parent they want to live with, and Argentina continues to believe that the Falklands are rightfully theirs.
It reminds me of another example of the at times illogical hubris I have witnessed with Argentineans. Upon losing a friendly soccer game between English volunteers and Argentinean high schoolers, an Argentinean boy came up to one of the volunteers and said, "We lost, but we are still the best players."
You've got to admire that type of undaunted confidence, even if you make fun of it a little.
posted by Laura, aka "Nornabelle" @ 7:35 PM
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