Almost thirty years have passed since the British and Argentinians fought a dirty little war over control of the Falkland Islands in the southern Atlantic. It was a war which Britain decisively won after 255 British troops were killed. For the British which have been in possession of the islands since 1833, preserving them is more than a matter of national pride, it is a matter of national security since the islands provide the nation with an accessible port and military base in the south Atlantic. Only about 2,500 people live on the islands but it is the Mount Pleasant Military Complex that is of true value to the Crown. And speaking of the Crown, the reason that conflict has flared up again is because Prince William is scheduled to be transferred to the islands to serve out a tour next month.

For Argentinians, the British are occupying a territory that belongs to South America and naturally, to Argentina. In case you haven't already figured it out, Malvinas is the Argentinian name for the Falkland islands. President Kirchner has recently ramped up anti-British rhetoric by claiming that the British are exploiting the natural resources (fish, oil, etc..) that rightfully belong to Argentina and acting as a colonial power. The Argentinian people, which have never fully accepted the fact that they lost the Falklands in a war that took the lives of more than 600 citizens, are once again livid over British occupation of the islands.

What are the odds that we are headed for another showdown? I would say, unlikely. Although Britain's prominence has been much affected by the recent crisis in Europe (a report this week said their GDP actually shrank by 0.2% last quarter) the fact is Argentina is not ready to militarily challenge Great Britain on any front. Argentina did however, incite Mercosur to block any ships carrying the Falklands flag from entering their ports an action that has led to wide protest from Britain. Argentinians are also protesting outside the British embassy today.

In conclusion, this could very well be a revelation of the type of conflict we will witness throughout the 21st century as traditional powers decline and new developing economies surge. At the end of the last century, we already saw China retake Hong Kong and Macau, perhaps in this century we will see the independence of Puerto Rico, Guam, French Guiana, etc .... and maybe even one day the Falklands although that day probably isn't this day.

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