Comment Re:What in the hell was he thinking? (Score 1) 388
Don't bother becoming an expert. Certain Latin American countries are actually significantly more depressing then Africa, which is actually doing quite well at the moment. They had precisely the same opportunity we did to become ultra-rich global powers, and they wasted it in petty territorial disputes with each-other.
The ones who've moved on in the disputes (Chile, and Brazil) are doing great. Way better then us. They have peace on their borders, growing economies, democratic governments, and in a few decades they will be as rich per capita as the US. The others...
Let's just say it's really hard to grow your economy when your foreign policy of the last 50 or 100 years is based entirely on the principle that it's unfair that some other country defend it's territory from your righteous invasion force with modern weapons that cost money. Argentina's obsession with the Falklands is well known, and inexplicable to anyone who looks at the situation through the lens of what would be good for the two peoples involved (Falkanders, and Argentinians). Argentina is a temperamental Spanish-speaking Republic. The Falklands are people by sheep farmers who hate a) the Spanish language, b) change, and c) any form of government that does not include Her majesty the Queen.