Remembering the Falkland war.

For me the Falkland war was a turning point in my political education. I can recall every detail of the conflict; I kept a cut-out map of the islands next to my bed and avidly traced the progress of the campaign. I recall listening the Saturday debate in the House of Commons, and applauded Thatcher's speech in which she bellowed:'Britain does not appease dictators'. I can see now that actually Britain does appease dictators, when in suits. Nevertheless, 30 years ago the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands seemed like a simple case of unwarranted aggression. I watched with not a little patriotic pride as the task force set off to bash the argies. This - at the time - did not seem a very complex issue, but now I can see that it was and feel very differently about the whole episode. At first it all seemed so exciting; I experienced, as then a Sixth Former, a real sense of the jingoism that was gripping the nation. As the conflict deepened my views began to change; the horrible exocet missile attacks on the British ships, and the truly awful (and probably illegal) attack on the Belgrano brought home to this 18 year old what war meant. I have hated war ever since. It never solves problems, but simply intensifies them. The Falklands war for me, and the country, was a turning point.